Jump to content

about Vandersteen speakers


leftwinger57

Recommended Posts

Hi guys, Since I am an owner of Klipsch smalls I guess gives me some leeway in talking about another brand of speakers. I have heard and seen Vandersteen 1s ,2ce

sigs and now 3s. On the used market you can get 1s for very decent prices .I recently went to a dealer and they pounded into me that the older 1s and the newer 1s and 2s are different animals and the same goes for their larger 2 and 3 signature models.Has anyone ever hear these particular speakers and to tell you the truth even the 1s kill my Infinity SM112s but since I resurrected my Bose 601s from death those I would keep. The Vandys would be front facing about 7-8' apart and are only wire w/ a single pair unlike all the others that prefer bi-wiring.I still would really like a pair of KLF-20s-30s, Forte 1, or Chorus but again there is really nothing around or people now know what they are worth and bargins are hard to find.So for lets say $200-250 for newer 1s would anyone jump on these. They did sound very neutral w/ enough bass for my apt and could easily be pushed if need to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Leftwinger57,

I'm not sure what your actual question is, so I will assume you are asking for help with the sound of Vandersteen speakers. I have owned all three of the listed speakers at one time, and currently own a pair of 3A Signatures now. My least favorite speaker would be the 1's, don't get me wrong, they are very nice speakers in there own right, just that I had owned a pair of 2Ce's prior and I missed the added bass and glorious midrange sound stage.

You can't go wrong with any of Richard's designs. I love my 3A's, and even my current model has now changed with the woven midrange versus the polycone. I currently have Forte's for my Home theater applications along with Quartets for rear's with the Vandersteen in a different room for stereo listening. I am very happy with that arrangement. They both offer so much as far as musical enjoyment, so I really don't quibble about the differences. If you can find a nice used 2Ce from Vandersteen, go for it. If you can find Forte's or Quartet's grab em if you can. Just depends upon price and what you are willing to put out with.By the way your dealer is making money on selling "new" speakers, so of course he will say that the new versions sound better than the older versions. Richard Vandersteen designs his speakers very well, and the differences are subtle within same model numbers. Will the old 1's he built 20 years ago sound like the brand new 1c, there will be some difference, but listen for yourself and see what you think, don't let some dealer put in your head what you hear.Think about the price of the older Klipsch models out there, Chorus II's, Forte I & II's, Quartet's, it is very hard to find a steal on those units because they sound so freakin good, and those speakers are 25 years old. I could spend hours on the phone with you on the specifics about either brand, but it really comes down to what you hear and will you be happy with them. Good luck with your hunting.

Vandyman (Todd)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi guys, Since I am an owner of Klipsch smalls I guess gives me some leeway in talking about another brand of speakers. I have heard and seen Vandersteen 1s ,2ce sigs and now 3s. On the used market you can get 1s for very decent prices .I recently went to a dealer and they pounded into me that the older 1s and the newer 1s and 2s are different animals and the same goes for their larger 2 and 3 signature models.Has anyone ever hear these particular speakers and to tell you the truth even the 1s kill my Infinity SM112s but since I resurrected my Bose 601s from death those I would keep. The Vandys would be front facing about 7-8' apart and are only wire w/ a single pair unlike all the others that prefer bi-wiring.I still would really like a pair of KLF-20s-30s, Forte 1, or Chorus but again there is really nothing around or people now know what they are worth and bargins are hard to find.So for lets say $200-250 for newer 1s would anyone jump on these. They did sound very neutral w/ enough bass for my apt and could easily be pushed if need to.

For some reason, people are actually willing to buy Bose 601's. They are an acoustically inferior speaker to anything in the Klipsch Heritage line. Perhaps you could sell them, and use that money coupled with the $250 you are already budgeting for your Vand 1's, and get a pair of Cornwalls or better yet, Klipschorns. You won't look back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I a really cnfused as to the question too. I think that you have accepted that at $250, new really is not the way to go. And do not believe anything that a dealer has to say (although I did meet a very good Klipsch dealer recently - Highly reccomended).

If you like the Klipsch sound, in your price range, look for a pair of KG's or I have even seen some smaller RF's on Craigslist in that range.

I think that you are saying that you will keep your 601 instead of the Vandersteins. I grew up with 601 (the original ones) in the house. I never knew what a sound system could do until I bought a pair of JBL's in the late 1980's. The Bose speakers (that have a nice mellow sound) do not resolve much detail, but moreover, they purposely point most of the sound at the walls. This kills what the engineer was trying to do with the recording.

Try any decent conventional speaker out in the room (several feet from each wall) and see what it can do as far as soundstage. Even the system in my office has the speakers dissappear and has a soundstage in the center of my desk.

