The Official Vandersteen Owners Thread

Since the mid 1980s all the vandersteen flagships had dual 12" push-pull subs, starting with Model 4, but continuing with Model 5 through Model 7 mk2...up until now. :(
 
I guess the new bass driver setup must really be something if it convinced Richard and the entire "expert listening board" to abandon the internal horizontal 12" cones firing at each other in opposite phase. I always thought that was the cleverest design for deep bass I had ever heard, super-deep, fast, clean, and perfectly integrated. I wish I knew what the new "Counterforce Bass" means.
 
BradRichards said:
I guess the new bass driver setup must really be something if it convinced Richard and the entire "expert listening board" to abandon the internal horizontal 12" cones firing at each other in opposite phase. I always thought that was the cleverest design for deep bass I had ever heard, super-deep, fast, clean, and perfectly integrated. I wish I knew what the new "Counterforce Bass" means.
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I agree , Richard definitely got bass right with his speakers some of the tightest and cleanest I have heard. But also Richard is always evolving and trying to be ahead of the curve with his speakers and imo he has done excellent. I’m not 100% on the counterforce bass either but he has some videos explaining it.


Audiofreak71
 
BradRichards said:
Another very clever Vandersteen bass enhancement technology: a 5.5" disc of MDF glued to each 10" rear-firing radiator to slow it down. Maybe this is why they love high current so much. https://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/107vandy/index.html

"I've always believed that if a big piece of wood can't be counted on to slow a fiber woofer cone, nothing can." - Art Dudley, Stereophile magazine
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I used to own the 2ce signature ii’s excellent speakers nice tight bass , very balanced speakers.


Audiofreak71
 
Do any of you vandersteen lovers use headphones? If so, what headphones have you found that gives you equal satisfaction as listening to your vandersteen speakers?

I currently use vandersteen 2ce speakers and I love them when playing acoustic jazz music. When sitting in the sweet spot, the soundstage is fantastic as the speakers just disappear. The music just sounds so natural. These are the qualities I like about my speakers and would like to find some headphones that will provide a similar experience.

My current headphones are sennheiser hd600 hd650 which I had for many years. These are driven by a mapletree audio tube headphone amp. I have always found these headphones to sound decent however they do not provide the same listening experience as my speakers. The main reason I ended up with the hd600 and hd650 is the many positive reviews on them. With the many positive reviews on them and me only finding them only decent sounding, I just figured that I am not a headphone guy.

What specifically do I not like about the senns? It is hard for me to say but the following is what someone recently posted on headfi and this describes my feelings towards the senns:

Did I already mention the dynamics part? The ability to play very soft and very loud in the same phrase. The mid-tier Senns lack that as well. That leads them to sound less fatiguing and more laid back. Realistically presented vocals and instruments can go from very soft to very loud, then soft again, and it can be pretty jarring. However, I prefer an honest representation of my music, rather than a relaxed version of it.

The above statement about dynamics is what I feel lacking when listening to the senns.

Recently I picked up a pair of AKG k240 monitor (old 600 ohm version) and these hp sound slightly more dynamic than the senns. Also when comparing the senns to the akg, the senns has more bass however the bass sounds overly thick. Kind of like when you engage the loudness button on a receiver/amplifier. I am a no loudness/tone controls type of person so I seem to like the akgs better than the senns however there are some things that the senns do better.

So, what headphones to you vandersteen lovers like that will give me a similar experience as listening to vandersteen speakers?

Patrick
 
pyoung272 said:
Do any of you vandersteen lovers use headphones? If so, what headphones have you found that gives you equal satisfaction as listening to your vandersteen speakers?

I currently use vandersteen 2ce speakers and I love them when playing acoustic jazz music. When sitting in the sweet spot, the soundstage is fantastic as the speakers just disappear. The music just sounds so natural. These are the qualities I like about my speakers and would like to find some headphones that will provide a similar experience.

My current headphones are sennheiser hd600 hd650 which I had for many years. These are driven by a mapletree audio tube headphone amp. I have always found these headphones to sound decent however they do not provide the same listening experience as my speakers. The main reason I ended up with the hd600 and hd650 is the many positive reviews on them. With the many positive reviews on them and me only finding them only decent sounding, I just figured that I am not a headphone guy.

