Vandersteen Treo speakers

jjc1 · « **on:** 7 Jul 2011, 03:56 pm »

Thinking long and hard about buying Vandy speakers but don't have the dough for 5s or 7s. Has anyone out there heard the TREO?

jjc1 · « **Reply #1 on:** 7 Jul 2011, 04:04 pm »

Quote from: jjc1 on 7 Jul 2011, 03:56 pm

Thinking long and hard about buying Vandy speakers but don't have the dough for 5s or 7s. Has anyone out there heard the TREO?

Also, any thoughts about the 3A Signature?

zybar · « **Reply #2 on:** 7 Jul 2011, 04:13 pm »

How much dough do you have to spend? There are some great used deals on Audiogon.

What will you be using the speakers for? 2 channel, HT, or both?

How big is your room?

How loud do you listen?

Providing more info can help us steer you towards a particular Vandersteen model or even in a different direction.

George

jjc1 · « **Reply #3 on:** 7 Jul 2011, 04:57 pm »

Quote from: zybar on 7 Jul 2011, 04:13 pm

How much dough do you have to spend? There are some great used deals on Audiogon.

What will you be using the speakers for? 2 channel, HT, or both?

How big is your room?

How loud do you listen?

Providing more info can help us steer you towards a particular Vandersteen model or even in a different direction.

George

Speakers will be used only for 2 channel audio. The room is squarish , about 15x14. I listen mostly to small combo jazz (Evans, Miles, etc.),vocal jazz and some classical (again mostly chamber music). I don't listen very loud, try to emulate the volume level at a live performance.
My main audio dealer is a big Vandersteen dealer in New Jersey so I have listened to the Quattros many times and love them. Also, some of the less expensive Vandys over the years aa well as the 5s. Unfortunately I don't have $10 grand for the Quattros...more in the 5 to 6,000 range.

jeffreybehr · « **Reply #4 on:** 7 Jul 2011, 05:38 pm »

Here http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1314883223&/Vandersteen-Model-5-great-cond is a $5K pair of walnut 5s in PA, and
here http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1312390600&/Vandersteen-3A-Signatures-with is an $1800 pair of 3A Sig.s with SA stands in NJ.

IMO, the 5s were excellent when introduced in 1997, and they still are. Also IMO, either speaker will meet your needs very well.

tonyjack · « **Reply #5 on:** 10 Jul 2011, 06:47 am »

Don't know much about the Treo. I have the 3A Sigs and got them in N.J. at Audio Connection. Go see John Rutan there. With your budget you could get 3A Sigs and a Vandy sub or 2 (used) and be cookin!!! I have mine without subs in a fairly small room and they are great. Still working on mating the right amp however and back and forth between Quicksilver V4 Monos and Bryston 3Bst. Both have their strong points. Set up is very important and only you can decide what suits you. I also have Maggie 1.6 in another set up with a Vandy sub and they too are indeed special. I listen to primarily jazz and I'm a jazz musician as well, so it has to be right for me to enjoy it.
John as you know, is a Vandersteen expert and will help you find your way.

jjc1 · « **Reply #6 on:** 11 Jul 2011, 03:37 pm »

Quote from: tonyjack on 10 Jul 2011, 06:47 am

Don't know much about the Treo. I have the 3A Sigs and got them in N.J. at Audio Connection. Go see John Rutan there. With your budget you could get 3A Sigs and a Vandy sub or 2 (used) and be cookin!!! I have mine without subs in a fairly small room and they are great. Still working on mating the right amp however and back and forth between Quicksilver V4 Monos and Bryston 3Bst. Both have their strong points. Set up is very important and only you can decide what suits you. I also have Maggie 1.6 in another set up with a Vandy sub and they too are indeed special. I listen to primarily jazz and I'm a jazz musician as well, so it has to be right for me to enjoy it.
John as you know, is a Vandersteen expert and will help you find your way.

I buy all my equip from John and Nick at Audio Connection. That's where I hear the Quattros and the 5s and all the other Vandys. I purchased ProAcs from them 8 years ago and still have them. John is always pushing Vandersteens. Funny but I listen to about 90% jazz and good to hear that you as a jazz musician feel that 3A sigs are so good with jazz. Now I have to go audition them (and maybe convince John to let me take them home to hear them in my room). Thanks for the advice. I'll let John and Nick know you mentioned them. I'll be going there sometime this week to pick up a power cord.

TONEPUB · « **Reply #7 on:** 11 Jul 2011, 04:18 pm »

The 3A's are a great way to get 75% of the 5A sound on a tight budget...

Wig · « **Reply #8 on:** 11 Jul 2011, 06:47 pm »

How close do the Quatro sock and wood version come?