Enjoy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For some reason, people are actually willing to buy Bose 601's. They are an acoustically inferior speaker to anything in the Klipsch Heritage line. Perhaps you could sell them, and use that money coupled with the $250 you are already budgeting for your Vand 1's, and get a pair of Cornwalls or better yet, Klipschorns. You won't look back.

Good advice. 601's would be good for a garage or game room. I.e. background music.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I a really cnfused as to the question too. I think that you have accepted that at $250, new really is not the way to go. And do not believe anything that a dealer has to say (although I did meet a very good Klipsch dealer recently - Highly reccomended).

If you like the Klipsch sound, in your price range, look for a pair of KG's or I have even seen some smaller RF's on Craigslist in that range.

I think that you are saying that you will keep your 601 instead of the Vandersteins. I grew up with 601 (the original ones) in the house. I never knew what a sound system could do until I bought a pair of JBL's in the late 1980's. The Bose speakers (that have a nice mellow sound) do not resolve much detail, but moreover, they purposely point most of the sound at the walls. This kills what the engineer was trying to do with the recording.

Try any decent conventional speaker out in the room (several feet from each wall) and see what it can do as far as soundstage. Even the system in my office has the speakers dissappear and has a soundstage in the center of my desk.

Enjoy.

KG's are excellent speakers. There are bargains available. I like my KG 4.2's, because all drivers fire in front, and that is what I needed for my custom built entertainment center.

I went back and looked at what 601's are bringing. If you have series I or IV it's $300. Series II are about $500, and Series III are up to $900. I have no idea why series IV are less than II's, but they are vintage. Kind of confusing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

KG's are excellent speakers. There are bargains available. I like my KG 4.2's, because all drivers fire in front, and that is what I needed for my custom built entertainment center.

I went back and looked at what 601's are bringing. If you have series I or IV it's $300. Series II are about $500, and Series III are up to $900. I have no idea why series IV are less than II's, but they are vintage. Kind of confusing.

People are paying $900 for a pair of 601's? I have seen RF83's for that price. The 901s sold new in the 1980's for $1300 and they are still $1300 new.

I try not to play the "for that you can get ten pairs of XX" game, but jeeze, 601's do not do anything well. They just smear everything (as do all Bose speakers - that is what they are designed to do). Think of the effort that is put into room treatment and then think of what these speakers were intentionally designed to do. It is like designing a car to have bad gas mileage, low power and high emissions. They need to change the name from "Direct Reflecting Technology" to "Comb Filtering Transducers."

Sorry, but that is just insane.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Forget what people are getting for the 601sI did really bring them back from death and have only $20 in buying them and then $30 for a refoaming kit ,a couple of bottles of Olde English some labor and these are pretty damn good speakers for what's into them. All the others would go if I could get KLF-30s,Ohm /Walsh 3xos, or Vandersteen SIG 2ce.Again believe me I've been looking and either there is nothing to found in the Klipsch family or the prices are so out of my reach it doesn't pay to even call for a listen.

Guys I'm on dissabilaty and cash doesn't exactly flow like it used to so I have pick and choose very carefully.Many have said instead of buying piecemeal save up and jump on the ones you really want. Well saving and jumping are way to differing factors that do not really go well w/ my situation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sell the Bose 601's and make a few bucks. If your bedget is $250 and you sell the 601's for $300 or more, you can find Fortes.

Alternatively, here are some KG's in your price range:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/KLIPSCH-KG3-VINTAGE-SPEAKERS-MADE-IN-USA-IN-GREAT-COSMETIC-WORKIN-/110978770624?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item19d6d9a6c0

A pair of KG 3.5's sold here recently for $50.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tigerwoodkorns,

Look it appears you come from Nevada were the per capita of people is like 20 to 70000k to me on the east coast. Now goof all you want about the Bose brand and I also do but the 601s were a good design for it's time and there is a setting where if you want to bounce the sound off the wall it allows you and conversely turn the switch and you have 2 -8'' firing woofers w/ tweeter array that for my apt works well. I do not have a great room or even a larger living room so what it produces is fine until 5.5 or Fortes come

in.For those paying top $ for these models I agree they are nuts but if you read my post I do not have that much $ into them and better resurrected than so much fire wood.Since you seem to be so generous why not send me a set of Fortes. or Chorus's,what can't afford to do that well I can't either.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most of the time people on this forum encourage our fellow forum members. This is one of the things that makes belonging to the Klipsch forum so great over some of the other forums. I remember all of the questions that I had when I first joined and everyone was so kind and helpful even if it sounded trivial.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tigerwoodkorns, Look it appears you come from Nevada were the per capita of people is like 20 to 70000k to me on the east coast. Now goof all you want about the Bose brand and I also do but the 601s were a good design for it's time and there is a setting where if you want to bounce the sound off the wall it allows you and conversely turn the switch and you have 2 -8'' firing woofers w/ tweeter array that for my apt works well. I do not have a great room or even a larger living room so what it produces is fine until 5.5 or Fortes come in.For those paying top $ for these models I agree they are nuts but if you read my post I do not have that much $ into them and better resurrected than so much fire wood.Since you seem to be so generous why not send me a set of Fortes. or Chorus's,what can't afford to do that well I can't either.

