Vandy 5A's are up and running :-)

Daygloworange · « **Reply #40 on:** 29 Dec 2006, 07:26 pm »

Zybar,

How are you doing your measurements for in room response? What methods and tools are you using?

Cheers

zybar · « **Reply #41 on:** 29 Dec 2006, 07:30 pm »

Quote from: Daygloworange on 29 Dec 2006, 07:26 pm

Zybar,

How are you doing your measurements for in room response? What methods and tools are you using?

Cheers

For right now I am using my Rat Shack meter and a few different sets of test tones from my listening position:

1. 1/3 octave from Rives
2. 1/12 octave from Ethan at Realtraps.com

I am measuring each speaker separately since they will have different responses and ultimately can have different EQ settings.

I plan on using the TacT for more substantial measurements as time allows over the next few days. TacT measurements are done via the calibrated TacT mic at the listening position.

George

Daygloworange · « **Reply #42 on:** 29 Dec 2006, 07:35 pm »

Thanks Zybar,

Just out of curiosity, as I know that you experiment a lot, ever set your system so that it measures reasonably flat, and then find it sounds more pleasant or agreeable when tweaked in a way that doesn't measure as flat?

Cheers

ted_b · « **Reply #43 on:** 29 Dec 2006, 07:40 pm »

Quote from: Daygloworange on 29 Dec 2006, 07:35 pm

Thanks Zybar,

Just out of curiosity, as I know that you experiment a lot, ever set your system so that it measures reasonably flat, and then find it sounds more pleasant or agreeable when tweaked in a way that doesn't measure as flat?

Cheers

Agree that most target curves aren't flat at all, but clearly rolled a bit at the ultra tweet end, and maybe even slightly punched at 20-25hz (i.e a db or two max). If I remember correctly, George's TacT targets were similarly rolled.

meilankev · « **Reply #44 on:** 30 Dec 2006, 09:08 pm »

George,

Congratulations on your new speakers. I apologize for not posting earlier, but I don't spend as much time here as I used to, and I hadn't noticed this thread.

When I was looking at audio gear for my current system (living in New Jersey back in 2000), I spent a lot of time in front of these wonderful speakers from Vandersteen. My best bud up there and I spent untold hours auditioning everything that was available in NYC and New Jersey. In fact, he ended up buying the Five A speakers, and has loved them ever since. Note he matches them up with an Audio Research preamp, and Quicksilver V4 monoblocks. They sounded just as good in his house as they did in the dealership.

Congrats again,and I hope you get many years of enjoyment from them!!!
Kevin

zybar · « **Reply #45 on:** 30 Dec 2006, 09:13 pm »

Quote from: meilankev on 30 Dec 2006, 09:08 pm

George,

Congratulations on your new speakers. I apologize for not posting earlier, but I don't spend as much time here as I used to, and I hadn't noticed this thread.

When I was looking at audio gear for my current system (living in New Jersey back in 2000), I spent a lot of time in front of these wonderful speakers from Vandersteen. My best bud up there and I spent untold hours auditioning everything that was available in NYC and New Jersey. In fact, he ended up buying the Five A speakers, and has loved them ever since. Note he matches them up with an Audio Research preamp, and Quicksilver V4 monoblocks. They sounded just as good in his house as they did in the dealership.

Congrats again,and I hope you get many years of enjoyment from them!!!
Kevin

Thanks for posting Kevin.

When we first started "talking" ages ago, the Vandy 5's were my dream speakers and I was trying to put together a system that would get me as close as possible to the way the 5's sounded at Audio Connection in NJ.

I am pretty confident that my current system does that and more!!

George

Daygloworange · « **Reply #46 on:** 30 Dec 2006, 09:21 pm »

Zybar,

You mind giving me your thoughts on my previous question?

Cheers

zybar · « **Reply #47 on:** 30 Dec 2006, 09:41 pm »

Quote from: Daygloworange on 30 Dec 2006, 09:21 pm

Zybar,

You mind giving me your thoughts on my previous question?

Cheers

Daygloworange,

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here is an example of a TacT correction curve:

You can see (hopefully) that the low bass has a slight bump, there is a slight rise in the midrange, a small dip in the lower treble, and a roll-off at the very highest treble.

This produced a relaxed and full sound without sounding overly bright or too dull when used with my Salk HT3's.

