Vandersteen

For all the 2C lovers I know of a nice pair in San Diego for not much $$$$$

It is an spl meter
the Vandertones disc is referenced back to known inaccuracy in the meter
it is a better low frequency spl meter than many $500 pro consumer calibrated microphones.
and it is reinforcing evidence that every $ must add value.
it is impossible to setup EQ for any Vandersteen in five minutes. 11 bands per speaker with about 5 runs each required.. yields hours of work and that is before physical setup for tilt, etc.
i will make sure Richard knows about the Seattle dealer setup issues.
i do my own Vandersteen setups and have on both coasts - mostly because I am very hands on.
please PM me with name of tech who helped you.
by any chance did you keep the EQ results and notes ?

it is fantastic that you love your current speakers !!!!!! Much Joy to you in listening.

And Theils Jim's anyway are -/$&@! Fine speakers

Jafant
As you should at 4 x the price of ordinary 2's
And as you are very well aware, Jim T ( RIP ) is a designer prehaps the designer most aligned with Richard on basic design parameters and philosophy...

the comments about value are absurd. Richard is hyper frugal and nothing absolutely nothing  makes it into a speaker without adding value.
The 3A sig use same tweeter and mid as the vaunted 5a
Tyler while sourcing direct to consumer use Scanspeak drivers as do Vandersteen including a patented MID. As you should know Scanspeak has nothing to touch the carbon / balsa drivers at any price.

perhaps you should start a Tyler thread vs. pollute helping the OP

email me a picture of your 5 a carbons as you set them up, who was your dealer?

having owned 3A Sig for a decade before moving to 5 A and now 7 Mk2 I will say there are a couple of critical things to get right about the Model 3 in general.

First it sounds like you did not buy them thru a dealer - make sure they are not broken including a fried voicecoil or  a delaminated surround. IF you did get them thru a dealer make them work to support you. IMO just about every Vandersteen dealer is crazy about the product and supporting it. Richard also takes a lot of ? via web and posts answers and of course he picks up the phone.

setup - verify gas tight and correct phase connection thru the chain. Are you biwiring ? do you know IF the connections are correct ? Shotgun or ?

Follow the setup directions to the T
did you do the math on the room and use the golden ratio setup #’ ?
the sound anchor stands are essential do you have them ? are they by any chance touching the back wall ?
the acoustic coupler will connect to the back wall in a massive way if they're too close. you can also tune the bass a bit by experimenting w distance to back wall. You can download Vandertones off Vandersteen website and use a simple radio shack analog SPL meter - this way you will know what your room is doing..more non Vandersteen owners should also do this...many prefer head or ears in sand...
Use a tape measure and a helper to very your ear height at the listening position and the distance to speaker, get the tilt right !

you can also download the setup manuals off the Vandersteen website

finally IM experience you need an amp with high damping factor to control the woofers BUT also a sweet top and mid - they are pretty revealing. I used a 200 WPC Mac and I would say it worked well. My LiL Mac 240 would run them barelyy...ha The Mac did not do so well with the 5's but that is a deifferent tale...

My old 3 A sig still in service making great music in brothers system - 150 WPC PS Audio has a vice like grip on Bass, Mac preamp, SOTA table.....ah.......

Enjoy

Jim