You shouldn't be wrecking any speakers at that low of a listening level. That's very odd. What exactly is happening? |
Are you blowing the tweeters? Are you a metal head? Vandy's are great but can't stand distortion/distorted recordings. |
Daber_audio/Elevick, I have posted this problem with Vandersteen 2C's numerous times. Vandersteen speakers cannot be played loud for long periods of time. |
I am listening in the high 80's to low 90's dB for 2-4 hours. Sabbath is as metal as I get. Queen, Cars, Drive By Truckers, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Karma To Burn, etc. |
What would be a good speaker choice? |
I've blow every speaker inside once or twice. It hasn't been as bad since I switched from a Bryston 4B to the VTL 125's mono amps. |
In theory one of the tradeoffs of the gentle first-order crossovers used by Vandersteen is reduced power handling.
If you've blown every speaker you've had once or twice, I suggest that you'll save money in the long run by going with speakers that use prosound components. This means stepping outside of mainstream home audio, but the combination of higher efficiency and higher power handling makes such speakers far more survivable in a challenging application. You might look at Klipsch Heritage series, PiSpeakers, GedLee, and Tyler Acoustics' Pro Dynamics line. The PiSpeakers 3Pi at $1700 a pair is a real good starting point.
Duke
dealer/manufacturer |
Something is in need of a change if you have continuously been blowing speakers. Any chance you are pushing the amps past clipping? It's not necessarily how much power you put into the speaker as much as how clean and stable the signal is - VTL 125s might seem like they have a lot of power but Vandersteen 2C's should be able to take the full power of 125's, and more. What the 2C and almost any speaker won't like is when an amp clips. The 2C and any Vandersteen is a well constructed/reliable speaker; any speaker including a Vandersteen can have a driver or a crossover fail but I think it's safe to say Vanersteen's are generally pretty robust. If you like how they sound I'd get them fixed; Vandersteen has pretty reasonable parts and services prices. (I saw Rrog's comment and I don't dispute his experience but it's different than mine - one possibility is that 2Cs in 2011 might be in need of a part replacement here or there - after 10 or 20 years stuff can wear out if it's been used too much or not enough or not properly, and sometimes it just ages due to temperature, humidity, and time.)
On a different note, in a perhaps more ideal situation, I think I'd look for speakers first and then the amp; I realize sometimes we get ourselves into a situation where we are trying to make due with the gear on hand, but personally I'd find speakers that sound right in my room and then select the right amp for the speakers.
Let us know how reliably your next set of speakers run. |
If my amp is clipping, wouldn't the solution be a more powerful amp? That way there would be sufficient power to reach the 90dB and the amp wouldn't clip? BTW...my room size is 12' wide x 14'-5" long with a 8'-8" ceiling. I was thinking maybe of a pair of Aerial 10T's. Are the 10T's too big for the room? Thoughts? |
Best speakers in combination with VTL that I've heard is Wilson. I've heard Wilson's with Ayre, Audio Research (twice), Linn, and some others but the VTLs were incredible. |
Which model of Wilson? I can say that I can't really complain about the sound of the VTL's. |
Pick up a used pair of Klipsch KHorns; they are great 'rock 'n roll' speakers and work very well with the VTL 125's, especially in Triode mode... |
Are Klipsch K horns good for Jazz too? |
"If my amp is clipping, wouldn't the solution be a more powerful amp?"
The VTL 125 is rated at 130 watts in tetrode mode. To theoretically gain 6 dB more headroom, you'd need to go up to 780 watts. Your speakers couldn't handle that.
So let's take a look at possibly changing speakers. The Vandersteens are rated at 86 dB. In order to gain 6 dB more headroom, you'd need 92 dB efficient speakers, which are not hard to find. Going in that direction is a much more practical solution, imho.
Duke |
Thanks Duke. Do you have a speaker recommendation? |
I think Khorns are at their their best with smaller scale music like jazz ensembles, guitar performances (say like Neil Young at Massey hall). However, you need a good-sized room for a pair of KHorns and they must sit directly into the room corners, flush and firm against the wall. |
I use the Duke by Marten Design from the Heritage line, with VTL Compact 100's. They are two way stand mounted monitors that use ceramic drivers. They been able to handle anything I've thrown at them but I must admit, I don't go much beyond 75-80 DB which is very loud in my setting. 90 db is like standing next to a jack hammer! |
