[tnewell]

Love the Atlas monoblocks with my 5A Carbons

[dminches]

That is a sweet setup!

[ctsooner]

D, I was talking more about the difference between the Quatro CT and the 5CT.  Is there a BIG difference?  Well, the 5 has much more bass as it's a larger speaker.  The mids are much better since they are a full CT cone.  I understand what you are saying though.  It's all so subjective.  For those of us who don't have enough money to get to even the 5 CT's, the Quatro is perfect.  It's a sweet spot in the line as I get a CT tweeter and bass eq with large enough drivers to move a fair amount of air in the room. 

The 5's are in no way twice as good as the Quatro and the 7's aren't twice as good as the 5's though.  I think that was the point someone was making elsewhere in the thread.  I was agreeing with that.  I will say though that I owned the Treo's for a year or so and the ceramic tweeter wasn't in the same league as the CT.  I guess I should have been more careful in making a blanket statement like I did.  You as well as anyone knows how much I respect Richard and his designs.  I also respect many others designers and what they are able to pack into a component with more budget to work with. Heck, my Ayre QX5/20 blows away the Codex in every facet from DAC to headphone amp.  I have heard differences in Dan D's line also from the lower priced amps that are on the market now (they are released, right?) and his statement line with the milled copper fins that was shown above.  There is a reason these guys have separate lines if you would. 

I guess to sum it up.....What is major and what is incremental?  It's just a personal thing. 

[goheelz]

i don't think that the differences between the 5As and Model 7s is subtle.  It is pretty significant.  Certainly other changes in the signal chain can be subtle but that is not the case with these 2 models.

At some point, it would be wonderful to move up to the Model 7 + M7-HPA monoblocs.  List price at $120K for the pairing.  Heck, while we've been talking over how to optimize my little Vandy 5A's, the Model 7 list price has bumped up to $57,200.00 per the Vandy website.

Studying on the great comments and suggestions here, I can see that I've been underestimating the kind of power I'd need to get my 5A's optimized.  Tube or hybrid tube seems to be the recipe preferred.  I'm seeing mention of AR Reference 250 monoblocs, Aesthetix Atlas monoblocs, D'Agostino monoblocs.  Ayre monoblocs are more svelte (and I've heard them sounding very good with the 5's and 7's) but still big power.  Observing that RV is building his own monoblocs to produce 600W tells me something about his views on the subject, even though when I asked him directly via e-mail he deferred to his dealers' recommendations.  One dealer recommended the AR Ref 75 stereo tube amp, but I'm starting to think that's not enough juice.

A few products that have crossed my mind for this application but no one has mentioned: PS Audio (tube hybrid) and McIntosh (solid state or tube) monoblocs.  Any thoughts about these?  Was thinking of, say, McIntosh MC601 (solid state, 600W), McIntosh McIntosh MC2301 (tube) or maybe the new PS Audio BHK amps.  I'm already into McIntosh products, and so it would keep me in the family, as it were, if I went with Mac.

Does it go without saying that I'd probably go with something second hand or well-discounted?

Thanks, guys!

[Bbo1072]

Dear all Vandersteen lovers;) im desperatelly trying to fall in love with a pair of 5a that i accidently purchased. It is not easy at all. Im seriously lacking high frequency ( treble ) and the middle. The sound is like it is hidden. Is this normal sound for 5a? Ps im drivining it with sub powered off as my current integrated t+a pa3000hv doest not allow the high pass installation. Do i do something seriously wrong? On another note, does any of you have heard 5a with devialet? Devialet has the hi pass inside and i m considering it as an amp for the 5as.

[ctsooner]

Guys, I've heard the 5ct's in a large room powered by the ARC 75's and it was wonderful.  Plenty of power.  Plenty of drive.  Are they better with larger amps? Yes, as long as they are zero feedback amps.  I personally don't like Mac's. Just not my cup of tea for many reasons. 

As for the last post, which crossover are you running?  I use an integrated amp and had Ayre install Ricahrd's high pass into the amp itself.  I have heard the Quatro's with the Devailet and personally felt I lost the size of the sound and just didn't like it, but that's my ear. 

What do you mean the sub powered off?  Do you have an external sub?

[Freo-1]

I'm partial to Devialet amps.  Currently using a Expert 400 with Dynaudio Focus 360 speakers with outstanding results.  Pretty sure that speaker active matching (SAM) with the 5A is available. 

[Daverz]

Dear all Vandersteen lovers;) im desperatelly trying to fall in love with a pair of 5a that i accidently purchased. It is not easy at all. Im seriously lacking high frequency ( treble ) and the middle. The sound is like it is hidden. Is this normal sound for 5a? Ps im drivining it with sub powered off as my current integrated t+a pa3000hv doest not allow the high pass installation. Do i do something seriously wrong? On another note, does any of you have heard 5a with devialet? Devialet has the hi pass inside and i m considering it as an amp for the 5as.

