Upgraded from Ayre K5xemp to Ayre KX-5 Twenty short review

[Bar81]

Those are some fair questions although I'm not a fan of what type of music as a criteria. If a speaker can't do all music well then there's a fundamental flaw in its design.

In any case, for Focal, I would want to look at the Sopra No.2 on up. I've never been crazy about their older non-Utopia lines.

[dbphd]

Originally Posted by ctsooner

I would think you'd want to put Vandersteen's on that short list also as so many of us feel that the Ayre/Vandersteen's are a GREAT match and that includes Richard Vandersteen who has loved using Ayre for his SS amps in the past.

Which model Vandersteen? IIRC, Vandersteen speakers were used by a high-end shop when I was trying to audition a component. It seemed as though I was listening through a veil. Obviously the shop owner thought the sound was good, and I know Vandersteen enjoys a fine reputation. This was more than a decade ago.

db

[Bar81]

He's using the Quatro iirc which he received recently and seems to be really enjoying.

When I heard Vandys (I think 5As or Sevens) with Ayre -R series way back at a Santa Monica dealer I wasn't impressed, but in all fairness the front end was a Puccini with uclock so I can't really make a definitive call given the less than stellar front end.

[dbphd]

The place where I heard the Vandersteens was in Santa Monica as well, upstairs in a setting that appeared like a living room. I was able to listen without any sales pressure. Santa Monica is a pleasant drive down PCH from Montecito (adjacent to Santa Barbara), about an hour drive. Traffic through Malibu can be annoying, but not a big deal.

db

[imprezap2]

I don't think there is anything wrong with a Puccini with U-Clock as front end, that should be doing the trick more then well.

Ctsooner is a big fan of Vandersteen speakers, I have listened to them in a few occasions and was rather underwhelmed, I definitely prefer Magico speakers to Vandersteen, but if I remember correctly Ctsooner has mentioned the exact opposite.

Just saying, we all have a different taste and opinion about speakers.

[gtl]

I use a Vivid G3 and I would definitely consider the Giya range. Do try and have an audition if you have a dealer nearby.

[BillK]

A local dealer here has the 7s and I have never been the biggest fan of them.

Since I own them I am biased, but I would also recommend the Giya range (I have the G2s.)

[ctsooner]

Yes, I own and love the Quatro's. I don't know Randy in Santa Monica, but know many who go there for their gear and love him. He's been around and can set up a great system.

I never liked the Vandersteen's. I didn't understand them at all. What I heard a few years ago where not what I had heard prior. My listening over the years have changed a ton. I used to think Wilson were great. I owned Proac's for many many years. I liked the speakers that sparkled in the showroom. I liked speakers that 'seemed' to have great bass. I liked the speaker that really 'stood out' from the rest of the ones in the showroom. Then I started to realize that what I was listening to had nothing to do with a live presentation. What I was missing was coherency. I didn't seem to care or know about micro and macro details in the music where the emotion lies. I knew about tonal accuracy, but got swept up by things that 'stood out' in some other area like huge soundstage or big bass or extended highs.

I met a dealer and we sat down and spoke. I noticed that I was never happy with my music as I didn't listen for more than an hour or so. I got out of audio for about 10 years or so. When i started to audition, I went and heard most anything folks can think of and a lot of it was at people's houses too. I realized straight away that audio was similar to buying a TV. 90% of the time folks go to the showroom and fall in love with the brightest TV in the store. I ended up with top Plasma's instead of the more popular LED technology. My wife noticed right away how much nicer the picture was with the Plasma.

In audio, I wanted a speaker for the long haul and the new Vandersteen speakers gave me that. They often won't 'stand out' vs the exciting speakers in the store, but to my ear are the most honest to the music. They don't excel at just one thing, they excel at all things. Richard knows where to make the compromises in a speaker. I never hear a veil in the sound and I run a lot of gear in and out to audition. The bass is tonally as good as it gets and moves plenty of air.

My wife and I came back from a John Bonamassa acoustic concert at Carnegy Hall a year and a half ago (about to be released on Blueray) and felt it was one of the best sounding concerts we have ever been to. When listening a day or two later to some of the same music, she said "you know that I never listen to the system, I don't care about your gear. I do love my music and I just realized how this sounds so close to what we heard the other night'. That said a lot to me. She has a great ear and loves all types of music, like I do, but doesn't care about gear.

Again, we all hear differently and I notice too many dealers playing with volume controls during auditions and they sell sell sell. Vandersteen dealers will do the same thing. Some dealers are scared to audition say a Vandersteen, because someone walks in and says they want to buy a Magico or a Wilson or a B&W. I went into that Vandy dealer a few years ago and wanted to buy a new pair of Proac's. He FORCED me to listen to the 'steen's and I fell in love as did my brother and father who were with me that day. Both of them had Proac's too. Now none of us do.

I take nothing away from other speakers at all. There is a reason that there are so many dealers, but I do feel strongly that most folks don't fully understand or give the Vandersteen's their due. I do know a few folks who went back and really listened for long periods of time and more than a couple of times. Most of them have either purchased them or changed their view of them. There is a reason that JA and so many other manufacturers and reviewers own them for their personal systems. I've been in the homes of a few who have Quatro's CT or 5 CT's in their personal listening room, but never talk about them in a review. To me, that's also telling.

The thing I like about the forums is that we can share opinions and for me, it forces me to keep an open mind into other gear that I may not have liked in the past.

[will]

Yes, I have Dynaudio C1, ctsooner. I enjoy the Dyn sound but am open to listen to others. That said, I've always been vicarously intrigued by Focal. My townhouse situation likely calls for continued use of standmounts, so I'm intrigued by Sopra No 1 and Diablo Utopia. But this is not happening anytime soon, I imagine, haha, as I await the Ayre preamp to arrive. I like to do things step by step.

[imprezap2]

That's a lot of typing Ctsooner ;-)

In my case, nobody forced me to listen to any speakers, but I listened to different speakers over the course of half a year, when I narrowed it down to two options, I was lucky enough to be able to listen to them in my system, both were great in my opinion, but in the end the V3's made me listen for hours and hours, they were less "spectacular" then the other option, but I have never looked back since.

Every now and then I get the itch for new speakers, but the balance in my room is quite good, I am afraid that I will upset the synergy there is now (good for my wallet)

I do think brand or type of speaker is not the most important factor, in the end they need to match with your electronics and room.

Sorry for derailing this thread