Welcome to my De-compression Chamber. This is where I go to relax and enjoy music or movies when I can find the time.
*MUSIC comes First, with stereo being my primary listening mode. Surround and movies are secondary...but not by much. The system is better for movies than any theater I've ever been to. The system was designed with a few primary goals in mind. I've listed these goals below in no particular order as they're all critical to me.
Audiophile Criteria: *Full Range Main Speakers *Very good Pace, Rhythm & Timing *Zero Listener Fatigue *As upgradable as possible wherever it makes sense *Even, natural sound. Meaning, no parts of the sound or imaging are emphasized over others unless that's how the recording was mastered. *The entire system had to be time and phase aligned. (Yes, it makes a big difference.) This is a much bigger deal to me the more I listen. Non-Time Aligned speaker systems have a leading edge to the highs that I find fatiguing and un-natural. *Precise imaging without exaggeration or loss of micro or macro dynamics.
Hi Chadnliz, the 5As and Quatros are very different and will appeal to different people. Go with what you hear and like. As for amps...the best amp I've heard that's easily bought nowadays is the Audio Research Reference 110. It's simply amazing. The BEL amps are just too hard to get new now to recommend readily.
I've been seeing ads for BEL amps lately (Wanted and For Sale). Since there aren't many dealers I thought I'd clarify for everyone "what the deal is" with these amps. *The current version is Mk V *Any amplifer from Mk II up can be upgraded to Mk V. *ANY Mk V...whether original or upgraded IS a Mk V. There is no reason for anyone to value a new or upgraded amp differently based solely on sonic virtues. *All BEL amps sound slightly different unless matched at the factory as a pair (or multiples). The reason for this is very simple. They are all hand made and *hand tuned*. *Upgraded amps are essentially re-manufactured and re-tuned by Richard. Therefore, they ARE a Mk V. *New amps take 3 months or more to order and are pre-sold. (Yes, there's a waiting list.) *Upgrades once sent in can take 3-5 months as you're essentially waiting for Richard to re-manufacture your amp by hand. There is no assembly line for this. It's all his "hand" time on the amp. *Upgrades are performed solely at Richard's whim. The waiting list is over 1 year long. The only way around this is to buy a new one and ask him to match the old amp(s) to the new one. *If you don't have his interconnect and speaker cables, but you have his amp, you haven't heard what it's capable of. They are all part of one system...and it works. *If you have the amp and want all you can get from it you need to buy a Symposium Ultra stand for it. This is the final component and completes the amp. All BEL amps are tuned on one. It will make a significant improvement in the sound of one.
Hope this helps everyone. If you have any questions please feel free to email me.
I've had no problem cranking the 5As at all. I don't do it often, but it's a lot of fun for The WHO concert on DVD. ;-) The Quatros are fine too. It's more dependant on your amp in this case than the speakers. That said, they aren't concert/PA speakers either so I understand why you ask.
As for tonal character...both are very neutral IMHO. Again, your system will make the difference here more than anything. If you're looking for "warmth" or forgiveness I'd use tubes like you are. That's a very personal choice though and will be clearly revealed by both speakers.
The difference in the bass is not subtle. The 5As are simply the best I've ever heard. The Quatros are VERY good, but can't do what the 5As do. Top to bottom, pitch definition, speed, etc. the 5As are better. This carries through into the mid bass and mids/highs on the 5As. I consider the Quatros to be as good in most respects as the original 5s. The bass is the exception. The original 5s are still better there.
I hope this helps! I'm curious...why all the questions about Vandersteens? You have a terrific system already!
Feel free to drop me a line off the list if you like.
After discussing my experience with the Theta amps with other Theta owners I've learned that the amps I auditioned were not broken in fully. Apparently they need much more time than I had. So, if you have any interest in them make sure the amps you audition have at least 400-700 hours on them and that they have been warmed up for 3 days. I know that seems crazy, but I trust my friends experience. Next time I can borrow a pair of Citadels or Enterprise amps I will let you know. Cheers!
