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.

mikej April 28, 2004 00:02

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.

mikej April 14, 2004 15:16

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

mikej April 06, 2004 22:49

Finally had a chance to hear the Levinson 37 in Mikej's system. Wow! It definitely added authority, pace, and overall realism. And the previous transport that I heard in the system was a Levison 31.5. Add me to the list of people who think that the 37 betters the 31.5 in the magic of playing tunes!

jimburger March 30, 2004 18:11

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.

mikej December 31, 2003 13:58

What are your room dimensions?

pubul57 December 30, 2003 09:13

My jaw dropped when Mikej inserted his Levinson 37 into my system. Aside from the Lens and the TLC, my 2 channel music system consists of the Rotel 1070CD(transport only), Theta DS PRO Basic IIIa DAC, Classe DR 5 line preamp, & Classe 25 poweramp into Maggie 1.6QR with Vandersteen 2WQ subwoofer. The 37 elevated my system to an incredible level. It simply rocked, cajoled, sweettalked, and just took command of my music system. It left me wondering how I was going to beg, borrow, or steal enough funds to get my own 37. It is THAT good! It is truly magic. I have not heard it at Mikej's yet but I am looking forward in the near future.

jimburger December 22, 2003 18:18

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!

mikej December 22, 2003 13:57

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.

mikej October 21, 2003 15:35

System edited: Yet another change...I got a Carmen II to replace the David I had. It's a better transport in all ways than the David!

mikej September 02, 2003 14:27

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.

mikej July 15, 2003 12:34

Well, I checked and the Premium DACS have no Phantom Center level adjustment. It must be unique to the XDACs.

mikej June 30, 2003 13:24

setup/input/config/cen/cfg --set this to phantm

setup/input/config/cen/phlvl -- to change the phantom level -- set it to whatever level you had for the center speaker in setup/input/lvls

[email protected] June 21, 2003 09:31

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.

mikej June 20, 2003 17:34

I am not sure about the xdac vs superior dac as being the reason. Were the center and the phantom center level matched?

If they were, what exactly did you like better about the discrete center?

Thanks.

[email protected] June 20, 2003 16:02

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.)

mikej June 20, 2003 13:15

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!!

mikej June 18, 2003 13:26

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...

mikej June 14, 2003 12:50

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.

mikej June 02, 2003 15:24

Hi Mike, did you try the phantom center yet? Let me know the results if you did. Thanks.

[email protected] June 01, 2003 12:04

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.

mikej June 01, 2003 03:31

Yup! Semantics.

The sound wall made a big difference. I could hear them, but they claimed to have never heard me.

mikej May 31, 2003 00:28

Cool. I think you and I are on different wavelengths concerning front and rear though-- you say the tiles are on the rear wall, which I'd call the front wall-- I assume you mean rear as in kill the reflection off the rear of the speaker, where as I mean it as the wall behind you when you are listening. Semantics are fun, eh?

I also meant dead not in the anechoic chamber sense, but dead as in the reduced reflection of sound sense.

Either way, looks like you've got it well thought out. That air gap in behind the plywood is a good idea, too- I bet it keeps your neighbor from throwing things at you over the fence.

pmkalby May 30, 2003 20:07

Hi Pmkalby,

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.

mikej May 30, 2003 15:18

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.

mikej May 30, 2003 15:08