Wig

tonyjack · « **Reply #9 on:** 11 Jul 2011, 06:51 pm »

The Pro Ac are no slouch either. I heard the D38 model there at AC and they were pretty remarkable. Don't know it they are still a current model but maybe John still has a pair.
The 3A Sigs are capable of some serious sound staging I've come to find out, after experimenting with placement. It takes a while to figure out what set-up works best for your room. I have mine spread about 8 ft apart and they disappear quite nicely. I'm experimenting with some Class D amps that I've borrowed that are an interesting match, but with my preamp (ARC SP 16), I really want to find a ARC 100.2 or something like that,when my funds allow it. I've heard the 3's with ARC amplification and it really is a nice match. Big, transparent and detailed without being over analytical. The Quicksilvers are great as well.
Wondering about other 3A Sig owners and what they use for amplification?
John and Nick are good folks and say hello. I've been going there for years and it's hard for me to stay out of there! I hope you can get a demo of the 3 Sigs.

Daverz · « **Reply #10 on:** 11 Jul 2011, 07:21 pm »

Quote from: Wig on 11 Jul 2011, 06:47 pm

How close do the Quatro sock and wood version come?

I think if one can swing the cost, the bass equalization of the Quatros offers a huge improvement in the quality of the bass that is probably not possible just by adding subwoofers.

nature boy · « **Reply #11 on:** 11 Jul 2011, 07:40 pm »

Quote from: jjc1 on 7 Jul 2011, 04:57 pm

Speakers will be used only for 2 channel audio. The room is squarish , about 15x14. I listen mostly to small combo jazz (Evans, Miles, etc.),vocal jazz and some classical (again mostly chamber music). I don't listen very loud, try to emulate the volume level at a live performance.
My main audio dealer is a big Vandersteen dealer in New Jersey so I have listened to the Quattros many times and love them. Also, some of the less expensive Vandys over the years aa well as the 5s. Unfortunately I don't have $10 grand for the Quattros...more in the 5 to 6,000 range.

With a room of this size and your listening preferences a pair of Vandersteen 1C's or 2CE signatures should be more than adequate. Pair either of these with a nice tube amp/preamp like Quicksilver, ARC, etc. and you should be set. John Rutan at Audio Connections in Verona, NJ is EXTREMELY knowledgable on amp/pre pairings with Vandy's.

I had Vandy 2CE signatures in a 13.5' by 15.5' room - these provided plenty of bass loading for the room volume.

Just my 2 cents, I'd put most of my $ into some good electronics.

NB

jjc1 · « **Reply #12 on:** 12 Jul 2011, 04:16 pm »

Quote from: nature boy on 11 Jul 2011, 07:40 pm

With a room of this size and your listening preferences a pair of Vandersteen 1C's or 2CE signatures should be more than adequate. Pair either of these with a nice tube amp/preamp like Quicksilver, ARC, etc. and you should be set. John Rutan at Audio Connections in Verona, NJ is EXTREMELY knowledgable on amp/pre pairings with Vandy's.

I had Vandy 2CE signatures in a 13.5' by 15.5' room - these provided plenty of bass loading for the room volume.

Just my 2 cents, I'd put most of my $ into some good electronics.

NB

Thanks,NB. John has been demoing the 2c for me for about 5 years now and I always liked the sound. Considering the size of my room, they would probably be sufficient.
By the way, I use a Cary SLI80 tube integrated that John sold me 8 years ago and it would probably match up well with the 2c SIGs.

Wig · « **Reply #13 on:** 12 Jul 2011, 09:21 pm »

I maybe looking into the 5A lineup next year, from what I'm hearing, they are more uniform in top to bottom coherence without calling attention to themselves and that's exactly what I'm looking for.

Wig

Wig · « **Reply #14 on:** 12 Jul 2011, 10:53 pm »

Just found out from Vandersteen that the gap between the Q sock and Q wood version has been closed other than wood version and they now are shipping with the new midrange. This may be my ticket...

Wig

zybar · « **Reply #15 on:** 12 Jul 2011, 10:56 pm »

Quote from: Wig on 12 Jul 2011, 09:21 pm

I maybe looking into the 5A lineup next year, from what I'm hearing, they are more uniform in top to bottom coherence without calling attention to themselves and that's exactly what I'm looking for.

Wig

Bingo!!

The 5A's are the proverbial 5 tool baseball player - they can do it all and do it all well!!

George

TONEPUB · « **Reply #16 on:** 13 Jul 2011, 12:13 am »

If you are going the small tube amp, the 1C's are awesome, with 90db sensitivity. Even a nice 30wpc amp will work magic with them. One of my favorite small speakers.

nrenter · « **Reply #17 on:** 15 Jul 2011, 11:09 pm »

With a room that small, I'd consider a pair of 2ce Sig IIs and a couple small subs that have the ability to cross-over as low as 30 Hz and variable phase. Not that you'll need more bass - the 2ce Sig IIs are more than capable. You'll use the subs to smooth out the low-end nodes using destructive interference.

Daverz · « **Reply #18 on:** 16 Jul 2011, 12:02 am »

Quote from: Wig on 12 Jul 2011, 10:53 pm

Just found out from Vandersteen that the gap between the Q sock and Q wood version has been closed other than wood version and they now are shipping with the new midrange. This may be my ticket...

I actually like the understated look of the cloth Quatros.

Wig · « **Reply #19 on:** 16 Jul 2011, 03:44 am »

Guys,

Just wondering if any of you have done a youtube video on how to set-up Quatro/5a loudspeakers? Planning on the wood Quatro new year and need to get as much information as possible before I get the speakers home. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Wig