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Room placement for Vandersteen Treo CT

I  am considering Vandersteen Treo CT's for purchase. In doing some research on them I read they are very sensitive to room placement in order to achieve their best performance.  I've some limitations on where I could place them in my listening room. My listening room is approximately 13'x22' with a cathedral ceiling roughly 16' high from the floor in the center of the room. eight foot high where it meets the front and rear walls.. The speakers will be located on the front long wall equally spaced from the center of that wall. There are a fair amount of furnishings in the room, furniture, built in bookshelves, a library table etc. 

My first questions is, what is the closest I could place the Treo's from the wall, I think "Johnny from AudioConnections" said, you might be able to place them as close as "seven to fourteen inches" from the wall, but I can't find the reference. Somebody else said wall placement was okay as it would reinforce the bass output, which the Treo would benefit from. I thought you were supposed to not put ported speakers near a wall, but these being bottom ported  maybe it doesn't matter.

The second question is, what would you guess to be the minimum distance they need to be from one another?  I have a four foot wide flat screen television centered on the front wall. I would love to be able to place the Treo's on either side of the flat screen, with the outside edges of the Treo's being seven feet apart, but am afraid this might be too close together.  I could place them another two feet or so apart, but the speaker on the right side would then partially block the view of a built-in in 120 gallon aquarium which would not be ideal, but doable.

What do you think?  I would appreciate your experience and guidance here. Thanks

Michael

skyscraper
skyscraper OP
826 posts
 
Tomic601, I will definitely be auditioning the Vandersteen Treo CT, hopefully next week, at a showroom I've located in northern Virginia.

Sounds like you have had an interesting occupation building planes and hi-tech equipment. Richard sounds pretty interesting too, from your description and his applying aircraft technology to speakers. I appreciate people who know how to do things. 

I do have Pet Sounds and am listening to it right now at your suggestion. ("Wouldn't It Be Nice" at the moment)  Great album. Got their follow-up to Pet Sounds, the reconstructed Smile album, not long ago. 

Mike
ctsooner
2,480 posts
 
Sky, I sold my beloved Treo's to GNB.  I wanted him to come up to pick them up so he could hear them.  Sold on the spot! They were very close to the wall too.  Less than a foot.  They worked GREAT.  Johnny R set them up and he did a wonderful job.  I now have the Quatro's and they too are close to the wall (very close) and right up against the side walls too.  

I work with wood also.  I was going to do a really neat veneer (I had about 5 different ones I was thinking about), but ended up paying a spec more to get them painted in Audio Havana Black (the darkest brown you can find. It's a highly metallic black with a lot of copper metal fleck).  Stunning.  Everyone notices them, lol.  I had the cherry Treo's and as Bob will tell you, they are beautiful.  Tomic's are spectacular also.  What finish are you looking to do?
doni
318 posts
 
Another Treo CT owner here.  I’ve used 
them on the long and short walls and find they work really well on either.  Rake angle is important, and they appreciate an amp that has some power, but still sounded great with my small tube amp.  I find base to be excellent but only if it’s well recorded.  Really great speakers!
skyscraper OP
826 posts
 
Ctsooner, glad to hear your Treo's sounded good that close to the wall.

 I'll probably do my speakers in black to blend in with all the black audio components, computer, TV etc on the same wall and not compete with the Federal style mahogany furniture in the rest of the room. Outside chance I could go with the same mahogany though. Haven't completely made up my mind. 

Doni, I've been wondering about the Treo's bass output and will be listening carefully during the demos. Thanks for writing in. 

Mike
ctsooner
2,480 posts
 
Ask Bob also.  If you gear can feed it strong deep bass it will recreate it down to 30hz.  I've had them rocking plenty of times when I owned them.  I needed to be able to control the bass as my room is so open, but the Treo's won't lack for quality bass, that's for sure.  Very tight, great tone and layered.
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