Model 2Ce Signatures: WOW! It's been a while since I brought these downstairs and spent..oh, maybe 2 minutes...setting them up. Well it was worth it! These speakers have no business being this good. Good enough that if I didn't have the other speakers I'd stop here. Simply put, they're seamless and have some of the best sound staging I've ever heard. The price is just silly too. Anyway, I'm going back down to listen again tonight and can honestly say I don't miss my 5As THAT much. ;-)
Anway, if you happen to be looking for giant killers these are them. They image better than any Magnepans I've ever heard and have better bass, etc. to boot.
Sorry for the rant...at least I kept it in my system thread..so no flames please! :-)
For those of you wondering why I run BEL amps in mono when they're so good in stereo: I had to re-assemble my system due to construction so I decided to try the 5As with a single amp. The sound was great with magnificent center focus and a sound field that was fairly large. Smooth, with good timbre and pitch. Micro dynamics and detail were all good. Moving to the monoblock configuration was a BIG step up. It surprised me to be honest. The sound stage was HUGE. It really opened up from to back and on the sides especially. The sound was smoother and more natural. Definitely more satisfying overall. While not twice as good it was very very convincing. Cheers!
Hi Downunder, what do you mean by loud? Are we talking 90db or what? Personally, I find that I don't need to turn up the volume to get the detail and music out of the speakers. However, I do rock the house anyway sometimes. You'll find that the clarity is astonishing at any level. However, you will not get ear bleed continuous levels from them like concert speakers with horns. They go plenty loud for home use though. Plus, I don't want to damage my hearing so I typically listen in the 80-90db range. Does that answer your question?
I love the gloss black. I compared them to a bunch of other finishes and chose them for 2 reasons. First, they perform an optical illusion and appear smaller than they really are. Second, I can have them re-finished if they become damaged to "as new" without a problem. Wood, once damaged, cannot be repaired really. Since this has already happened due to a shipping incident my logic has been proven right. As for scratching, I haven't had any with normal dusting. YMMV. Regarding Cherry, I like the high gloss and satin finish. It's personal preference if you want a gloss on the wood. I suggest you match it with your decor and not worry about it. I'm sure you'll enjoy them! Cheers, Michael
To add to the music that has been truly outstanding is the David Gilmour in Concert DVD. Through the Gen VIII in PCM stereo it's simply amazing. The imaging coming from the system could easily be mistaken for surround sound. It was like being there!
Using just the Gen VIII as the source and preamp now I've had a chance to dive into my music collection to see how the system sounds. The verdict is in: old and new recordings sounds superb! Full, natural, plenty of PRAT and impact too! Smooth, detailed (but not analytical) and zero fatigue. I'm VERY happy.
High points: Pink Floyd, The Wall Live Concert; James Taylor, Pull Over (DVD); The Pretenders, Isle of View (track 14 builds and builds and builds...amazing!).
I'll be running more music through of course, but this is the best I've heard in a home yet. I've only heard one system that was better...and it was not for sale (custom speakers and a MUCH more expensive front end).
I'm always open to suggestions. If you have any please let me know. Otherwise, I'm probably going to pause here and just enjoy the music. ;-)
I decided to go back and re-evaluate the jumpers in the system. In the end, it was apparent that the Q no longer needed to change when using the Gen VIII alone. Also, they add a fullness to the sound that goes beyond digital. Truly an analog like sound. In summary: the BEL jumpers with the BEL speaker cables are better than bi-wire with the BEL speaker cables. Oh, and it's a less expensive set up...NICE!
Well, the filters did the trick! They're different in sound from the Vandersteen HP filters. Without them both in hand for a head to head. My guess is that the Vandersteen is a sligtly more analytical/detailed sound where the BEL filter is more slightly more subtle and natural....YMMV.
