Vandersteens, PSB or something else?


I’m looking to upgrade my speakers and would appreciate some input. My system includes ayre amp, aesthetix calypso preamp, and vandy 2c sig IIs. The room is relatively large at 23’ wide (speakers on this side) by 27’. I would like speakers that are good at both music and home theatre. I plan to run HT pass through and 5.1 overall. For music, I listen to a lot of classic rock, blues and jazz. Not too much classical. I do enjoy live Dead and Allman Brothers. I’d like the speakers to image well and present a nice soundstage but also really draw me in emotionally to the music. For home theater, I’d like to be able to include a center channel and get a decent theater experience. The vandies, really no complaints, they have served me very well. But I have budget to take the next step and was thinking maybe the Treos. But once I make this next step, I would not be making any moves for a while, so wanted to explore other alternatives as well. The PSB Imagine T3’s seem to have been reviewed well and may be worth a test. My budget would allow for these, and I guess I could possibly go up to the quatro for the right deal. Any other ideas that, given my musical preference, room, budget could be worth a shot? I have to admit, sometimes I do wonder if the live recordings that I’m listening too would really benefit from a big upgrade to the speakers.

sb_caribou

Showing 2 responses by tomic601

Bummer
OP caught in a crossfire hurricane

btw Allman Brothers Live at Fillmore is a seminal album and worthy of a great rig... there is great subtlety captured in the drums and symbols... lots of Air and hall ambience in Mountain Jam for example

the better speakers should all be chasing the holy grail of pistonic motion... many high efficiency speakers are junk producers - distortion counts as output...
better to ask WHY is a Vandersteen 7 an 85 bd speaker ?
no trash cone motion in the output...

i used the MQA version of Terrepin Station to help me decide if MQA was any good ( and it is) so keep chasing your dreams !!!

if I can help in some way let me know

A Vandersteen fan for sure
but not a dealer

a center channel with the carbon fiber / balsa drivers would blow your whole budget - which is why they do not make such a beast....

Vandy HT is well thought out but is not sloppy Q bombastic stuff which is why he builds 2 different (3 now with the 9) sub models available

obviously the Vandersteen  bias is to SOTA 2 channel

sounds like you have done some soul searching on priority
I echo others get out and listen
lots of dealers carry excellent 2 channel and HT

where do you live ?