vandersteen speakers......alan b

[deggie]

While i was away on holiday, alanb deciided to change his speeks, his beloved vandersteens 1ci new of course arrived at his palatial abode,
so today i decided to pop over and have a listen, they stand proud 36 x 12x 10 wrapped in a black speaker fabric , cherry tops and base ,
very nice build quality and finish.....but the bonus is they present a wide sounstage , helped along with a lovely valve amp @ marantz cd,
tunes were played with a finesse and delicacy that alan likes, i took along melody gardot,s new album..the absence, her warm tones and
breathy voice portrayed beautifully projected centre stage,her fluid sensual lyrics held you spellbound, these speeks present instrumennts
wider than the speeks themselves,air and delicacy abound with the front to back presentation that alan likes, top end is smooth and open,
mids refined and delicate, bass is firm and controlled.....my foot tapping along to the tunes.....all this were with gold lion kt88...so they were
changed for a set of electro harmonix kt88.......so to all those wammers that think tube rolling may only make a slight difference..wow
wow ...in this system....the results are impressive everything is more open,livelier, airy delicate, with only a drop in bass depth, a change of presentation
with both sets of valves.......which do i prefer......gold lions maybe pipe ,,slippers,, so ill go for the EHs...the amp and cd are crackers, and the
whole system is balanced,producing a natural unforced quad like sound.........so i think these will be keepers for alan, his enthusiasm never fails to
impress me along with his attention to detail.......this system gels........dont forget alan had some lovely LVs before, so thanks for lovely 2 hrs of
musical pleasure.....top man al.

[JANDL100]

.........so i think these will be keepers for alan

I am sure that Alan has achieved a very fine sound with the Vandies, that is much to his liking - I've been nagging him to go back to them for quite a while! I knew he would in the end, he just had to make his own way there (as do we all).

[AlanB]

I'm embarrassed again by the kind words.
The new version of the Model 1 ...that have gone Model 1, 1b.1c and finally 1ci. I am fortunate to be the first owner of the new model in the UK.
The 'improvements' are the use of the tweeter from the Model 3 and better capacitors in the crossover. To my ears they are an improvement on the 1c that I owned a little while ago. The top end is more refined, the mids are a little cleaner and the bottom is definitely more controlled. The latter was a problem in my small room with the 1c. Of course I have quite different amp and cdp which may also account for the improvement. Without an A/B one never knows.
Keith repeatedly commented on how well they disappear and and they truly do. He also said "It's like a cinematic experience". Bryan, bryfi, who is my Vandersteen hero/guru and I believe, has owned the Vandie in 1b and 1c guise for many years, always says it's like being at the cinema. They mean, really, that the soundstage is so big (the 1c can sometimes sound TOO big) and room filling.
As Keith says I am sure these are my last buy speaker. I love what they do i.e. a cross between an electrostatic and a planar speaker. Indeed the amp and cdp are also possible keepers. I must see the psychiatrist soon.
'Tis true that the presentation with Gold Lions and EH KT88's is vastly different. The GL's sound warm, smooth and very involving whereas the EH's make the Vandie's sound more electrostatic like with more delicacy, detail and openness. What a nice problem to have.....I could live with both presentations but SHOCK...HORROR....I'm leaning toward the EH's. I shall tender my resignation to the Pipe and Slippers Association (and Box Swappers Club) at a later date, just in case.

[Lee Henley]

Heard it myself last night, very nice indeed, didnt know what to expect with the Vandersteens having never heard em before but they were a nice surprise, Im pretty sure with what Alan has got now he has found his musical Nirvana................

[linnman]

Well I must be the closest in geographical terms, but I haven't heard them yet !

[Covenant]

Who is the UK stockist (if there is one)?

[oldfogey]

I hope you enjoy them Alan.

[AlanB]

Who is the UK stockist (if there is one)?

Peter at Alternative Audio.

[Batty]

A friend just upgraded his 5s for a pair of 7s, RRP of $50k and he had to order them from Singapore and had a wait of 4 months.
Awesome sound though.

[Covenant]

Peter at Alternative Audio.

Cheers Alan,
He doesn't advertise the 1ci on his website. Is that because it is cheap in comparison to the other Vandersteen speakers?

[AlanB]

Cheers Alan,
He doesn't advertise the 1ci on his website. Is that because it is cheap in comparison to the other Vandersteen speakers?

I believe he no longer stocks 1, 2 or 3's but can get them for you and usually fairly quickly via Luca, the Italian Vandersteen dealer. Due to an agreement with Richard Vandersteen (God) Luca is not allowed to sell to you direct. I paid £1500 including the Vandersteen stands and shipping from Italy. Ridiculous as they sell for little over a grand in the States.
However I knew they tick all my boxes so felt it was worth it and even at the inflated price are worth every penny against any speaker I've ever owned or heard. Remember I've had Harbeth 7ES3's, Totem Forest's and LV Avatar's since I sold my 1c's. Before that, amongst others , Quad 63's, Merlin TSM-MX, B & W 805S', JM lab 927be's, Linn Kan's/Sara's, Celestion SL6/6s's, Kef 103/2's, Ruark Talisman's, Proac Tablette/1sc/1.5/2.5, Sonus Faber Electa Amator II/Guarneri Homage. None of them slouches in audio terms.
Am I happy? AM I!! The grin hasn't left my ugly face since these 1ci's arrived.

[AlanB]

Well I must be the closest in geographical terms, but I haven't heard them yet !

But you won't 'hear' them Neil.
Italian amp with Russian and French valves, Japanese CDP, American speakers, American i/c, English s/c and power cables.
Nothing made in Bonny Scotland.

[wickerman68]

A paif of Model 2 here
http://www.guildfordaudio.co.uk/stor...?category=WiFi Devices&section=Categories&cattitle=Used Items&page=used&recordid=2012

[It Cost How Much!?!]

Interesting, my web filter (Websense) thinks that Guildford Audio are a spamming organisation and has banned it.

[deggie]

scott is quite correct..........guildford audio have got a pre owned pair of vandee 2ce in ....will be up for 1499 notes

he rates them highly....wide soundstage and delicate ..........sounds interesting, if anybody is thinking of changing there speeks.

[Hornucopia]

Are the 2s bigger than the 1s?

[deggie]

chris...... yes but not by a large amount ....im sure its on there website....if i had,nt got my mabons, i would have been

very interested indeed..........im sure g/audio would oblige.

[AlanB]

I suggest anyone pm Bryfi. He's the Vandie expert. The 2's need a bigger room. I'm told they have more bottom.
Keep it clean gentlemen.

[George 47]

Yep I traded the 2s in for Wilson 6s. They are different to the 1s in that they have a bigger bass unit and an active/passive ABR unit as well. They have all the Vandie characterstics and a lot of bass. They need a reasonable space to integrate and 'breathe' and worked well in my 30' by 20' room but would work in a smaller space. At that price not much around even at used prices...

[linnman]

But you won't 'hear' them Neil.
Italian amp with Russian and French valves, Japanese CDP, American speakers, American i/c, English s/c and power cables.
Nothing made in Bonny Scotland.

Very cosmopolitan. Turn the volume up a bit, I might be able to hear it.
I did say when you changed the last Vandersteens for Harbeths that it wasn't as good ! So I must be get some things right