On another note, I disconnected the Gen VIII from the CBIII and am using it alone now for 2 channel. Let's just say I no longer have a hankering for starting a vinyl collection. Yes, it's that good. I'd put it up against a similarly priced LP playback system with no regrets. You would simply have to spend more IMHO to get better sound. Also, the Theta would be more consistent, act as a preamp...and not require all the LPs. I'm very impressed.
Just added the BEL High Pass Filters to try out in the system. Will post my findings soon. (They will be used in place of the Theta digital filters for eval.)
System edited: Howdy! I finally added in the final balanced digital interconnect to the system. This gives me a full balanced cable set all the way through from transport through CBIII and into the Gen VIII. The other item I added is the newest version of the BEL jumper cables. Having the digital cables being balanced has made a significant improvement in my system due to the Theta being optimized for balanced operation. The audible differences are: improved texture and clarity, deeper sound stage, more resolution from top to bottom. Although not a huge improvement, it was easily noticed and welcome. Going from bi-wiring to the new jumpers was interesting. The jumpers improved the bass in two ways. First, there was simply more of it coming through. Second, there was better definition and texture. I actually had to turn the Q down a notch! The changes we easily noticed in the mid range as well which prompted me to lower the Q. Essentially, there was so much more bass and articulation that it was muddying the midrange. This is normal with too much Q in my system. When I made the change in Q the improvement was readily audible even from behind the speaker. As things break in I'll let you know if anything changes. So far though I'm very happy with these incremental improvements. Next I'll be getting another pair of BEL High Pass filters to try again in the system. They're less expensive than the Vandersteen versions and will hopefully sound just as good. More on that later...
System edited: Got the Quatros in and tuned the other day. WOW! Once you get the bass tuned they come alive. There is no question that they sound better than the 3A Signatures. None at all. They sound amazing. The mids and highs are superb...reminiscent of the Model 5s. In fact, I'd say they are about 85% as good as the original 5s were. The differences are in the bass where they simply can't beat the 5s subwoofer. They also don't have the same ability to stay silent between notes that the 5s have. Last, they still don't have the transparency and level of natural sound they had. The Model 5As are still twice as good...especially as you listen longer. This may seem damning by faint praise, but you have to have a pair of 5s I guess to understand how glowing this really is. Understand, this is the smallest speaker I've ever heard that's dead flat in the room at 31hz. That, and they play with a clarity and engagement that very few speakers can equal at any price. Take a look at the pictures and you'll understand how small they seem. When they play they totally disappear from the sound stage. I'm very impressed by Richard's latest handy work. Anyway, that's my latest (heavily biased) opinion. YMMV, Michael
News Flash! I'll have Vandersteen Quatros in the next 3 business days. Once I have them in house, burned in and playing I'll let you know how they sound.
Quick Update: I finally got the balanced digital interconnect into the system last night. (I finally installed an auxilliary digital input board.) Going from the CBIII to the Gen VIII with the new connection made a significant improvement all around. The largest benefits being clearer vocals, better PRAT and an overall more natural sound. I've ordered a new glass fiber Toslink cable to try as well from the transports. Depending on how it sounds I'll use it or balanced digital interconnects from now on as they also improve the sound. The Levinson's coax connection is a little heavy sounding compared with the AES/EBU. The Theta Carmen is significantly different. It goes from a bit edgy and digital to smooth and musical. Once I've completed the final tests I'll post again on my findings. Cheers, Mike
Well, I've finally had a chance to listen to the system more. The Gen VIII has given it a significantly better reolution and natural sound than it had before. I had originally thought that it may be a hair polite, but what I'm finding is that it really has no signature I can pin down. That said, it's not an agressive sound no matter how you cut it. I've played all types of music from classical to Zeppelin and it all sounds great. Functionally, it has been working fine. No issues. Regarding the Phantom Center: If it's only me, I listen with Phantom. If there are more people there, then the CC is definitely the way to go. Cheers, Mike
Ok, here are some initial impressions: *The Gen VIII is sublime. All the music and detail is there, but it's not forward. I'm still getting used to it...and it's a great job to have. ;-) *There were several comments about the Phantom Center Channel option being better than the Center Channel. I'm finding that depending on the recording there are three major options. First, straight stereo. Second, Surround mode of choice with CC. Third, Surround mode of choice with Phantom Center. All sound great, but one will normally sound better than the others. Sometimes, it's a draw and they're just different. Luckily, with the CBIII I can have all the major options programmed into the "inputs" and toggle between them. Lots of fun! *I'm VERY happy with the system. The Gen VIII is slaved to the CBIII for power and volume now. So everything is easy to use. The sound is unbelievable.
