Welcome to my De-compression Chamber. This is where I go to relax and enjoy music or movies when I can find the time.
*MUSIC comes First, with stereo being my primary listening mode. Surround and movies are secondary...but not by much. The system is better for movies than any theater I've ever been to. The system was designed with a few primary goals in mind. I've listed these goals below in no particular order as they're all critical to me.
Audiophile Criteria: *Full Range Main Speakers *Very good Pace, Rhythm & Timing *Zero Listener Fatigue *As upgradable as possible wherever it makes sense *Even, natural sound. Meaning, no parts of the sound or imaging are emphasized over others unless that's how the recording was mastered. *The entire system had to be time and phase aligned. (Yes, it makes a big difference.) This is a much bigger deal to me the more I listen. Non-Time Aligned speaker systems have a leading edge to the highs that I find fatiguing and un-natural. *Precise imaging without exaggeration or loss of micro or macro dynamics.
Hi Mikej, thank you for your answer. Have you heard something from Richard...he is not answering mail or phone calls. I own MKV and thinking whether I should buy a second one for mono operations without matching by Richard. Have you ever tried mixed pairs? Do think such a buy would be a vaild step? Thanky for your help! Ulli
Hi Chadnliz, the 5As and Quatros are very different and will appeal to different people. Go with what you hear and like. As for amps...the best amp I've heard that's easily bought nowadays is the Audio Research Reference 110. It's simply amazing. The BEL amps are just too hard to get new now to recommend readily.
Great system! My dad bought the Wood Quatro about 7 months ago, I think he may be taking advantage of the full 12 month upgrade deal and step into the 5A. Do you think the Quatro images a bit better then the 5A? I got that impression doing demo's but I cant count that as a accurate and definitive test, any thoughts would be great. Also what amp paths have you explored with Vandy? My dad runs Classe now but they are getting older and will need replaced sooner or later (300w mono blocked)
great system! I am putting together my first which, like yours will do double duty, with the primary emphasis on music. I was originally looking at the 2ce signatures with seperate vandersteen subwoofer and vsms for surround. My dealer suggested the quatros with built in sub due to space considerations. I listened to the quatros and they are phenomenal. In your opinion do you think the cost is justified? Thanks in advance for your help.
I've been seeing ads for BEL amps lately (Wanted and For Sale). Since there aren't many dealers I thought I'd clarify for everyone "what the deal is" with these amps. *The current version is Mk V *Any amplifer from Mk II up can be upgraded to Mk V. *ANY Mk V...whether original or upgraded IS a Mk V. There is no reason for anyone to value a new or upgraded amp differently based solely on sonic virtues. *All BEL amps sound slightly different unless matched at the factory as a pair (or multiples). The reason for this is very simple. They are all hand made and *hand tuned*. *Upgraded amps are essentially re-manufactured and re-tuned by Richard. Therefore, they ARE a Mk V. *New amps take 3 months or more to order and are pre-sold. (Yes, there's a waiting list.) *Upgrades once sent in can take 3-5 months as you're essentially waiting for Richard to re-manufacture your amp by hand. There is no assembly line for this. It's all his "hand" time on the amp. *Upgrades are performed solely at Richard's whim. The waiting list is over 1 year long. The only way around this is to buy a new one and ask him to match the old amp(s) to the new one. *If you don't have his interconnect and speaker cables, but you have his amp, you haven't heard what it's capable of. They are all part of one system...and it works. *If you have the amp and want all you can get from it you need to buy a Symposium Ultra stand for it. This is the final component and completes the amp. All BEL amps are tuned on one. It will make a significant improvement in the sound of one.
Hope this helps everyone. If you have any questions please feel free to email me.
I've had no problem cranking the 5As at all. I don't do it often, but it's a lot of fun for The WHO concert on DVD. ;-) The Quatros are fine too. It's more dependant on your amp in this case than the speakers. That said, they aren't concert/PA speakers either so I understand why you ask.
As for tonal character...both are very neutral IMHO. Again, your system will make the difference here more than anything. If you're looking for "warmth" or forgiveness I'd use tubes like you are. That's a very personal choice though and will be clearly revealed by both speakers.
The difference in the bass is not subtle. The 5As are simply the best I've ever heard. The Quatros are VERY good, but can't do what the 5As do. Top to bottom, pitch definition, speed, etc. the 5As are better. This carries through into the mid bass and mids/highs on the 5As. I consider the Quatros to be as good in most respects as the original 5s. The bass is the exception. The original 5s are still better there.
I hope this helps! I'm curious...why all the questions about Vandersteens? You have a terrific system already!
Feel free to drop me a line off the list if you like.
Mike. I think you answered my question. I generally listen between 80 - 90db like yourself. However I do like to crank thye volume from time to time so that is generally in the 95db plus range. Are the the quatro's and 5a's OK with that?.
What has the warmer tonal character(easier on thye ear and bad recordings), the quatro or 5A?. What is the difference in the bass between the quatro and 5a?.
I'll try and remember to come back and see your response.