George

Daygloworange · « **Reply #48 on:** 30 Dec 2006, 09:50 pm »

Cool.

Is that the measured in room response of the tailored curve you found most agreeable with the Salk HT 3's?

Cheers

zybar · « **Reply #49 on:** 30 Dec 2006, 09:52 pm »

Quote from: Daygloworange on 30 Dec 2006, 09:50 pm

Cool.

Is that the measured in room response of the tailored curve you found most agreeable with the Salk HT 3's?

Cheers

That is one of the tailored curves, not a measured response.

George

Daygloworange · « **Reply #50 on:** 30 Dec 2006, 09:54 pm »

Ok.

Ever measure how it looks as an in room response curve?

Cheers

zybar · « **Reply #51 on:** 30 Dec 2006, 09:58 pm »

Quote from: Daygloworange on 30 Dec 2006, 09:54 pm

Ok.

Ever measure how it looks as an in room response curve?

Cheers

If you don't mind, can we discuss this in a different thread?

I would like to get back to the 5A's (which are sounding outstanding).

George

Daygloworange · « **Reply #52 on:** 30 Dec 2006, 10:03 pm »

Sure,

When will you be getting to your full review of them?

Cheers

zybar · « **Reply #53 on:** 30 Dec 2006, 10:13 pm »

Quote from: Daygloworange on 30 Dec 2006, 10:03 pm

Sure,

When will you be getting to your full review of them?

Cheers

Full review...weeks or months away.

Substantial comments...during the next week or so.

George

steve_osugi · « **Reply #54 on:** 30 Dec 2006, 10:39 pm »

George,

I'm a bit late to the thread - but I'll say it anyways - Congratulations on your 5As! I would love to get my room at that level someday.

It's very cool that you're already doing a lot of tweaking on the bass-end of things. What is your philosophy on electronic room correction vs. acoustic treatments? Are you trying to tackle the brunt of it with the 5A contour controls? I may have to start playing with mine on the 3A Signatures. I'm surprised you are getting away from the TaCT...

- Steve O.

zybar · « **Reply #55 on:** 30 Dec 2006, 11:13 pm »

Quote from: steve_osugi on 30 Dec 2006, 10:39 pm

George,

I'm a bit late to the thread - but I'll say it anyways - Congratulations on your 5As! I would love to get my room at that level someday.

It's very cool that you're already doing a lot of tweaking on the bass-end of things. What is your philosophy on electronic room correction vs. acoustic treatments? Are you trying to tackle the brunt of it with the 5A contour controls? I may have to start playing with mine on the 3A Signatures. I'm surprised you are getting away from the TaCT...

- Steve O.

I think that you need to have a proper mixture of acoustic treatments and electronic room correction. The more acoustic treatments you can add, less electronic correction will be required (most of the time).

I have heavily treated my dedicated room with the excellent products from Ethan at Realtraps (www.realtraps.com). I currently have 8 mintraps, 4 tri-corner traps, and 3 diffusors. With all of that, plus proper speaker and listener placement, I can minimize the amount of damage the room does.

Notice I said "minimize"?

In the bass area, I still feel that some form of correction is necessary to really optimize your system. Previously I was doing this with my TacT 2.2x preamp/dac. Going forward I will do this with the 11 band eq capabilities in each 5A speaker. Not only does each speaker allow for the EQ function, but I can also adjust the Q factor. Between both of these functions I no longer feel that the TacT is needed in my system.

George

MaxCast · « **Reply #56 on:** 31 Dec 2006, 12:06 pm »

Sorry if it was mentioned before, but what range does the Vandy eq cover?

zybar · « **Reply #57 on:** 31 Dec 2006, 02:22 pm »

Quote from: MaxCast on 31 Dec 2006, 12:06 pm

Sorry if it was mentioned before, but what range does the Vandy eq cover?

20-100Hz + a little room on each side depending on what Q setting is used.

George

StevenACNJ · « **Reply #58 on:** 31 Dec 2006, 06:16 pm »

Zybar,

Care to make a quick comment on the top end - 5A's metal dome tweeter vs HT3 ribbon tweeter?

Thanks

zybar · « **Reply #59 on:** 31 Dec 2006, 07:22 pm »

At this point, I find the 5A's top end to be more revealing, transparent, smooth, holographic, and organic sounding than the excellent HT3.

George