Vandy 5 Owners & Dreamers

Mark, as one very satisfied 5 owner my bias is obvious. The 5 bests the 3A Sig substantially. The 5 is more dynamic, has better depth and staging and has more frequency extension. The midrange/treble has more air and presence likely because the high pass filter reduces the load on the amps dramatically (especially tubes) and the crossover is better. However, it is the brilliant bass of the 5 that sets it apart not only from the 3A Sig but most other speakers. Yes it does require dealer setup for the bass equalization as Avguygeorge laments but the result is astonishing. The bass itself is simply the cleanest, fastest, most articulate and musical you will hear in most in-home settings. What is surprising is how much information is actually present in the bass once you can hear it. Also the clarity in the bass allows it to be very powerful without being disproportionately loud. That in turn allows even greater information and natural detail to emerge from the midrange/treble because it is not muddied from below. The effect is not subtle. The best example of the benefits the 5 offers can be demonstrated by comparing them to Plato's electrostatic hybrids. The cone woofer's alternate transduction material combined with the system's phase and time incoherency causes a mediocre bass that obscures the whole speaker. Except of course the upper midrange brightness which some find beautiful and detailed. The Vandy 5 is the most coherent, articulate and musical speaker I have owned. It's also the only Vandersteen product I have owned. Its only superiors are the big Soundlabs and Magneplanar speakers, without subwoofers, please. As a 3A Sig owner the 5 is a natural progression for you IMHO.