The Gen VIII has arrived and is warming up/burning in now. The new surround card with DTS NEO 6 is awesome (CBIII)! I watched finding Neverland last night and had a great time.
System edited: I'm adding a Theta Gen VIII to the system next week. It will be slaved to the Casablanca III. I'll let you know how it goes. At the same time I will be installing the new surround sound board for the CBIII as part of it's CBIII Upgrade. More on how that improves the system soon too.
Quick Review of the Citadels: Based on what my guests heard in my system with the Citadels they liked them very much. They were especially good on live rock such as Santana and Led Zeppelin. Plenty of power, very stable, no problems at all, very quiet too. Highly recommended if you like live rock music.
No, they won't be replacing my BELs. If you can afford them, I highly recommend listening to the BELs and the Thetas to see which you prefer. You won't have any problem hearing the differences.
Just got in a pair of Theta Citadels for audition. Beautiful looking amp with amazing build quality. Will be trying it with different cables and speaker tuning to see what I can get out of them.
The speakers were recalibrated by my dealer the other day. That included moving them to a better spot as well as playing with the controls on the back. The effect has been eye opening. They were great before... Now they're better. A problem I had run into with the Casablanca's software had necessitated a different position for them in the room. With that ironed out in the upgrade they really sing now! I think I'm going to leave things alone for a while and just enjoy. Cheers, Mike
System edited: I brought the Model 2Ce Signatures downstairs the other day to listen to them with the new improvements to he Casablanca. WOW! They were amazing! I was truly shocked at how good they sounded. I still can't get over how revealing theses speakers are and how little they cost. Unbelievable...
System edited: Howdy! I just upgraded to the Casablanca III. The performance of the unit has improved dramatically! This is a bigger sonic upgrade than when we went from the CBI to the CBII. It's quieter, textures really come through, tones are more true and the controls are much easier to use now that they have no delay. Last, the macro and micro dynamics are VASTLY improved. If you're a Casablanca owner you owe it to yourself to do this upgrade! The system has really come to life with this change and the upgrade to Model 5A speakers. I'm finally getting to hear what the 5As are capable of.
Hi, the rear channels are actually on the sides in front of the listening position a bit. It's not ideal, but there was no place to put them otherwise. Performance and imaging are 8.5 out of 10 so I'm pretty happy. If I had a place for them I'd have put them slightly behind the listening position on the side walls. Thanks, Mike
Quick Update - Spent Sunday night finishing "Phase One"...
Here's the list of what it takes to tune the Model 5As (in brief): 1. Play a few select cuts of music until you get the places (with sub amps off) in the best spot for mid-bass through highs for imaging and tonal accuracy. 2. Adjust the speakers for tilt. 3. Plug in the amps 4. Begin bass tuning - a. Make sure all 11 adjustments in the back are in "neutral positions". b. Determine volume level by measuring to see where the 11 pots have half above and half below 75bd (using a Radio Shack Meter) c. Begin adjusting the pots on the back to "flatten" out the bass response below 120hz. The goal is to reduce the variance...not to truly make it flat. d. Adjust the Q level for the bass to where you like it best. (Tonal richness without bloat.) 5. Listening Tests to see if you got it all right...or, if you need acoustic treatments. Which I do. ;- )
So that was about 2 and a half hours of work for 2 people...
The sound is...well...really good. Rich, but not bloomy, detailed without etch, extended without fatigue. Anyway, you get the picture.
