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Vandersteen 3A Signature Speakers listening impressions...

Sad decision has been made...

Decision:
Living room is not going to be 2-channel room so there will be smaller speakers or Boston A400 that can go flat against the wall with av or integrated receiver with remote and tucked away under sofa or something.

Reasons:
1. I never get to listen music in the living room properly due to TV/movie in the next family room and baby crawling around. So just background music there.
2. Don't want to waste 3A signatures for background music.
3. Friends were in house and their kids running around in the living room really made me uncomfortable around the audio gears so my 2-channel will move down to basement or upstairs.
4. There is no other room big enough for the 3A's and I'm not buying bigger house for these. :(
 
I strongly suggest that you try bumping the mid level control up/down at least a few dB and see how your listening impression changes. Give yourself time to adjust to the change and listen to a good number of cuts that you know well, even sleep on it and try again the next day.
You might even try full up and down just to easily identify the range in music that it alters.
I went for years before trying this with my 2Ci's and wish I had done it the first day I got them.
 
Pete B said:
I strongly suggest that you try bumping the mid level control up/down at least a few dB and see how your listening impression changes. Give yourself time to adjust to the change and listen to a good number of cuts that you know well, even sleep on it and try again the next day.
You might even try full up and down just to easily identify the range in music that it alters.
I went for years before trying this with my 2Ci's and wish I had done it the first day I got them.
Click to expand...

Thanks for suggestion.
I did play with it a little.
Right now I have tweeter level at -1 and mid at slightly less than 0.
I like their sound but it's their size and proper placement ( no room to bring them out from wall ).
 
Vandersteen 3A Signature for the win over Boston A400's...

Comparison stage for the 3A signatures and Boston A400's is set.
Excuse the bad picture quality. I dropped my DSLR and broke the lens. :(

16197532286_ba3c99dcaf_o.jpg


Vandersteen 3A Signatures are more refined, balanced, controlled and smoother top to bottom. Sound big, thick, slightly laid back and heavy in comparison against A400's.
What I noticed is music is less but more open and involving vocals. It sounds like it's real/live and easy on the ears. Musical instruments and vocals have great separation.
Great imaging.
Also, great deep balanced bass.

*****The below statements may make A400's sound like bad speakers but it's only in comparison against 3A's and I'm trying to describe as much as I can but A400's are great on their own and can live happily with them*****
Boston A400's have more music than vocal in comparison. Music slightly overpowers/crowds vocal. Looks like A400's have more mids and highs than lows.
Highs are more than 3A's and sound brighter but not as controlled nor as directed as 3A's. Think of 3A's highs as well behaved crowd in a line and A400's highs as people scattered around the place so not as refined and slightly noisy. :confused:
Bass is great on A400's but doesn't dig as low as 3A's and sounds slightly bouncy. That could be because of the sealed design and doesn't dig as low so midbass sound vs 3A's active subwoofer kinda design that digs well below 30hz.
Vocals are slightly edgy and rough and not as clean/clear due to music mix up in comparison.
Not as involving as 3A's and lacked some imaging but that could be due to them being too far apart.

So the winner is... Vandersteens in sound except the size and placement that goes to A400's.
Will do more comparison. May need to add a sub with A400's to balance overall sound.

Next step is to haul the A400's upstairs and bring Sonus down to compare Sonus with Vandersteens.
 
Vandersteen 3A Signatures no more...

Okay the fun is over...
Vandersteens are gone today to a local Vandersteen fan.
He already has 3's and added 3A signatures to his stable now.

My 2-channel room will move to upstairs guest room with the Sonus Faber.

In the living room, I have Boston A400's flat against the wall and it's a good enough setup there without having to pull speakers out to the middle.
Wifey is okay with this setup and not too bad for music for me as well.

16355999622_6648ea9feb_o.jpg
 
Mystery said:
Comparison stage for the 3A signatures and Boston A400's is set.
Click to expand...

WOW, the 3As tower above the 400s by a good margin, I never realized they were so big. I also have 400s and have been wanting to try 3As but maybe my room isn't large enough.
 
human1138 said:
WOW, the 3As tower above the 400s by a good margin, I never realized they were so big. I also have 400s and have been wanting to try 3As but maybe my room isn't large enough.
Click to expand...

Yes, the 3A's are almost 50" tall and over 100 lb each.
3A's are great speakers but if you have to have large room.
 
Hi, try Bryston 3B-st, 120w/ch. you can't beat this one for the price. Absolute sound made a great review+'reader from other forum someone use to have to mono Classe and change for this amp an was overwhelm by the sound,of you can get the new one 3B-sst or sst2, you have to listen this amp,best regards,Yvan
 
He won't be tryin' ANYTHING with his Vandy 3A sigs - they are G O N E !
Time to change the thread title or start a new one

(BTW, FWIW, Vandy 3As are working fine in my smaller room!)
 
Haha yes can't try on them anymore.
It's just their size and need to be away from wall didn't work in my place otherwise great speakers.
New owner should be happy at the price he got them for. ;)
It'd be interesting to hear how 3's compare against the 3A signatures.
 
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Hi, if you get a chance to listen to them both, would you mind describing the difference between the 3(A?) and the 3A sigs ?

Thx, I have the 2ce sigs, and love them, but you never know when the upgrade bug might bite :>)
 
I know this is an older thread, but having owned Vandersteen 2C's, 3A's and now the 3A Signatures, I can tell you that they can sound great in a small room. The first two sets lived in a 9x11 room with wood floors, then a 12x20 with carpet, and now a 11x14 with vaulted ceiling and angled wall behind one speaker where the bedroom door is. Even Richard told me the room was too small. But everyone who has visited me can vouch for the sound quality. Is it optimum for these speakers? No. But it is so good, I can't find any other speaker for under $2k that sounds as good.

The other thing is what you hook up to. So far, the Parasound HCA-1500 (rebuilt with new outputs) is pretty darn good. After the rebuild, it puts out 240 wpc on the bench. I use only Cardas Audio cabling for the whole system. I used to use Canare cables, which sounded good to my ears then. Before I tried out a set of Cardas. Better cable is more revealing, which means your source components need to rise to the occasion, or else it won't sound better. That's the trick.

So what I'm hoping to say is this. If you are worried about how your Vandersteen's sound in a small room, don't give up if you are open to making other changes in your system.
 
You really do have some nice equipment there. I don't think any of your gear is the issue. Has to be the room itself maybe? Maybe the sound waves or spl's are not even. Room treatments or the speaker themselves!!!
Mystery said:
I'm really finding it hard to correctly place these speakers in my room.

I've gone through few different amps, Crown XLS1500, QSC RMX-1450, Rotel RB-990BX and Aragon 2002.
Still I feel the placement options are limiting them to sound better.

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May be they just need bigger/better room than what I have. :headscrat
Click to expand...
 
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