[Ardbeg]

Hi,
I am considering getting the AVA 225 monoblocks while they are on sale to mate with my Vandersteen 2Ce Sig ii’s. Curious if any has a take on how these mate, what the sonic signature of this would be and if there is good synergy or not.

I currently drive them with a Line Magnetic KT-88 based amp. It is a bit underpowered at 38 watts, but does sound wonderful with small ensembles etc. but full orchestral material seems to get glassy sounding.

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated and welcome!

Best,
Gus

[peter4jc]

Hello Gus,

I own (and love) the DVA-M225's, but have no direct experience with your speakers.  That said, I can't imagine it would be a poor pairing.  The clean, seemingly limitless/effortless power of these monoblocks is astounding; they are worth more than the asking price.  It would be well worth your time to call AVA and pick their brain, and maybe you'll get a chance to talk to Frank. 

You might also ask about the 30-day satisfaction guarantee.  While it could turn out to be a pain in the neck to get the amps, put them in your system for a couple of weeks, and then box them up and ship them back, it'd the best way to answer your questions.


As an aside, when I called to pick AVA's brain about what might suit me best, Frank answered and gave me enough of his time to make an educated decision.  He also steered me to Philharmonic Audio for new speakers (Frank and Dennis Murphy, the man behind PA are long-time friends).  If you ever feel the 'need' to move on from your Vandersteens, that would be worth a look.

[rotarius]

I owned an earlier version of the 2CE sigs and had the same issue.  They were great for jazz and small ensemble but got congested with orchestral music.  I paired them with amps from Belles, Bryson, Musical Fidelity but no luck.  The problem lied with the speakers, that midrange driver seemed overworked with first order crossovers.  I am sure the AVA amps are fantastic but not sure if it will resolve the issue. 

[Ardbeg]

Hello Gus,

I own (and love) the DVA-M225's, but have no direct experience with your speakers. .....

 He also steered me to Philharmonic Audio for new speakers (Frank and Dennis Murphy, the man behind PA are long-time friends).  If you ever feel the 'need' to move on from your Vandersteens, that would be worth a look.

Thanks so much for the info and the hint to look at Philharmonic. I had not heard of them. Will do some digging!

[Ardbeg]

I owned an earlier version of the 2CE sigs and had the same issue.  They were great for jazz and small ensemble but got congested with orchestral music.  I paired them with amps from Belles, Bryson, Musical Fidelity but no luck.  The problem lied with the speakers, that midrange driver seemed overworked with first order crossovers.  I am sure the AVA amps are fantastic but not sure if it will resolve the issue.

That is a most incredibly helpful response. This is exactly the issues I have been having and am so frustrated and was not sure what to replace first. All the reviews of them I read are glowing, so I appreciate your honesty.  May I ask what you wound up replacing yours with that fixes the situation?  I listen to a LOT of orchestral and need to get this figured out. Many thanks!

[richidoo]

The "glassy sound" is distortion. The speaker is 4 way with 8" and 12" woofers so they should be able to play satisfying orchestral music in a medium sized room if they're healthy. Any of those amps you have tried are more than adequate for your speakers. So there may be broken drivers, especially if they are older version.

If they are healthy but not refined enough for your needs then congrats! It's time to upgrade!
For symphonies, think big!

[rotarius]

Gus, i have owned quite a few since the Vandys.  The ones that had a cleaner midrange and handled massed strings were the ET LFT8, Martin Logan ESLs, Focal 836/826, KEF R series,  monitor audio silver and the JBL synthesis line.  The newest L100 and 4312g that is.  Each with their own shortcomings like the Focals being bright and the LFT8 had trouble playing bass heavy music loud.  But they all were enjoyable for Bruckner symphonies if you listen at moderate levels.

[AllanS]

As an aside, when I called to pick AVA's brain about what might suit me best, Frank answered and gave me enough of his time to make an educated decision.  He also steered me to Philharmonic Audio for new speakers (Frank and Dennis Murphy, the man behind PA are long-time friends).

+1 on Dennis’s creations.  I have and absolutely love my original BMR monitors (in Salk boxes).  Dennis was behind much of the crossover magic in Salk designs.  If I recall correctly Frank runs a pair of Dennis’s newer BMR towers.

[peter4jc]

+1 on Dennis’s creations.  I have and absolutely love my original BMR monitors (in Salk boxes).  Dennis was behind much of the crossover magic in Salk designs.  If I recall correctly Frank runs a pair of Dennis’s newer BMR towers.

Trying to not be a hated thread-jacker, but you are correct; Frank has the BMR Towers and has a photo or two of his setup in this Circle a ways back.  I have a decent sub from a previous system and wanted something less imposing, so I went with the HT Towers.  The similarities between AVA and Philharmonic Audio are profound in that they're both direct-to-consumer and are both worth waaaay more than the asking price.  I've gotten to know Dennis well via email in the months following my purchase - he's brilliant and is truly a good man.