So while the system is now "tuned" I don't feel I'm getting the best from the current setup. I'll be working with my dealer on acoustic treatments and some more tuning refinements. That will be Phase Two.
The speakers are mostly broken in now after over 100 hours of play time. I've put them back where they used to reside as Model 5s in the interest of saving time. I sat down and gave them a serious listening last night (finally). They're definitely much improved over the 5s. Without final placement or tuning they're still much richer and detailed than the 5s. I can definitely hear where the bass tuning is needed too. The textures and increased information I'm getting now is simply amazing. I wouldn't have though my modest front end could provide this much music! Before I do a final set up and tuning I'm going to look into some room acoustic tuning for the ceiling corners behind the speakers. I think that will make the room more flexible for the voicing...hopefully allowing me to move the speakers to a better spot in the room for bass. We'll see. Once I've got all that in place I'll let you know how it went. Cheers, Mike
Got the speakers un-boxed and set up (roughly) on Friday. They are burning in now with the radio playing 24hrs/day. The few things I've put in for half-hearted listening confirmed my previous listening session notes on how good the 5As sound. My girl-friend says they're 30-50% better that the old Model 5s...and that's before they're broken in and tuned! (She has a music back ground and a great ear for the changes.) Most notable of all the changes is the richness and increased information that comes through the speaker now. Piano really has the richness of piano now. Before, it was close...now it's almost as good as the real thing. More soon!
System edited: Howdy! My Vandersteen Model 5As finally arrived back today from being upgraded. I'll be unpacking them and burning them in starting this weekend. Stay tuned for updates... Cheers, Mike
Spoke to the factory and everything has been worked out with the shipper. So the speakers are being re-finished now and should ship in about 2 weeks. When they arrive I'll post about how long break in takes.
Well, we shipped the 5s back to the factory in their original packaging. They arrived a few days later and I got a call from the factory. The speakers were packed perfectly and were in amazing condition. Unfortunately, the shipping company drove a fork lift into them damaging the gloss black finish. :- <
The factory is taking care of the upgrade now as well as a complete re-finishing of the cabinets. Lucky for me that I got the black...at least we don't have to worry about matching wood panels!
Vandersteen has been very communicative and apologetic for the handling of the shipping company. This is the first time they have had this problem so I guess it just goes to show you that sh...t happens.
I'll post again once I have anything of substance to report. I expect them to be finished and on their way back in the next 3 weeks or so.
The 5s are getting packed up today and shipped tomorrow! I'm really excited!! I'll be listening to Model 3A Signatures in the meantime. Should be fun to try them again in my mail system after such a long time with the 5s in the best position... I'll let you know.
Hi All, I'm sending my Model 5s out for upgrade to 5As. Once I have them back (installed and tuned) I'll let you know what I think. So far, I've been really impressed with the sound from them in a couple of systems I've been able to listen to. Cheers, Mike
My room is very irregular behind the listening position. In general, the room is 12.5 ft. wide and approx. 20 ft. long. The ceiling is 8 ft in front of the listening position and just over 7ft behind. The basement isn't perfect, but it does work well now with the treated wall behind the speakers.