What specifically do I not like about the senns? It is hard for me to say but the following is what someone recently posted on headfi and this describes my feelings towards the senns:

Did I already mention the dynamics part? The ability to play very soft and very loud in the same phrase. The mid-tier Senns lack that as well. That leads them to sound less fatiguing and more laid back. Realistically presented vocals and instruments can go from very soft to very loud, then soft again, and it can be pretty jarring. However, I prefer an honest representation of my music, rather than a relaxed version of it.

The above statement about dynamics is what I feel lacking when listening to the senns.

Recently I picked up a pair of AKG k240 monitor (old 600 ohm version) and these hp sound slightly more dynamic than the senns. Also when comparing the senns to the akg, the senns has more bass however the bass sounds overly thick. Kind of like when you engage the loudness button on a receiver/amplifier. I am a no loudness/tone controls type of person so I seem to like the akgs better than the senns however there are some things that the senns do better.

So, what headphones to you vandersteen lovers like that will give me a similar experience as listening to vandersteen speakers?

Patrick
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When I was a serious Can Head I owned Grado RS2’s with W ear pads , Beyerdynamic T1’s, AKG 701’s, Heir Audio IEM’s, the list goes on I would I say the Grados and Beyerdynamic’s most mimicked the Vandersteens to my ears and the Heir Audio IEM’s were some of the best I have heard regardless of price.


Audiofreak71
 
audiofreak,

Thanks for the recommendations on the grados and beyers. The grados was one I was considering as I have read that it works well with Mapletree headphone amps.



Patrick
 
Hey Guys, not sure if this is the right place, please help me get there if it’s not.
I recently bought a pair of model 2’s (plain 2 no suffix) in need of repair. The surround on the 8” woofers is completely gone. Is there a good source for new surrounds? Is there anything else I should look for while I have the speakers appart? Also, the cones on mine are clear rather than black like I see in most pictures, I assume this is because they are an older model and not because the drivers have been replaced… is my assumption correct?
 
Attom said:
Hey Guys, not sure if this is the right place, please help me get there if it’s not.
I recently bought a pair of model 2’s (plain 2 no suffix) in need of repair. The surround on the 8” woofers is completely gone. Is there a good source for new surrounds? Is there anything else I should look for while I have the speakers appart? Also, the cones on mine are clear rather than black like I see in most pictures, I assume this is because they are an older model and not because the drivers have been replaced… is my assumption correct?
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Sounds like you have an early original version of the 2. Vandersteen can rebuild the drivers and they will come with updated surrounds that will not rot.

https://www.vandersteen.com/warranty-and-service
 
I usually don’t post up deals like this but for this I just have to. Someone is selling Vandersteen 3a Signature’s for for only $700! He has them listed as 3a’s but if you look at the picture of the back of the speaker it has Richards signature on it identifying it as 3a Signature’s. It doesn’t look like he has the stands (a must have) but with the money you save from these you can buy a pair from Vandersteen. These speakers usually sell for $2k and above used .

It’s local pick up only and I believe he’s in North Carolina for anyone that would like to inquire about these and potentially get an insane deal on these exceptional now almost $6k speakers.

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649774476-vandersteen-3a/


Audiofreak71
 
Audiofreak71 said:
I usually don’t post up deals like this but for this I just have to. Someone is selling Vandersteen 3a Signature’s for for only $700! He has them listed as 3a’s but if you look at the picture of the back of the speaker it has Richards signature on it identifying it as 3a Signature’s. It doesn’t look like he has the stands (a must have) but with the money you save from these you can buy a pair from Vandersteen. These speakers usually sell for $2k and above used .

It’s local pick up only and I believe he’s in North Carolina for anyone that would like to inquire about these and potentially get an insane deal on these exceptional now almost $6k speakers.

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649774476-vandersteen-3a/


Audiofreak71
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That's a give-away price, honestly, ridiculously cheap. New end caps and socks can be ordered to make these look new. Even with the slight cosmetic flaws, this pair is a steal. That pair isn't the signature version. However, they can be updated to that status at the factory. The seller has a pair of 3A Signatures listed also at a very reasonable price.
 
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