After discussing my experience with the Theta amps with other Theta owners I've learned that the amps I auditioned were not broken in fully. Apparently they need much more time than I had. So, if you have any interest in them make sure the amps you audition have at least 400-700 hours on them and that they have been warmed up for 3 days. I know that seems crazy, but I trust my friends experience. Next time I can borrow a pair of Citadels or Enterprise amps I will let you know. Cheers!
Model 2Ce Signatures: WOW! It's been a while since I brought these downstairs and spent..oh, maybe 2 minutes...setting them up. Well it was worth it! These speakers have no business being this good. Good enough that if I didn't have the other speakers I'd stop here. Simply put, they're seamless and have some of the best sound staging I've ever heard. The price is just silly too. Anyway, I'm going back down to listen again tonight and can honestly say I don't miss my 5As THAT much. ;-)
Anway, if you happen to be looking for giant killers these are them. They image better than any Magnepans I've ever heard and have better bass, etc. to boot.
Sorry for the rant...at least I kept it in my system thread..so no flames please! :-)
For those of you wondering why I run BEL amps in mono when they're so good in stereo: I had to re-assemble my system due to construction so I decided to try the 5As with a single amp. The sound was great with magnificent center focus and a sound field that was fairly large. Smooth, with good timbre and pitch. Micro dynamics and detail were all good. Moving to the monoblock configuration was a BIG step up. It surprised me to be honest. The sound stage was HUGE. It really opened up from to back and on the sides especially. The sound was smoother and more natural. Definitely more satisfying overall. While not twice as good it was very very convincing. Cheers!
Hi Downunder, what do you mean by loud? Are we talking 90db or what? Personally, I find that I don't need to turn up the volume to get the detail and music out of the speakers. However, I do rock the house anyway sometimes. You'll find that the clarity is astonishing at any level. However, you will not get ear bleed continuous levels from them like concert speakers with horns. They go plenty loud for home use though. Plus, I don't want to damage my hearing so I typically listen in the 80-90db range. Does that answer your question?
Mike, Do the quattro's and 5's like to be played hard and loud. I have heard differing opinions, however I do like to crank up the music, but not if the speaker can't handle it.
I love the gloss black. I compared them to a bunch of other finishes and chose them for 2 reasons. First, they perform an optical illusion and appear smaller than they really are. Second, I can have them re-finished if they become damaged to "as new" without a problem. Wood, once damaged, cannot be repaired really. Since this has already happened due to a shipping incident my logic has been proven right. As for scratching, I haven't had any with normal dusting. YMMV. Regarding Cherry, I like the high gloss and satin finish. It's personal preference if you want a gloss on the wood. I suggest you match it with your decor and not worry about it. I'm sure you'll enjoy them! Cheers, Michael
I am thinking about pulling the trigger on a pair of 5As. How do you like the finish? I was thinking cherry high gloss, but like the look of the all black. How resistant are they to getting scratched.
To add to the music that has been truly outstanding is the David Gilmour in Concert DVD. Through the Gen VIII in PCM stereo it's simply amazing. The imaging coming from the system could easily be mistaken for surround sound. It was like being there!
Using just the Gen VIII as the source and preamp now I've had a chance to dive into my music collection to see how the system sounds. The verdict is in: old and new recordings sounds superb! Full, natural, plenty of PRAT and impact too! Smooth, detailed (but not analytical) and zero fatigue. I'm VERY happy.
High points: Pink Floyd, The Wall Live Concert; James Taylor, Pull Over (DVD); The Pretenders, Isle of View (track 14 builds and builds and builds...amazing!).
I'll be running more music through of course, but this is the best I've heard in a home yet. I've only heard one system that was better...and it was not for sale (custom speakers and a MUCH more expensive front end).
I'm always open to suggestions. If you have any please let me know. Otherwise, I'm probably going to pause here and just enjoy the music. ;-)
I decided to go back and re-evaluate the jumpers in the system. In the end, it was apparent that the Q no longer needed to change when using the Gen VIII alone. Also, they add a fullness to the sound that goes beyond digital. Truly an analog like sound. In summary: the BEL jumpers with the BEL speaker cables are better than bi-wire with the BEL speaker cables. Oh, and it's a less expensive set up...NICE!
Well, the filters did the trick! They're different in sound from the Vandersteen HP filters. Without them both in hand for a head to head. My guess is that the Vandersteen is a sligtly more analytical/detailed sound where the BEL filter is more slightly more subtle and natural....YMMV.
On another note, I disconnected the Gen VIII from the CBIII and am using it alone now for 2 channel. Let's just say I no longer have a hankering for starting a vinyl collection. Yes, it's that good. I'd put it up against a similarly priced LP playback system with no regrets. You would simply have to spend more IMHO to get better sound. Also, the Theta would be more consistent, act as a preamp...and not require all the LPs. I'm very impressed.
Just added the BEL High Pass Filters to try out in the system. Will post my findings soon. (They will be used in place of the Theta digital filters for eval.)