System edited: Levinson No. 37 finally back from Service! Well, I was sure it would be an improvement...but it's much better than I had hoped! The No. 37 is simply the best transport I've heard with the only exception being the No. 31.5. The 31.5 differs in that it's slightly more analytical. It shows more of the record engineering than the 37 does. On the flip side the No. 37 grips you and gets you more into the music. I think the Audiophile would prefer the 31.5 by a slight margin. The Music lover would probably prefer the No. 37 because of the way it engages you without bothering you with the last details of how the music was recorded. The sound of the No. 37 is fully fleshed and detailed. It renders piano and stringed instruments beautifully. From the initial attack to the final decay everything is there and natural. The biggest improvement may be in the highs though...cymbals have a new clarity as does brass. I'm still coming to grips with the sound so the final thing I'll add is that the other transports I've heard all render good "black" or lack of sound. The No. 37 simply has no sound there. Only instruments hanging is space with supreme transparency. I finally understand why the reviewers in many cases think it's the equal of the No. 31.5. It is. Yes, despite the fact that it's slightly different. (I'd love to have both!) One side note: I tried this unit in a friends system with a Genesis Digital lens and it clocks perfectly! (0 delays) Also, it sounds better without the Lens or a Theta TLC in-line with it. Just send it in straight! At home I have it hooked up with a Shuyata Python PC and it sits on some Richard Brown amp feet for "isolation". (Please don't ask...I have no idea why they sound better than stock feet on the unit!) If I find a better/more effective way of maximizing the unit I'll let you know. Last, a caution on buying transports...or any gear here on Audiogon. Make sure you have the seller photograch the unit fully prior to shipment. Also, clarify that they are installing the set screw in it and packing it in factory materials. The person I bought from did all of the above supposedly and in fact shipped the unit without the set screw in place, or the full factory shipping materials. Although he has been dropped from Audiogon I was VERY Lucky that Levinson performed a full service on the unit under warranty. I still have some small cosmetic defects that were way too expensive to have fixed. I am pursuing him through the USPS Fraud Division, etc. But, I have no expectations of recouping the cost of repairs. So... Caveat Emptor!
System edited: Just got the Levinson. It was mis-represented by the seller on A-Gon and so I'll have to get back to you on how it sounds when I get it working.
System edited: I've changed my front end significantly (at least as far as the equipment is concerned). The Levinson No.31.5 is being returned after a longer than expected loan. It's being replaced with a Theta DaViD as my primary source from now on. With the Shunyata Python powering it, it's nearly identical to the Levinson. The Theta has a slightly fatter mid-bass but I tuned that out with the Q control on the Model 5s. The picture is significantly better than my Pioneer DV-05 which I had been using for DVDs. I have also removed the PSE pre-amp from the system and sold it. The reason was that the MkV BEL amps simply didn't need the "tone control" of the tubes any longer. It was simply a coloration. My next step is to upgrade to Model 5As if possible. Also, I'm pursuing running balanced out of the Theta Casablanca to the BELs...It involves some custom terminations, etc...I'll let you know if I end up moving forward on this.
To my knowledge I cannot adjust the level of the phantom center with my unit. I'll have to go look. In any case, I did hear the center fill, but the sound sounded processed. I'll get back to you once I've checked for level on the phantom center.
VCC-5 vs. VCC-1: I agree that the VCC5 is significantly better than the VCC-1. I have the VCC-1 upstairs in my living room system and there is a huge difference in sound quality. In fact, if you're running the 3A Sigs. it's worth it to upgrade to the VCC-1 Sig. to match. The VCC-1 matches well with the 1s and 2s. (I'm running 2Ce Sigs. upstairs.)
Phantom Center: I finally tried this and the center channel in phantom didn't work as well in my system as using the center channel. The difference may be directly attributable to the fact that I'm using the Premium DACs and not the XDACs. Thanks for the recommendation!!
System edited: I've removed the PSE HL-1 from the system sicne I have removed it from the signal path. The new BEL MkVs have more resolving power than the MkIVs. So the Theta is now a great source without needing the tubes in between. Apparently the MkIVs needed a bit of roll-off at the frequency extremes to sound right in my system...
Thanks, I haven't yet had a chance to try the phantom center effect yet. I'll try to get to that as soon as I can. I have treated the primary reflections points on the side walls though. You just can't see it in the picture. I zoomed in just enough to edit them out. My next major project is to try re-positioning the speakers for better depth in imaging. Then I'll go through and add a new surround mode for phantom center channel and verify everything at that time. After that I'll begin using the balanced outputs from the Theta. This will be a good improvement in sound. I haven't used them before since my BEL amps are single ended. However, I am looking at new amps (Spectron) and I have just found out that I can run balanced to the BELs as well. So I'll post this as soon as I make the changes.
