The 12 most significant loudspeakers of all time the. Richard vandersteen got into the speaker business the same way as a lot of other highend designers did and still do. The original model 2 started it all for vandersteen audio. Vandersteen audio designs and manufactures time and phasecorrect loudspeakers and superb electronics in hanford, california, in the usa. The two speakers occupy the middle range of the vandersteen audio line.
Speakers come in different varieties, each with a different functional purpose. I know a lot of the history, especially from the last 44 years or so, and i cannot figure out why they seemed to highlight some brands and models and to skip over others entirely. What were legendary speaker designer arnie nudell and paul up to just before his unexpected passing. I have book cases in the rear corners of my room where i plan to put the surround. In the zone, with the right music and enough power, the magnepan 3. The popularity of the famous father of suske en wiske, translated into bob et bobette for the french and also known as spike and suzy among the english speakers, has not suffered the flow of time. Vandersteen model 1 and 2 history audiogon discussion forum. The model 1ci is living proof that designing and building a great entrylevel speaker doesnt require as much ingenuity and skill as a costnoobject flagship it requires even more. This book is a bit of a retrospective of high end audio as told by snapshots literally and snippets of some notable pieces in hi fi history. The 2 has been continually refined along the waya new driver here, a new crossover change there, heavyduty standsmore changes, in fact, than the occasional changes in model.
If you have a nostalgic look to your home decor, these vintage components may fit in well with your home theater system. The first book to comprehensively cover the history of highend audio design. I had met an audio dealer by chance, since where i live there are not many left at all. Vandersteen is doing it again at ces 2018 in las vegas, where you can get the first look and listen at a preproduction pair of the upcoming m5hpa highpass amplifier monoblocks. Vandersteen s treo loudspeaker is now available in an optional treo ct version carbon tweeter. Vandersteen vlrwood walnut less than 50 hours monitors. That should tell you everything you need to know right there. Stereophiles list of best top 25 speakers of past 40 years. Few large, fullrange dynamic speakers before or for some time afterward. In my experience, getting the tilt angle correct is the most important setup factor with vandersteen speakers. If the answer is yes, vandersteen audio would very much like to talk to you.
John atkinson in fact, the model 2 is the bestselling audiophile loudspeaker of the modern era, with more than 100,000 pairs soldall of. They include the 2wq, 3a sig, 1ci, 2ce, seven mkii, quatro wood ct, sub three, treo ct, v2w sub, vcc1 center, vcc2, vcc5, vlr ct, vlr wood, vsm sig, vsm1 and more. On that ground, a pair of vandersteen s quatro cts scores bigtime. Vandersteen 2ce signature ii audioholics home theater forums. Enough has been said on paul w klipsch in this community, he needs no introduction. If you are interested in shopping for inexpensive vandersteen speakers on ebay, check out the following common questions to gain valuable information. So over the years i have heard all kinds of hype and great things about the vandersteen brand. The first vandersteen that was sold commercially was the model 2, which entered production about 1976 or 1977. In a career spanning 50 years, he created a large studio and published more than 1,000 comic albums in over 25 series, selling more than 200 million copies worldwide considered together with marc sleen the founding father of flemish comics, he is mainly popular in belgium, the netherlands and germany.
Its hard enough to know what loudspeaker to purchase but with the shrinking dealer base, how does one go about making any sort of intelligent decision these days. Vandersteen model 5a carbon loudspeaker the absolute sound. Vandersteen 2ce signature ii loudspeaker pair audio advice. Its a loudspeaker that has an uncommon reverence for the music that poses the greatest challenges to an audio system. The proud history stretches back to 1977 model 2ce signature iis design is informed from years of experience designing and building loudspeakers of unparalleled value and performance. According to vandersteen audio, thats the number of vandersteen 2s of various generations which have been sold since the loudspeakerand companyfirst saw the light of day in 1977. The secrets behind ps speakers subscribe to ask paul ask a question. Willy vandersteen 15 february 19 28 august 1990 was a belgian creator of comic books. Important facts to know before shopping for vandersteen speakers. The canare cable sound wonderfully balanced, and i dont hear anything amiss throughout the frequency range. The model 1ci is a time and phasecorrect speaker constructed in such a way that the alignment and positioning of the drivers allow a pointsource wavefront and maximize the phase coherence of the loudspeaker at. All connections in the crossover are soldered, according to richard. I have had many conversations in person and by phone with richard vandersteen, and he does have a passion for his craft.
That was in the mid 1970s, but vandersteens speakers bore little resemblance to what other home brew entrepreneurs cooked up. Home audio experts agree that the right speakers are essential to any quality home entertainment system. Interviews richard vandersteen of vandersteen audio. In constant production since 1977, over 100,000 pairs of vandersteen model 2s have been sold in its various incarnations over the decades. Using their patented aligned dynamic design vandersteen has made a now classic in the.
Come and meet the man behind the comic book series that remains the crown jewel in every belgian comic store. Vandersteen 2ce signature ii loudspeaker measurements at crossover frequency, we are only 2db down. The vandersteen 5a carbon, however, is a truly exceptional speaker. Vandersteen 2ce signature ii tower speakers pair, with. This is a list of notable manufacturers of loudspeakers. Vandersteen home speakers and subwoofers for sale in stock. Ask richard vandersteen audio high end speakers vandersteen. I have book cases in the rear corners of my room where i plan to put the surround speakers. Plus, there are no speakers which have true 1st order acoustical crossovers. Richard vandersteen if his company would make an inwall speaker, richard replied, ill. Fortunately, a pair of vandersteen 1ci speakers and some decent electronics can be had for a reasonable cost, putting a great system in reach of just about anyone.
