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Tough decisions.

dread31

dread31

Addicted Member
I have three pair of speakers, two of them must go. But which two?

Over the next week, I will be switching them out, noting strengths and weaknesses.

Then, a decision must be reached.

They are as follows;

1) Heavily modified Altec A7s.

2) Vandersteen 2ce Signatures.

3) Von Schweikert VR1s.

All magnificent, in their own way.

I'll share my thoughts as I go through this unpleasant process.:tears:

Brother Dave:smoke:
 
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Deciding which bits of your pride and joy have to go is painful...

I'd say only lots and lots of listening combined with switching can prove which ones are the best. I guess some have strengths where others have weaknesses and vice versa.
 
I don't think my first born ever forgave me when I traded him for those Vandy 2CE's I once had......people can be so shallow when they lose perspective ya know....
DC
 
So you once traded your son for Vandys?

dc270 said:
I don't think my first born ever forgave me when I traded him for those Vandy 2CE's I once had......people can be so shallow when they lose perspective ya know....
DC
Click to expand...


Does your first born like doing yardwork?
 
Wow, that's a toughie.
The pat answer is to keep the one you listen to and like the best. Problem is that choice may change from day to day, song to song.

I often use the analogy when talking gear of a fine restaurant where everything on the menu is good, but you can only choose one dish. It depends on what your mood is at the time. Same way with speakers and often gear in general.

Looks to me like your in one fine restaurant today my friend.........:yes:
 
On the plus side,

Been listening to the Vandersteens all morning. (Right now it's one of those "Mediterranean Moods" cd's from Bed and Bath. A surprisingly
good sounding cd, BTW.) Gotta love that wide open soundstage, precise imaging, and sweet tonality that Vandies are famous for.

On the minus side,

They tend to be a bit "laid back" or "dark" if that's what you want to call it.
So does my Mac amp. So I have to have the treble cranked way up.

Inefficiency. Those meters are spending a lot of time at the high end of the scale. This affects dynamics, and all out volume, something the Altecs have in spades. I do miss that.

This doe not indicate a final decision. I will be switching back and forth all week. Just preliminary observations.
 
Well what works best for me is the mini epiphanies I get every now and then. You know, the little "Wow"s that come when something just sounds so good. They usually show up in casual listening when something just sounds so right you stop what you're doing and turn around and listen. I got them with my EPI 500s, which is why I sold the HPM-900s. Now I have some Spendor BC1s I picked up yesterday out in the shop and they sound nice and very listenable, but no "wow"s so far, so the EPIs are safe.
See which ones give you pause most often and those would be the keepers for me.
 
I am not sure why you have to sell any of them, but I am sure you have your reasons.

Good luck in your decision, I am curious as to what it will be.

Something I would consider if I were you, is there a speaker that would work well in your room and gear that would excel at all the parameters that you find important within your reach by selling all 3?

Whatever you decide, I would certainly take my time.
 
Oh God!

www.records said:
I am not sure why you have to sell any of them, but I am sure you have your reasons.

Good luck in your decision, I am curious as to what it will be.

Something I would consider if I were you, is there a speaker that would work well in your room and gear that would excel at all the parameters that you find important within your reach by selling all 3?

Whatever you decide, I would certainly take my time.
Click to expand...

No, you didn't. Now things just got more complicated.
 
Lightening up the load and raising funds for a possible future move.

BTW, the Vandys are sounding better. They are very placement sensitive, as anyone whos had them knows. I was also picking up resonance from the Altecs. Had the 'steens sitting too close to them, couldn't figure out where that weird "boominess" was coming from. Until I noticed the Altec woofer cones were moving. Temporarily moving the A7s out of the room is out of the question.
When I said "Heavily" modified, I meant it. With added bracing, and sand in the bass flares, these puppies weigh just over 300 pounds a piece! Which may be a factor against keeping them in the end. Ironic isn't it?

Brother Dave
 
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