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  #1  
Old 01-10-2018, 10:59 PM
ylee's Avatar
ylee ylee is offline
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Default New Vandersteen Amp

Caught wind of this on Facebook at first and then in the general 'Net:

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2018/...r-at-ces-2018/

Details I see include single-ended circuits (as opposed to fully balanced) and adjustable high pass filter to work with Vandersteen's powered bass speakers as well as more conventional speakers. Should be interesting to audition. It seems to address a question I posed to Richard, as I'm sure others have - "what amps would you recommend for your <speaker>?"
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Primary System (Always in flux):
Analog Source: Rega RP10
Phono Preamp: Bryston BP2/PS3
Digital Software: Roon, Tidal Streaming
Digital Music Server: Melco N1A/2
Digital Sources: Totaldac d1-twelve SE MkII (factory upgraded from MKI) with "live power" 4 output power supply, Oppo UDP-205
Preamplifier: Rogue Audio RP-9 (factory upgraded from RP-7)
Amplifier: Vandersteen M5-HPA
Speakers: Vandersteen Quatro Wood CT w/IsoAcoustics Gaia 1 feet
Cabling: WW Platinum Starlight 7 digital wires, Totaldac Gigafilter USB filter, AQ Sky XLR, AQ Fire RCA
Speaker Cables: AudioQuest Oak spades ---> bi-wire spades
Power Cables: Esprit PC (for DAC), 2 WW Platinum Electra PC (Preamp/Phono Preamp), AQ NRG10 (Melco N1A/2), AQ Blizzard (Quatro Wood CT built-in subs)
Power Conditioning: 2 AQ Niagara 1000, 3 Oyaide R1 outlets
Sound Treatments: 23 ASC Tube Traps and 10 Panels
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  #2  
Old 01-10-2018, 11:03 PM
PHC1 PHC1 is offline
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They look like Egyptian Tombs... Pretty fugly for $57k


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  #3  
Old 01-10-2018, 11:19 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PHC1 View Post
They look like Egyptian Tombs... Pretty fugly for $57k


The M7-HPA cost $52k/pair, so the M5-HPA described as costing substantially less should be far cheaper. I agree they aren't exactly lookers.
__________________
Primary System (Always in flux):
Analog Source: Rega RP10
Phono Preamp: Bryston BP2/PS3
Digital Software: Roon, Tidal Streaming
Digital Music Server: Melco N1A/2
Digital Sources: Totaldac d1-twelve SE MkII (factory upgraded from MKI) with "live power" 4 output power supply, Oppo UDP-205
Preamplifier: Rogue Audio RP-9 (factory upgraded from RP-7)
Amplifier: Vandersteen M5-HPA
Speakers: Vandersteen Quatro Wood CT w/IsoAcoustics Gaia 1 feet
Cabling: WW Platinum Starlight 7 digital wires, Totaldac Gigafilter USB filter, AQ Sky XLR, AQ Fire RCA
Speaker Cables: AudioQuest Oak spades ---> bi-wire spades
Power Cables: Esprit PC (for DAC), 2 WW Platinum Electra PC (Preamp/Phono Preamp), AQ NRG10 (Melco N1A/2), AQ Blizzard (Quatro Wood CT built-in subs)
Power Conditioning: 2 AQ Niagara 1000, 3 Oyaide R1 outlets
Sound Treatments: 23 ASC Tube Traps and 10 Panels
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  #4  
Old 01-10-2018, 11:31 PM
The Trace The Trace is offline
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Default Vandersteen price

Quote:
Originally Posted by ylee View Post
The M7-HPA cost $52k/pair, so the M5-HPA described as costing substantially less should be far cheaper. I agree they aren't exactly lookers.
They are 15k. As stated in numerous articles 250 into 8 ohms.
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  #5  
Old 01-11-2018, 01:08 AM
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Masterlu Masterlu is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ylee View Post
The M7-HPA cost $52k/pair, so the M5-HPA described as costing substantially less should be far cheaper. I agree they aren't exactly lookers.
Reminds me of a safety deposit box at the bank.
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  #6  
Old 01-11-2018, 02:06 AM
JMD JMD is offline
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Agree it's not much to look at but if it is one of Dean from PSE's designs it will sound good. You can get much the same in a better looking chassis and a tubed input stage from the Aestetix Atlas starting at $10k. It also has the same high pass options and Richard has used it in shows for years. A friend of mine from college was a Vandersteen dealer for over 20 years and when he first started selling them was also a PSE dealer and that was the go to amp for the Vandersteen speakers in SS amps with ARC for tubes. Later when Dean's business started to go down he recommended DR designed Classe' amps.
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  #7  
Old 01-11-2018, 09:11 AM
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wawa_chan wawa_chan is offline
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Default New Vandersteen Amp

Quote:
Originally Posted by The Trace View Post
They are 15k. As stated in numerous articles 250 into 8 ohms.

Hmm, sites are reporting 150/300 8/4 ohm rating for the M5-HPA.

I agree, not much of a looker.
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  #8  
Old 01-11-2018, 05:23 PM
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ylee ylee is offline
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From Michael Fremer of AnalogPlanet:

"Firstly was the Vandersteen room where the sound is always good. This year the company introduced a new mono block amplifier the M5-HPA. It's a minimalist solid state design outputting 300 watts into 4 ohms and 150 into 8. The $15,000 a pair amps driving a pair of moderately priced ($13,900/pr) Vandersteen Quatro Wood CT speakers produced the best sound I heard yesterday, with a midrange transparency that kept me listening for more than a half hour to my high resolution files from vinyl. I could have sat for the rest of the afternoon hogging the programming but wisely I relinquished control."
__________________
Primary System (Always in flux):
Analog Source: Rega RP10
Phono Preamp: Bryston BP2/PS3
Digital Software: Roon, Tidal Streaming
Digital Music Server: Melco N1A/2
Digital Sources: Totaldac d1-twelve SE MkII (factory upgraded from MKI) with "live power" 4 output power supply, Oppo UDP-205
Preamplifier: Rogue Audio RP-9 (factory upgraded from RP-7)
Amplifier: Vandersteen M5-HPA
Speakers: Vandersteen Quatro Wood CT w/IsoAcoustics Gaia 1 feet
Cabling: WW Platinum Starlight 7 digital wires, Totaldac Gigafilter USB filter, AQ Sky XLR, AQ Fire RCA
Speaker Cables: AudioQuest Oak spades ---> bi-wire spades
Power Cables: Esprit PC (for DAC), 2 WW Platinum Electra PC (Preamp/Phono Preamp), AQ NRG10 (Melco N1A/2), AQ Blizzard (Quatro Wood CT built-in subs)
Power Conditioning: 2 AQ Niagara 1000, 3 Oyaide R1 outlets
Sound Treatments: 23 ASC Tube Traps and 10 Panels
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  #9  
Old 01-11-2018, 05:39 PM
Still-One Still-One is offline
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If they are even close in SQ to the SQ of his 7 Series amps that pair so nicely with his 7 series speakers at ~$15k they would be a steal. I agree they don't have the best industrial design.
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  #10  
Old 01-11-2018, 06:43 PM
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PlanarSpeakerFan PlanarSpeakerFan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Still-One View Post
If they are even close in SQ to the SQ of his 7 Series amps that pair so nicely with his 7 series speakers at ~$15k they would be a steal. I agree they don't have the best industrial design.
+1

They should mate nicely with the Vandersteen 5A Carbon’s or the Quatro CT.

Ken
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