Vandersteen Center Channel

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dminches

Vandersteen Center Channel
« on: 17 May 2015, 02:45 pm »
Has anyone heard Richard talk about a potential upgraded model to replace the VCC-5?  I was at a friend's house last night.  He has a complete B&W speaker system.  His center channel is massive and sounds great.  It seems like a pair of 5A carbons or Model 7s deserve a better center channel.

arduous1

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Re: Vandersteen Center Channel
« Reply #1 on: 5 Jul 2015, 07:28 pm »
I believe this was asked of Richard Vandersteen and he replied that the cost would make a center speaker with 'perfect piston' technology way too expensive for it to be feasible.  i think he said something about a $7.5k (don't remember the exact value) center channel.

ard1

arduous1

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Re: Vandersteen Center Channel
« Reply #2 on: 5 Jul 2015, 10:18 pm »
here is the quote on his "ask Richard" section of his website:

Binger (2/19/15): Hello Richard. Hope things are well in sunny California. Any plans to upgrade the terrific coaxial drivers you use in the VCC-5 and the VSM's to the balsa stiffened perfect-piston design ? I am thinking of trading my Quatros in on Quatro CT's but I use a Meridian G68 processor and the Trifield DSP to get three channels from stereo sources. I am concerned that if my VCC-5 is not as clean as the Quatro CT's in the midrange , it won't work as well as it does now, ( which is phenomenal). Also Meridian's digital room correction works as well as your analog equalizer, but is a LOT easier to use (I've done it both ways). Also, have you heard the Meridiam M6's ? This is Meridian's first (and only) phase coherent speaker and they sound stunning in my office. Very interesting approach which uses a very low crossover (200 hz) for the integral 5.5" subwoofer and a full- range, digitally equalized 3" driver from there up. It shouldn't work but it does - very similar sound to your Quatros.

HELLO BINGER, WE ARE NOT CONSIDERING PERFECT-PISTON DRIVERS FOR OUR COAX-BASED SPEAKERS BECAUSE OF COST. THE TOOLING, MATERIALS AND LABOR WOULD INCREASE THE VCC-5’S RETAIL PRICE TO WELL OVER $12,000. AT THIS PRICE SALES WOULD BE MUCH LOWER AND MAKING IT A PROFITABLE PRODUCT WOULD REQUIRE INCREASING THE RETAIL PRICE EVEN MORE. I USE THE VSM-1 SIGNATURES AND THE VCC-5 WITH MY MODEL SEVENS AND EXPERIENCE GREAT SOUND. THANK YOU FOR THE COMPLIMENT THAT OUR ALL-ANALOG BASS-EQ SYSTEM WORKS AT LEAST AS WELL AT THOSE FREQUENCIES AS YOUR DIGITAL ROOM CORRECTION SYSTEM WITHOUT DIGITIZING THE WHOLE SIGNAL. WHEN YOU UPGRADE TO THE QUATRO CT OR 5A CARBON THE RESOLUTION OF YOUR SYSTEM WILL INCREASE DRAMATICALLY AND I GUARANTEE YOU CAN USE AN ALL-ANALOG SYSTEM WITH OUR POWERED-BASS EQ SYSTEM AND MAKE IT SOUND BETTER THAN ANY DIGITAL DSP-BASED SYSTEM. IT DOES TAKE EXPERIENCE AND TIME BUT WITH PATIENCE AND PERSISTENCE THE REWARD IS GREAT. MANY PEOPLE WILL USE AUTOMATED DIGITAL ROOM CORRECTION SYSTEMS BECAUSE IT IS EASY. BUT ENOUGH HIGH-END DEVOTEES ARE GOING BACK TO TURNTABLES AND LP RECORDS BECAUSE IT SOUNDS BETTER. WE NEED TO KEEP OUR BEST SPEAKERS PURE ANALOG AND DIGITAL-FREE SO THAT ADVANTAGE IS NOT LOST. WE ARE INVESTIGATING DSP FOR LOWER-PRICED SPEAKER APPLICATIONS BECAUSE IT COULD BE LESS COSTLY THAN USING EXPENSIVE HAND-SELECTED COMPONENTS.

ard1

dminches

Re: Vandersteen Center Channel
« Reply #3 on: 6 Jul 2015, 01:11 pm »
Thanks for posting that. $12k would certainly narrow the market quite a bit.

ctsooner

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Re: Vandersteen Center Channel
« Reply #4 on: 27 Jul 2015, 12:06 am »
Guys, the answer is quiet simply putting a 2wq under the VCC-5.  That makes it a full range center speaker and will match with the 5 or 7's for HT. 

jeffreybehr

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Re: Vandersteen Center Channel
« Reply #5 on: 20 Aug 2015, 12:24 am »
d, I am again using my VCC-1 as a CC speaker with my new/old Audio Physic Avanti IIIs, and it still sounds great.  I upgraded a bunch of x-over parts in mine; the results were: 1. smoother and more-transparent sound; 2. a little more bass because I lowered the filter point of the built-in high-pass filter, and 3. a compensation circuit that when switched off became a 'voice-presence boost circuit' that I discovered accidentally.  I added a switch to turn this comp. network on and off; when turned off, voices have more presence and intelligibility, which is useful for dull-sounding movies.  Here's a pic of the rear with switch.


IMO the system sounded a bit edgy and veiled originally, and both of those were mostly solved with the parts improvements.
« Last Edit: 20 Aug 2015, 06:55 pm by jeffreybehr »

C17FXR

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Re: Vandersteen Center Channel
« Reply #6 on: 20 Aug 2015, 01:39 pm »
Guys, the answer is quiet simply putting a 2wq under the VCC-5.  That makes it a full range center speaker and will match with the 5 or 7's for HT.

I do something similar to this, I use an X-2 hi-pass connected to the amp powering the center channel, then connect a pair of 2Wq's to this center channel amp.
The pair of 2Wq's are also connected to my 3A Sig's. that I use in my two channel set-up.
I then use the parametric EQ in my processor to balance out the sound of the center channel. This arrangement really fills out the front end of the soundstage well.

The cool part is when I'm not watching movies the center channel amp is turned off, there for no signal is going to the 2Wq's to interfere with the 2 channel set-up while listening to music.