Leftwing,

Please do re-read my post. I was not attacking your decision to buy the 601s. But I am shocked that people are willing to pay $900 for a design that was severely flawed at its inception and is still flawed today.

There were much better speakers available when the 601's were out (JBL Century, Klipch Heritage line, Polk SDA's, the list goes on and on). I am not just Bose bashing, I grew up with a pair of 601s and thought that they were awesome when I was a kid. I then realized how flawed they were, and are, when I bought a pair of JBL's. It is amazing what happens when you point the speakers in the listener's general direction, you know, the way that every recording is mastered. [:|] Try looking up my reference to comb filtering and you will see why the "direct reflecting" concept is so severy flawed.

You have a minimal investment in your speakers and had fun restoring them. Good, it was probably a fun project, I happen o like to restore speakers too, that is why I am here. Now flip the 601s and make some profit for your time, and put the money in the very affordable KG speakers that I suggested or put the money with your original budget and buy the speakers that you said that you wanted. This is an easy solution to your problem. You will be glad that you did.

You came here asking for advice, were given a solution to get you where you want to be, and now are upset. And please do not question my generosity. I have given away Itialian designer suits, really nice furniture, televisions, thousands of dollars in professional services, and yes, even speakers, to people who are my friends. If I had an old pair of Fortes that were not in use and you were a good friend and less fortunate, I would most likely be giving them to you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think I started the whole mess. Sorry man. I certainly didn't mean it the way it was taken.

There is some truth in the discussion. Forte's or Quartets many times sell for $400. Not far away in price especially if the 601s were sold. Compared to many other speakers in their size range, are keepers. For smaller to moderate rooms, the only time you ever see them come up for sale is when doing home theater and you want 100% matching speakers or for decor - the boss wants the speakers out of there and put in those little cubes. [:(]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Leftwingerguy57, I don't drop in here often but this one caught my attention. You are recieving pure gold treatment here having brought up Bose! Seriously, and sincerely. Amar and Paul theoretically are are like Stalin and Lincoln within this forum and I've rarely seen any mention of Bose receive this level of courtesy. If you took this our to 2 Channel...O, please don't! [6]

To each his own...

Hang around. As has already been mentioned, this is probably the most civilized audio forum anywhere, as well as the most tolerant...except for anything Bose!

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi guys, Since I am an owner of Klipsch smalls I guess gives me some leeway in talking about another brand of speakers. I have heard and seen Vandersteen 1s ,2ce

sigs and now 3s. On the used market you can get 1s for very decent prices .I recently went to a dealer and they pounded into me that the older 1s and the newer 1s and 2s are different animals and the same goes for their larger 2 and 3 signature models.Has anyone ever hear these particular speakers and to tell you the truth even the 1s kill my Infinity SM112s but since I resurrected my Bose 601s from death those I would keep. The Vandys would be front facing about 7-8' apart and are only wire w/ a single pair unlike all the others that prefer bi-wiring.I still would really like a pair of KLF-20s-30s, Forte 1, or Chorus but again there is really nothing around or people now know what they are worth and bargins are hard to find.So for lets say $200-250 for newer 1s would anyone jump on these. They did sound very neutral w/ enough bass for my apt and could easily be pushed if need to.

I don't have much time, or many posts on this site compared to some. Had a pair of 1977 Bose 601's that I bought when I finally started to get into stereo's a few years ago. To be honest I'd have to rate them at the bottom of the speakers I own, or have owned. I would like to speak for the fellow members of this site. They have been very helpful with my ignorant questions, (Ignorance means I don't know, stupid means I know better and did it anyway). Bought a set of K Horns from one gentleman on this site, and am in the process of buying some more speakers and gear from another gentleman also on this site. Sometimes I get a little teasing, but laughter is good for us. I'd suggest listening to the advice, keep a stiff upper lip for any jesting that you may receive. I have not seen many people give the others a seriously hard time unless they had it coming. There are exceptions, but it is not too common, Then when it got too bad, Amy would come along with her big stick and shut the thread down. This is rare!............Taz [;)]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...