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http://www.soundstageultra.com/inde...mk-ii-loudspeakers-and-m7-hpa-mono-amplifiers
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Vandersteen 7 mk2 and Vandy Amp Review
- Thread starter Mike
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Melbguy1
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+ 1 :thumbsup:. They are great speakers for sure. That speaker/amp combo is about $160kAUD in Australia with the prevailing exchange rate, so only for the lucky few! Still they are a relative bargain at their price point, being well under the price of the M3's and being a semi-active speaker.
Rnrmf
Member
At the NY Audio Show, a few years ago, the Vandersteen 7 Mk2 was the most beguiling room I sat and listened in.
It was unbelievably natural sounding to my ears.
It was unbelievably natural sounding to my ears.
Melbguy1
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If you like natural sounding gear, i'd recommend checking out Jorma Design cables from Sweden which are the most natural sounding cables i've heard (though I haven't heard them all).
Rnrmf
Member
I'll look into them, thanks!
It's not unusual for me to listen to the Vandy 7 speakers and amps for six to ten hours at a time. Sometimes I even listen right through the night until morning. There is truly zero listening fatigue. Just an effortless and and natural sound that allows total immersion in the music. Hands down the best purchase I ever made.
Best,
Ken
Updates to the Model 7 are being rolled out. The 7 XTRM is the new nomenclature. I wonder if Richard is offering the ability to get the updates for the original 7 owners.
From the Vandersteen site:
Model Seven XTRM
IT'S ALL IN THE TIMING The Model 7 XTRM continues a tradition to push time and phase correct audio reproduction to the ultimate extreme. With new pistonic side-firing drivers, matched to the patented mid-range and tweeter, the XTRM manages to bring further clarity and harmonic accuracy in a way that surprised the designers and the expert listening board. Give yourself a treat and take a listen soon.
From the Vandersteen site:
Model Seven XTRM
IT'S ALL IN THE TIMING The Model 7 XTRM continues a tradition to push time and phase correct audio reproduction to the ultimate extreme. With new pistonic side-firing drivers, matched to the patented mid-range and tweeter, the XTRM manages to bring further clarity and harmonic accuracy in a way that surprised the designers and the expert listening board. Give yourself a treat and take a listen soon.
The last time I spoke with Richard, he said the Model 7 Mk2 would be upgradable to the Model 7 XTRM. I haven’t spoken with him recently about it but if he is doing the upgrade, it would be interesting to know the cost.
Ken
Dre_J
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Call your dealer next week. They should have the upgrade cost and logistics information or be able to get it by that time or a bit later.
Dre
I’ll probably give them a call to see the upgrade cost but I honestly doubt I will do it. I don’t see enough improvement in the design to warrant a $20K increase in speaker price. They moved from two 12 inch aluminum opposing slot mounted subwoofers to two 11 inch ribbed aluminum side mounted subwoofers. Having the subwoofers on the sides of the cabinet will increase output but will also increase sidewall interactions. If they had made the subwoofer cones from a carbon-balsa-carbon sandwich, I would have been much more interested. They also added a base to the cabinet, which can already be purchased as an accessory. I passed on that because my speakers are already spiked to a concrete slab and at the optimum listening height.
Ken
- Thread Author
- #14
Good summary. Makes sense. Surprised no carbon-balsa-carbon sandwich. That would have made sense.
I don’t see Richard pushing the design envelope like he did in the past and going for more economical solutions over more substantive changes. Paper cone sandwich subwoofers in the Sub9 Subwoofers and a basic reshuffling of the Model 7 design don’t really do it for me.
Ken
Dre_J
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Ken,
I'm assuming you are addressing the post to me since you replied to my answer to your interest about update pricing. That response of mine was focused on providing that helpful answer alone.
The rest of your post is mostly a subjective personal choice and I really have no response for you as it is your decision (as it is for others who decide) to update or not or just buy new.
Without getting into personal choice territory I generally don't venture into because it is personal:
The subwoofer arrangement changes are more involved than what little has been mentioned about moving them to the side in the brief few sentences you have shared. That's ok.
Others can seek out my review of the Kento Carbon at the TAS website (here: Vandersteen Audio Kento Carbon Loudspeaker - The Absolute Sound ) to get an idea of the new subwoofer arrangement now integrated into the new Model Seven XTRM and the improvements brought with this new approach (which includes broader frequency response adjustments and even better integration for more room configurations).
I do not believe sidewall interaction (every speaker has that) at low subwoofer frequency mentioned would suddenly become an issue if one understands the powered bass system's adjustability in the new XTRM arrangement.
My understanding of the Bedrock base plate is that it couples/attaches directly to the speaker thus providing more damping and structural rigidity vs sitting on a slab of material or just a concrete floor with spikes between the speaker and said material. Those scenarios are not the same conditions and the results are different with one being the structural improvements directly to the speaker and the other not.
Again this response is not directed at you in opposition because subjective choice is a personal decision. The additional information is for others to consider and investigate as I know there is more to this than broadly mentioning woofer placement change on the speaker and the issue of spikes on concrete.
Regardless of whether one chooses to update or not, their Model Seven is still as good a speaker as it was the the day it was bought and enjoyed every day since that time.
Dre
Hi Dre,
Actually I wasn’t looking for a response from you so my apologies for responding directly to your post. For the record, I have been extremely satisfied with my Vandersteen 7 Mk2’s since I purchased them five years ago as everyone knows on this forum due to dozens of highly complimentary posts over the years. As for the Model 7 XTRM, I’ve already listened to the System 9 Bedrock Base extensively, and while it is far better integrated than placing the speaker on a granite slab, I didn’t hear any material improvement over my current setup. While I don’t know all the ins and outs of the new subwoofer design, what I’ve seen so far doesn’t excite me. For these reasons I won’t be doing the upgrade.
Ken
Actually I wasn’t looking for a response from you so my apologies for responding directly to your post. For the record, I have been extremely satisfied with my Vandersteen 7 Mk2’s since I purchased them five years ago as everyone knows on this forum due to dozens of highly complimentary posts over the years. As for the Model 7 XTRM, I’ve already listened to the System 9 Bedrock Base extensively, and while it is far better integrated than placing the speaker on a granite slab, I didn’t hear any material improvement over my current setup. While I don’t know all the ins and outs of the new subwoofer design, what I’ve seen so far doesn’t excite me. For these reasons I won’t be doing the upgrade.
Ken
FWIW, I found that the addition of the granite bases to my original Model 7s was significant. I found it brought everyone more into focus, especially the bass which got much tighter. It was money well spent in my system.
My listening room is carpeted on a concrete slab.
My listening room is carpeted on a concrete slab.
sb6
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There are many paper based coned drivers that are excellent (and many exotic material drivers that sounded horrible), I wouldn't look at that as a negative. Also, looks like they are implementing what Vivid Audio and Martin Logan along with Kef have been doing for years - opposing-side mounted drivers creating a counterforce that cancels each driver’s potential for adding cabinet vibrations. Plus the EQ improvements for better sub to driver integration. Plus the base decoupling mentioned. You may be oversimplifying the upgrades and ultimately hearing is believing.
I already have opposing 12 inch subwoofers that cancel cabinet vibrations and integrate beautifully with the 7 inch carbon balsa sandwich lower midrange/woofer. And I’ve listened to the granite base which didn’t provide material sonic improvement over spiking to my concrete slab (I don’t play at higher volume levels). I will probably listen to the new model when I get the opportunity but I highly doubt I’ll bite. I’m not saying it doesn’t sound better, I’m sure it does. But it would take a significant improvement for me to upgrade my current model.
Ken