Living Room: Dunlavy SC-III

by daverz on Ever Evolving

Description

I just got my Vandersteen Quatros today. The guys from Stereo Unlimited did a quick checkout with the Vandertones CD and will come back for more complete adjustment when the speakers are settled in.

Until I get my Bryston 3B-SST back from Bryston service, I'm using a pair of cute little Rotel RMB-100 mono amps. I might keep using them; I like the idea really short speaker cables.

The speaker wires shown are homemade in a "true" bi-wire configuration from Streetwires Supercable (14 AWG; hey, it was a pretty blue) and intended for the 3B-SST. Raptor #10 gold barrier spades on the speaker end and Audioquest 5/16" spades on the amp end. Crimped and soldered.

I still have some scraps of Supercable left over for under 3' runs to the Rotel RMB-100s. The Rotels make bi-wiring easy by providing 2 sets of binding posts. These short cables will use #10 ring connectors (just tin) on the speaker side as per RVs preferences and Audioquest 1/4" gold spades on the amp side.

I think after this I need to do some work on noise reduction (I live near a freeway) by adding a second pane to some of my windows.

I had a lot of buyer's remorse after ordering these, and had a lot of time to think about it over the 7 weeks they took to get to my door. $8k speakers!? Are you mad?! But after several hours of listening those anxieties have evaporated. Well, except for being $8k poorer. I'll try to post more about the sound of the speakers after I've lived with them for a few weeks.
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Components Toggle details

    • Rogue Audio M-180
    180W monoblock tube amps. 4 X KT-88 + 2 X 12au7 + 1 X 12ax7 per side.
    • Balanced Audio VK-3iX
    Includes optional phono stage.
    • AURALiC Vega
    With Sanctuary Audio Processor as heart, AURALiC introduces several cutting-edge technology for VEGA: Megahertz upsampling algorithm up-samples all PCM music to 1.5MHz in 32bit; Femto Master Clock provides an ultimate clock precision with jitter only 82 femtoseconds(0.082 picosecond). Binding with other AURALiC's patented technologies such as 'ORFEO Class-A module' and discrete 'Purer-Power™ solution', VEGA will bring high resolution music playback experience to climax.
    • Michell Engineering Gyro SE
    With the power supply upgrade, the Orbe clamp, and tonearm decoupler.
    • SME 309
    Magnesium tonearm with detachable magnesium headshell.
    • Raspberry Pi 3 Model B
    The transport for my Logitech Media Server system, it replaces a Squeezebox Touch.  The Pi runs piCorePlayer.
    • Benz Micro Ace High Output
    An original Benz Micro Ace High Output cartridge (before the "S").  I had put this away, not liking it's overemphatic midrange, but now loaded at 1500 Ohms, it's sounds great.
    • Dunlavy Audio Labs SC-III
    http://www.gammaelectronics.xyz/audio_1998_Jul_dunlavy.html

    https://www.soundstage.com/todd12.htm

Comments 61

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Owner
Please ignore the posts about using the laser level to find the right tilt. The slope of the top of the speaker does not seem to correspond to the tilt needed per the chart in the manual. I was trying to be too clever. Stick to the chart.

I now just use a torpedo level with a digital reading to make sure the speaker is level on my thick carpet, then shim up or done by the number of shims that would be needed from the level position according to the manual's tilt chart. The digital output makes it easier to check that each speaker has the same tilt.

For toe in, I use a ruler and a laser pointer to get a precise angle. When laid along the front top edge of the speaker, the laser should point at the same distance back on the other speaker. I only use a slight toe in to strengthen the center image a bit.

All this fussing would probably not be necessary on thin carpet over flat, level flooring.

daverz

Owner
Sorry I didn't see your question until now.

I think you're right about the bass, but I'd still suggest getting both subwoofers for the Xd system. It would make it easier to smooth out the in-room bass response.

My Xd experience was generally positive, and I have a review up at audioasylum. However, I never could get the right sound for massed strings with the Xds, even with tube rolling. The Vandersteens are really wonderful with massed strings (the Xd system did start out at $6000, so it's not unfair to compare it to the Quatros). I still suspect that just a bit of tweaking with the Xd filter files to bring the upper midrange up a tad would do it, but that'll always be a "what if" with the system discontinued.

daverz

Unless you are listing to organ music, I don't think too much happens at 40hz but I am not an expert by any means. I do know that the low E string (open) of the Fender bass is 41.2hz.