The internal crossovers are designed with the expectation of a high-passed spectrum, but you are feeding them the full spectrum.  So they won't sound right.

Perhaps you can borrow some electronics that will allow you to install the highpass filters and plug in the subs so you can get an idea of the basic sound.

[ctsooner]

Also, I'd pull the sub out of the system totally for right now.  Get the correct Vandersteen crossover.  Does your integrated have a pre out/in?  If so, you can use it. Otherwise you cant as the poster above said.  I've heard the Vandersteen speakers with very expensive subs from many of the big name companies and I've never heard one that I personally feel mated properly with the speakers.  They lost the coherency, point source sound that I love about them.  I have spoken to many of you on the boards about this also and I know many agree.  Richard has done a great job at mating his subs with his speakers.  They aren't that expensive and are outstanding. 

[goheelz]

Love the Atlas monoblocks with my 5A Carbons

Very nice looking rig with the Atlas monos and Vandy's.  Have you tried any other amps with the Vandersteen 5A Carbons?

thanks!

[ctsooner]

Those Atlas amps are a best buy in audio IMHO.  Love their gear.  YEs, they sound amazing with any Vandersteen.   For the 7's the Vandy amps are by far my favorite.  Just love them with those speakers, but until he comes out with a less expensive amp (if he ever does), then there are a lot of amps that can sound great with them. 

To poster above, have you installed the proper cross overs with your system to run the 5's correctly? 

[Tomictime]

been gone awhile....listening to music I guess....

I had 5a for many happy years, ran them with everything from a 40 WPC MC240 , Mac MC202, ARC D130 and finally an Ayre VX-R

how much amp really depends on how loud you listen, to what and in what space..no one size fits all answer. I did borrow a REF75 se to run my 7’s while upgrading the Ayre to Twenty....it was not enough grunt to provide....headroom ease and grace....I am sure a REF150 would have...but my room is smaller and I am not much  of a rocker....

I have heard the 5a sing with Quicksiler, NAIM, Aesthetix, ARC, Mac and Ayre amps and very recently with Rogue and VTL. 7 vas 5 is not subtle at all. you need to listen for a few hours then switch...the distortion of cabinet resonance and cones not behaving pistonic will floor ya...

I have the M7 amps on order, they are in breakin at the factory.....they are selling well, dealers cant get demo amps even if they want them....at some point they will which is good. CT I can assure you the less expensive amp is coming....and it will be appropriately powered..there is a handclap in a song RV uses to test....cruising along at 6 watts before the clap...and kaboom....most amps clip....but the amp is coming...

[ctsooner]

I can’t wait for that to happen. And some fortunate person will be able to buy my Ayre AX-5/20 with the internal crossover built-in.  It’s sounds incredible

[ctsooner]

Also keep in mind, there is a bigger difference between one one and 10 W then there is between 100 W and 300 W. Remember to double the sound you have to go 10 times the amount of watts if I recall correctly. I’m sure aTomic or someone else can correct me if I’m wrong

[kenreau]

I have to concur with the Devialet (D200) recommendation for a very cost effective with great sound quality set up on my 5As.  I had a SimAudio P7/W7 setup and went to the D200 integrated along with using its internal electronic crossover and experienced nothing but positive results.  Different horses for different courses and budgets and all that noted.

Kenreau

[ctsooner]

Update. I heard the system 9 at Audio Connection.  Richard has been taking it around some of the dealers to show off. I know it wasn't warmed up properly, but it still sounded so darn good. I got a call from Johnny at AC last night telling me the system just POPPED.  Said he couldn't believe how it just opened up and was the best sounding system he's ever heard. 

I know the new amp will be the same thing.   Richard has used the 30k amps or higher as a bench mark and made his sound better.  I trust what I just posted even though I have yet to hear it.  I know what's gone into this amp and am figuring out a way to afford it as it's a redo of my system.  I'll need short speaker cable runs (selling off my cables), need a pre amp now (have to sell the integrated with the cross over already built directly into it, lol) but I know it's going to be worth doing this.  That said, you can run his speakers off of any decent amp and get better sound than running many more expensive speakers off a great and expensive amp.

[Slapshot]

For the limit Lamm ML2.2

charles

If you really tried this combination and the Lamm's can drive the 5a's, I will be thrilled. Just bought a pair of 5a's in mint condition.  I have the Lamm ML2 monoblocks, which I absolutely love, but everyone has been telling me that you need 125-200wpc to fully drive the 5a's.