[dminches]

When I first got my 5As the room would shake at 42 Hz.  It was only after I had the room treated that it was controlled.

[nrenter]

Not to crap on this thread even more, but I wish Vandersteen (or his dealers) would offer a Quatro/5/7 set-up pack that included:

• Digital sound pressure meter
• Small tripod for digital sound pressure meter
• Vandertones CD calibrated to said digital sound pressure meter
• Laser alignment tool
• Tape measure
• Roll of 2" painter's tape
• Sharpie marker
• 6 to 8 felt mover's sliders
• Graduated bubble level (to replace the spacer tilt-back technique)
• CD to test for room rattles + help break in speakers
• 10 metal floor protectors (3 for each primary spike, 2 for each stabilizing spikes)
• 4 or 5 sheets to track room response measurements

[JakeJ]

RandyH,

Absolutely gorgeous speakers.  Really striking veneer that compells one's attention, I'd have a hard time closing my eyes to listen.

nrenter,

I would think any dealer worth his salt should come to the customer's home and set them up properly to begin with.  And offer advice in the event the original owner needed to rearrange the listening space, possibly due to WAF issues.  Just my .02, FWIW.

[RandyH]

nrenter...A setup kit would certainly be handy.   I doubt if those items would be very expensive and it seems like a reasonable thing to include with a speaker...especially one in which setup is so critical.  Also, this would the an excellent subject for a youtube video.

[ctsooner]

Randy, I"d love to meet up.  Maybe when I'm in Dallas next.  I get down there for the OU/TX game every couple of years.  I am heading to Columbus OH for the Ohio state/OU Game this year so I won't get down to Dallas I don't think.  I think my Juice Plus convention is close to that date too so I can't go on too many junkets in the Fall in fairness to the wife, lol.  Plus the MS is slowing me down a spec in regards to traveling on my own for long periods of time, lol.  Would be fun though.

Yes, Johnny and Carlos do a  great install, that's for sure.  They travel all the way to CT for my installs and I know that they'd gone upwards of 5 hours away to help customers. 

[ctsooner]

Randy,

One of the settings that can also be adjusted is the input impedance on the crossover.  What amp are you using, what is the input impedance and what did the dealer set it to?  It is ok to go one step up or down if you can't set it to match the input impedance exactly.  This will result in a change in the overall bass level. 

I would wait a couple months until the speakers are broken in and you have become completely familiar with the sound.  At that point you can consider experimenting.

Guys, you have to be careful in the adjustments, as moving the switch settings up or down one setting should NOT be done on the Quatro through the 7's.  On the 2wq and any speaker this is fine, but the Quatro, Five and Seven, UP is OK, but DOWN is NOT a good idea and as it raises distortion.

Recap, UP is ok, Down is not for the Quatro through 7's.

[dminches]

Guys, you have to be careful in the adjustments, as moving the switch settings up or down one setting should NOT be done on the Quatro through the 7's.  On the 2wq and any speaker this is fine, but the Quatro, Five and Seven, UP is OK, but DOWN is NOT a good idea and as it raises distortion.

Recap, UP is ok, Down is not for the Quatro through 7's.

What you are saying is not correct.  In fact, if you look in the manual it says that if your impedance is between 2 values use the lower one.

[zybar]

Guys, you have to be careful in the adjustments, as moving the switch settings up or down one setting should NOT be done on the Quatro through the 7's.  On the 2wq and any speaker this is fine, but the Quatro, Five and Seven, UP is OK, but DOWN is NOT a good idea and as it raises distortion.

Recap, UP is ok, Down is not for the Quatro through 7's.

Not true or accurate.

I have absolutely and safely used a lower impedance setting with my 5A's.

The user manual says using the lower impedance is acceptable.

George

[ctsooner]

Not true or accurate.

I have absolutely and safely used a lower impedance setting with my 5A's.

The user manual says using the lower impedance is acceptable.

George

Guys,  the manual says that if you fall between, go to the lower setting.  This is correct, but don't go below that setting.  If someone goes below THAT setting, you will probably incur expensive mid-bass damage.   I promise you that I am getting this info from a source who knows and has seen the damage.

[dminches]

Guys,  the manual says that if you fall between, go to the lower setting.  This is correct, but don't go below that setting.  If someone goes below THAT setting, you will probably incur expensive mid-bass damage.   I promise you that I am getting this info from a source who knows and has seen the damage.

Let's leave this up to the speaker owner and the dealer.

[ctsooner]

Guys, I'm not trying to be difficult, but I asked Richard about this:

Hi Pete,

Setting the high-pass correctly on the Quatro, 5, 5A/Carbon and Seven is important for several reasons, if fact a special section is offered on how to know the high-pass is correct at 100Hz if the input impedance is not known.  First, the phase and amplitude response between the mid-bass driver and the sub-woofer section are only linear when set at 100Hz +10 -10.  Second, the mid-bass driver in all three models use very light weight 2 layer V.C. for fast, accurate response and have limited excursion.  Lowering the impedance one setting will most often lower the crossover frequency by one octave to 50Hz causing a huge overlap and four times the excursion.  One would want to know why that much error is needed or desired or if the eleven band EQ was properly done in the first place.  Over driving the mid-bass driver in this fashion will cause damage as the mid-bass driver is the only driver DC coupled to the customers amplifier and at risk of driver bottoming and V.C. over heating.  How long it will take to damage these very expensive drivers depends on music material, how loud (very subjective) and the amount of error, ie: 50,60,70Hz etc.  In the end it is your choice how you use them and how much risk is reasonable but this kind of damage is not warranted and very easy to identify.  Going higher with the high-pass has no damage risk but again one would want to know why it is needed.  Better to find the real problem and fix it than to mess with the speaker setup.
Best,
Richard Vandertseen

[dminches]

I think it is time to move on.  No one suggested setting the crossover too low or too high.  You felt the need to correct something that wasn't said.  Then, you made several conflicting comments.

[GreenGrass]

Hi nrenter,

Thanks for sharing your spreadsheet layout.  Can you also share what the significance of "measured", "targets", and "reference" are?   

[nrenter]

"Reference" is the in-room response of the Vandertones CD (from a 70 dB reference level)
"Target" is the target in-room response (based on the Vandersteen setup procedure)
"Measured" is the measured in- room response post-EQ

Remember, you're not trying for a flat response. You just want to tame the peaks.

[nrenter]

One other thing to check...make sure the rear spike is wrenched-in tight (the one w/ the spacer washers). Mine were not (my fault) as my reclaimed wood floors have a lot of movement / variance and I used a few turns to ensure consistency - bad idea. Once tight, the bass output changed such that I tweaked the Q (contour) from about 7 1/2 to 6 1/2.

[nrenter]

One other setup tip direct from Richard himself:

Use the laser to point at a "X" on a piece of cardboard in the listening position 8 inches above your ear height.  Use whatever amount of washers on the rear spike to get the laser on the X exactly.  Do the same for the other speaker which will automatically compensate for the floor problems.