Since I had the BEL 1001s updated to current Mk V status I've been going through the system tuning it. Last week I reviewed several pre-amps (Aesthetix, Spectron and my PSE). The new Mk Vs made a vast improvement in the sound. I no longer feel the need to use a separate tube/hybrid line stage in line for my main 2-channel sound. The system is finally capable of resolving all the Theta can dish out. So if you know anyone looking for a great pre-amp with new tubes (PSE HL-1) please let me know. I'll be posting it next week when I get a chance. BTW, the PSE came in a close second to the Aesthetix. It has just a bit of bloom and just a bit of softening of the attack in comparison to the Theta. The Aesthetix sounded like it wasn't there at all! In the end, the system can only sound as good as the source though.
The egg crate foam is actually an acoustic tile all over the rear wall. It's attached by velcro to a 1/2 inch plywood false wall with a 1/4 inch air gap to the regular wall. I need this to insulate my room from the neighbor in the condo next door. It works VERY well.
The overall effect is a much, much quieter room that is not dead. There is still a natural sound to it. I'd like to add some corner tunes to the corners over the speakers at some point to see if they make any improvement too.
The few left over bits from making the wall were used to help quiet down the noisy Pioneer DVD player. Nothing fancy...
The Vandersteens are time and phase aligned. So killing the rear and side reflections help to clean up the sound. Unlike planar speakers where you want some reflection you can do away with it in this context. I don't use the rear tweeter at all on the Model 5s.
Good luck fixing up your room! I suggest working with a local custom installer from the store you purchased your system from to get help tuning it.
I agree that it's worth waiting for the CBII Six Shooter. However, I'm not convinced there will be a digital output for SACD and DVD-A anytime soon. So I'm not waiting. I'm considering the LINN UNIDISK instead.
As for 2WQs for the rears, I will most likely not do that in my room right now since I have no place for them. If I end up upgrading to XDACs I may use the other V2W I have for them instead. I'm sure it would make an improvement, but the filtering I'm doing now is working well, plus the VSM Signatures are a little better in the bass dept. than the normal ones due to the matching of the components.
I have never tried phantoming the center as you mention. I'll try that this Sunday and see how it goes. Thanks for the recommendation!
Thanks for the input on the XDACs. I'm on the fence regarding them. I'm going to wait until I can do some serious A/B tests with other sources before I decide what to do.
I tuned the bass on the Model 5s last night and the result was as expected. The bass is now +/- 3db in room at my listening position. The results of this leveling are widespread though. Essentially, it cleaned up the bass, mids and highs. Everything is cleaner and clearer without any muddiness or haze. Also, the imaging is a bit clearer and much smoother as things pan around. All in all, it was a very worthwhile tweak! This is one of the major things that sets thes speakers apart from the rest.
System edited: I just got done moving the Model 5s to a much better position on the room. The original location had great frequency response (+or- 3db in room at my listening chair) but it wasn't great for imaging. So after months of experimentation I'm going to recalibrate the bass tonight. The imaging is already spot on. You know you get it right when all of the out of phase tracks are actually out of phase and doing strange things like moving through your head, around the back or sides and then up over your head... The frequency response is good, but will be much better once the bass is calibrated. I'll post the results, hopefully with the in room frequency response graph as well.
Thanks! Richard has actually been over to hear the system when I hosted a Vandersteen seminar several months ago. He certainly liked the system. Luckily, so did the guests who came to meet Richard and listen to his systems set up in my home. The 5s are truly amazing in this home theater. Having stereo subs plus the .1 channel helps, but the main improvement is in intelligibility and imaging. They're perfectly matched with the VCC-5 which sits on a wall mounted TV stand an inch or so above the TV. The normal image height is right where the VCC-5 sits so it all blends perfectly with no trace of the Center Channel being out of place or localized. Having the coaxial drivers in all of the speakers except the 5s free you up to place them in some non-optimal locations too since they image better off-axis than normal driver arrays. Anyway, if you have any questions feel free to ask! Suggestions are welcome too. ;- ) Cheers, Mike