John atkinson in fact, the model 2 is the bestselling audiophile loudspeaker of the modern era, with more than 100,000 pairs soldall of them made in the u. Thats primarily what i want from a pair of loudspeakersnot deep bass which these vandersteens do have. I had not heard of the brand vandersteen before i bought these speakers. Integration with the vandersteen vcc1 center channel is very good. Save over 20% credits will not expire, so you can use them at any time. A ton of vandersteen sound in a small, beautiful package. Model 2 has always been hyped up time after time, so i had to check them out.
I bought the 2cis used, so i dont know the full history of the speakers. Vlr wood vandersteen sound in a small pretty package. Learn about the history of jamo and how it utilizes resources from around the globe to craft relevant products that look and sound amazing for over 50. Vandersteen is a highly respected name in audio and has been making quality speakers and subwoofers for home use for years. I, however, decided to try some home built canare speaker cable for my quatro wood cts. Experiment with the angle to get it right and youll be rewarded. On the 15th of february, 20, willy vandersteen would have celebrated his 100th birthday. Audioquest cables always seemed to be the choice with vandersteen speakers.
Some speakers i raved about imagining, others the level of detail but the 3as i just listened and enjoyed. Thiel, vandersteen, and wilson continuing up to the present day. The vlr wood is a compact stereo or home theater speaker for incabinet or standmounting in situations where it is domestically impossible. One of best high end speaker values in audio history. Vandersteen audio treo ct loudspeaker the absolute sound. The one thing that sucked me into vandersteen was that i just couldnt stop listening to them. Speaker cables for vandersteen speakers steve hoffman. Ken kessler has written several books about specific highend brands. Vandersteen audio introduces the next great amplifier at. The treo ct speaker itself is basically a passive version of the nearly twice the price quatro wood cts which feature an active subwoofer in a similar sized cabinet. He made speakers for himself, and started selling them through a local hifi store. These speakers reasonably high efficiency and offer a. The absolute sounds illustrated history of highend audio, volume.
In fact, the vandersteen 2c will give the quad esl63 one hell of a good run for its money in. As a fan of both acoustic jazz and downtempo electronica i find that the bass is the foundation. Vandersteen audio quattro wood speakers, made in hanford, california, include tunable subwoofers to mak. Another 115 words 8 lines of text covering the years 1626, 1679, 1816, and 1846 are included under the topic early vandersteen history in all our pdf extended history products and printed products wherever possible. Using their patented aligned dynamic design vandersteen has made a now classic in the model 1c. Vandersteen home speakers and subwoofers for sale ebay. How to pick a new speaker subscribe to ask paul ask a question.
If the vandersteen model five looked a little more. Submit your questions to richard vandersteen, and learn from the man. I bought these speakers from audio dimensions in royal oak, michigan back in may. If the listening position is close to the speakers, very little tilt is needed. He runs a small company in california and proudly makes his speakers in this country, and even at his asking price the speakers are a bargain. Ive attended many demos prior to the purchase and heard a lot of great, and not so great speakers. This web page shows only a small excerpt of our vandersteen research.
On that ground, a pair of vandersteens quatro cts scores bigtime. Vandersteen audio high end speakers vandersteen audio. Vintage speakers can go well with a variety of home audio systems. Vandersteen model 3a signature tower loudspeakers optimized with aligned dynamic design and patented drivers. In the history of highend audio, there have been a number of fascinating and genuinely innovative driversalan hills plasma tweeter and lincoln walshs transmissionline cone, for examples.
The dates i am going to give you are approximate if you want specific production dates, i suggest you contact the vandersteen factory in hanford, ca phone number is on their web site. Vandersteen recommends acoustic damping behind and around the speakers when placed in cabinets, and 2. Jas audio orsa 2 way 2 unit morelribbon bookshelf speaker. Richard vandersteen also told me that he uses solid core wiring inside the speakers. These loudspeakers can be small enough to fit on a bookshelf or large enough to sit on the ground, looking similar to furniture. These speakers are the vandersteen 2ce sig ii model and i purchased them in 2012. He prefers the sound of solid core wiring for his speakers. Most guys start with a box and fool around with drivers. I used them for perhaps 30 hours in my main system but hey were intended for a second system. As with all time and phase coherent speakers, the angle of the speaker is critical for proper phase and time alignment. Audio connection offers the complete line of vandersteen speakers.
Vandersteen model 2wq series subwoofer walnut finish. The vandersteen model 1 was originally introduced in 1981, and now as the model 1c its a highend classic. Whenever i think of cone speaker systems, i think of three brand names. Vandersteen audio shook up the audio world with its liquidcooled m7hpa monoblocks, a radical advance in power amplifier design and loudspeaker performance that is stereophile classa rated as a true reference. For example, richard vandersteens speaker designs have been renowned in. This book takes you through the history of high end audio and gives one a good perspective of how high end audio has evolved and gives audiophiles a refreshing perspective that is much needed and educational during a time that tech is clouding quality sound. Vandersteen 3a signature tower speakers pair speakers.