Which speakers to be ''in'' the music?

I’d add ATC speakers to your list.  In your price range the SCM 40v2 might be a good choice.  Best of luck. 

Bonjour Maurice

Did you find the Vandersteen's overall presentation slightly different than your previous speakers?
I don't mean more bass or sizzling highs but rather their basic musicality?
Did the Vandersteen's seem any less fatiguing over longer periods of time?

I owned Paradigm Studio 100s and Triangle Comet in my home theater.

Considering the warmth and hospitality I experienced while there I apologize to France for my pathetic attempt at speaking French which I would compare to garbage falling.

As a native Californian, French wine is - well...

M 

Hi m-db!

I found the Vandersteen very different from the previous speakers I owned.

Monitor Audio rx6 were my first pair of speakers, as a newcomer I found their midrange intoxicating, beautifully voiced, they were very sweet and I still enjoy them in my kitchen listening to it while I cook. But their presentation quickly felt limited for me: I didn’t find them articulated, they didn’t breath that much, I’m a musician and I found the trumpets and sax were never realistically sounding, it’s like someone was putting make up on the sound, too glossy! And the mid bass and bass were poor...

So I updated them for a pair of paradigm studio60, they conveyed much more power, energy and dynamics, but I found them low in resolution, not transparent and while the mid bass and bass were way better than the Monitor Audio, the midrange was as never great.

Than I had the opportunity to test the Triangle Antal. They were a step up from the previous two speakers I owned as they had a more coherent presentation and suprisingly good bass, but I didn’t find them transparent enough, I always found something was lost in the music they made and I found it fatiguing to my ear.

To finally answer your question, I find the Vandersteen presentation different from all those speakers and quite unique. I do find the highs to be sizzling especially in some classical or electronic music with really bright sounds are harsh to listen too (if you have a suggestion to fix that problem please tell me!), but the way they present the music is so right. The sound is detailed, I love the timbre so much , saxophones and trumpets sound right, voices feel alive. Non fatiguing and really musical. The bass is precise and balanced. When I listen music on the Vandersteen I always feel connected to the music. One of my musician friend owns the top of the line Adam s5H monitors which cost many time more the Vandersteen and while they are very precise, I always wish I was listening to my system, they just don’t feel alive like the Vandersteen, they don’t reproduce the music they way the Steen does...

The only thing I whish they did better is their spatiality: I always feel like I am listening to a concert from the 15th row, but I want to be in the second row, I want to close my eyes and be in the middle of the music, I don’t want it to be just in front of me. So I guess I want a more 3d sound, more depth, more verticality, without losing the musicality of the Vandersteen of course.


I’m curious, what is your dedicated stereo system?


PS: I do commercial works and had the opportunity to shoot in a couple vineyards in Mariposa, they had some beautiful Cab Franc, cheers!

I was auditioning Paradigm S8s along with my Studio 100s just as I had the opportunity to purchase my Avalon Acoustics Eidolons from their original owner.
I had all three in the house powered by pentode push-pull tube monaural  amplifiers. I so prefer LP's but the music is most important to me.

Within a few minutes even my family could hear a preferable difference.
With both Paradigm's I could easily hear each driver. Not so with the unfairly more expensive Eidolons. 

Vandersteen and Avalon are clearly different speakers but there is a similarity resulting from their design thats beyond my knowledge but not my ears. They simply sound musically right and far more relaxing which was the reason for my questions. 

Which ever speaker you decide on I found having someone who knows exactly what they're suppose to sound like assist in the speaker and listening position locations. In my case this was a huge improvement and may be a part of the solution your seeking. Monitoring recordings require a very different system. 

The Vandersteen's may be more forgiving in their placement and use more toe in from my brief show experience. The results seem similar to me.

All the best with your search. 

agree with sentiments below

vandys and avalons do something very right - i think it has to be the unboxy sound and dispersion pattern

higher vandy's should have level adjustment for tweeter to manage that response