I'm actually curios about your Xd experience.

stearnsn

Owner
I've had a Squeezebox Duet hooked into the system for several weeks and have been really enjoying it. I use an S/PDIF connection from the Squeezebox player to one of the 840C's digital inputs. The music files are on an Ubuntu system in my loft, inside a very quiet Antec case.

I looked into building my own wireless transport based on an embedded Linux platform, but I never saw anything with both wireless networking and digital outputs in such a tiny box.

For classical music, there is some work in setting up the server and then tagging files so they are easier to browse in the Squeezebox remote controller. In fact, I ended up writing my own application to do the tagging as nothing else seems to support custom tags like WORK. But it's nice to have so music available without hunting for a CD. And kudos to Logitech and the Squeezebox community for a flexible system that allows for the 3rd-party plugins needed to accomplish this.

If you're interested in a Squeezebox, I suggest waiting a little while for the newer models that will support high-res files without downsampling.

daverz

Enjoyed reading your comments on your attention to detail in setting up your speakers. Have to tip my hat too you. I would have given it the old college try then sat down to enjoy the music. When it comes to cost, I always keep in mind "the quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten". Nice system , happy listening.

glenfihi

Owner
System edited: I played around a bit with the tilt of the Vandies today. To be honest, while the speakers had pretty good "tone" and awesomely deep and accurate bass, they did not sound up to what I expected from my $8k purchase. They were not very involving most of the time and a bit dull. I started out by just putting 9 spacers to a side, which is supposed to be the vertical position for the Quatros. Turns out neither speaker was level front to back on my carpet in this supposed vertical position. So I used a Craftsmen laser level on top of each speaker (just the bubble level in the top initially) to level out the speakers by changing the number of spacers on each back spike. Once each speaker looked level with the bubble level, I turned on the laser and measured the laser line height in front of the speakers (44.5") and at the listening position. The measurements at the listening position were about right and within about a 1/4" of eachother. Then I reasoned as follows: 35.5" is the optimum listening level when the speakers are vertical. 35" is my ear height in the listening chair. Therefore the tilt should be set so that laser level line is 1/2" down at the listening position as well. So I used the necessary number of spacers on the back spike to make the laser level line match up at the listening postion to 44". The reward was a much more involving 3-D soundstage and sense of presence. The speakers really do sound fabulous now.

daverz

Owner
System edited: The panels are 4" thick ATS Acoustics panels. These have wood frames all around, wood backs, and are very cost effective. These are a psuedo-suede, though now that I have them, I wonder if I wouldn't have preferred a weave fabric. I haven't hung them yet, it requires some drilling into the sheetrock. I have a variety of other room treatments: a couple EchoBusters quarter rounds, two Echobuster panels, some mytheater panels, and some Auralex foam. But I've found that too much of this stuff just dulls the sound.

daverz

Owner
System edited: Got my Bryston 3B-SST back from Bryston US service today. Incredible turnaround, they must have only had it for a day. The Vandersteen high-pass filters need to be readjusted for the input impedance of the 3B-SST, after which I checked the 3dB down point with a voltmeter and some tones from the Vandertones CD (the voltage at 100Hz must be about .707 the voltage at 1000Hz.) Interestingly, the big Bryston seems a little more forward, so I moved my listening postition about a foot back. Soundstage depth is excellent. But this is all with levels unmatched.

daverz

Owner
System edited: Made and installed the shorter speaker cables. This is not bi-amping; the Rotel mono amp has 2 sets of binding posts to facilitate bi-wiring.

daverz

Owner
George told me that they plan to set up a room for the Quatros with Electrocompaniet electronics. I did not get to hear the Quatros with the big BAT tube monoblocks (they were hooked up to CJ electronics), but I did hear the 3As hooked up to the BATs, which I think what really sold me on the Vandersteen line.

These are the first really full range speakers I've ever had. The NHT Xd system I had before, with one subwoofer, was experiencing a deep 40 Hz null in my room, which is probably where a lot of the musical action is in the low bass. So I'm hearing things I've never heard before. The Bis CD of Papa Järvi conducting the Sibelius Four Legends has scary amounts of bass.

daverz

Nice. I spent some time listening to the quatros at stereo unlimited with bat electronics. Nice combination.

sdrenslow

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