Vadersteen expose on the Audiophile industry

[Analogous]

HiFi Legend Exposes the High-End Audio Brands’ Wasteful Practices That’s Costing Audiophiles Millions​

HiFi Legend Exposes the High-End Audio Brands' Wasteful Practices That's Costing Audiophiles Millions

Richard Vandersteen spills the beans on the sneaky audio industry tricks that fool our ears and empty our pockets.

www.headphonesty.com

 

[sachinchavan 15865]

HiFi Legend Exposes the High-End Audio Brands’ Wasteful Practices That’s Costing Audiophiles Millions​

HiFi Legend Exposes the High-End Audio Brands' Wasteful Practices That's Costing Audiophiles Millions

Richard Vandersteen spills the beans on the sneaky audio industry tricks that fool our ears and empty our pockets.

www.headphonesty.com

An article every audiophile should read.

 

[prem]

I wonder what goes into his high end speakers. Vandersteen Model Seven XTRM speakers cost USD 94000.

His top end subwoofer is also USD 24500.

 

[reignofchaos]

Pot calling the kettle black

 

[prem]

Vandersteen sells a System Nine, their highest end speaker for USD 200000. I don’t think there are many speakers in the market which cost more than that.

 

[sachinchavan 15865]

Vandersteen sells a System Nine, their highest end speaker for USD 200000. I don’t think there are many speakers in the market which cost more than that.

The points he makes are all very pertinent. But yes, given those prices one is bound to question the congruence.

 

[prem]

I agree the points are valid. I am sure every textbook will also tell you speakers should be time and phase coherent.

His dig at other high end speakers costing a fortune seemed strange considering what his speakers cost.

I am sure Wilson and Magico speakers are also phase and time coherent.

 

[arj]

Wilson for sure does it and is so does Kharma, Giya etc.

 

[prem]

Model Seven XTRM is not USD 94000 but USD 150000. I stand corrected.

 

[Passive_audio_enthusiast]

I agree the points are valid. I am sure every textbook will also tell you speakers should be time and phase coherent.

His dig at other high end speakers costing a fortune seemed strange considering what his speakers cost.

I am sure Wilson and Magico speakers are also phase and time coherent.

Magico speakers, despite their cost are well engineered. The same is the case for McIntosh amps. You pay for the brand, but your money is not wasted just like many high end brands. I had been to many multiple shows over Europe in the last 10 years and already had chance to demo really high end setups in showrooms here. Sometimes, I wonder, how they are going to convince some buyer with that sound to buy it. But then again there are people who already has every other luxury you can think of and their house needs an audio system that matches their status. So the higher price And Brand Hype is kind of a feature they look for. Many of these systems are just a decoration to their large mansions. So it’s not always about sound.

I think it’s similar to the luxury car business. Functionally there will be lot of cheaper cars that may offer the same level of comfort and even driving pleasure but people still buy them as a status symbol.

 

[rwnano]

Outstanding article and a must read. Thank you for your kindness in posting this

 

[square_wave]

I am a big fan of his lower cost speakers. Models upto the Treo CT. The lower ones like the 3CE and 2CE are outstanding for the performance you get. They wont tick any boxes for people who like the "cabinet bloom" of loudspeakers. But straightforward music reproduction that is time and phase coherent and representation of what is in the recording minus any artefacts and extremely easy on the ears but all the details are present. This is a hard thing to do and Vandys does this so well. Selling speakers that don't have the furniture aspect is a hard-sell too because it is only the performance that makes someone open their wallet. Green mountain audio struggled in this area too.
I think the range upto the Treo CT is his bread and butter.

The Model 1Ci + at around 2k $ does 38Hz – 22.5kHz +/- 3dB. This is a classic in production from 1983. It is things like this that makes that brand so special.

I raise my eyebrows too when you up into the expensive series.

 

[Analogous]

It’s rare for a speaker manufacturer who has a range of products costing $2000 to several thousands to speak out on the issue.
Some of the posts above have rightly called out the apparent incongruence between his statements and the cost of his offerings. Pity the interviewer did not question this.
But I believe his statements on unnecessary costs in design are worth keeping in mind for a majority of audio enthusiasts

 

[arj]

It’s rare for a speaker manufacturer who has a range of products costing $2000 to several thousands to speak out on the issue.
Some of the posts above have rightly called out the apparent incongruence between his statements and the cost of his offerings. Pity the interviewer did not question this.
But I believe his statements on unnecessary costs in design are worth keeping in mind for a majority of audio enthusiasts

That is quite true. There are highly prices speakers with more drivers for the sake of appearing premium and inert material for the sake of marketing than for acoustic reasons
But again this is dark side of consumerism..eg "Kya Aapke toothpaste mein Namak hai" just shows that it is not limited to expensive stuff but the common toothpaste as well

 

[Nitin K]

That is quite true. There are highly prices speakers with mire drivers for the sake of appearing premium and inert material for the sake of marketing than for acoustic reasons
But again this is dark side of consumerism..eg "Kya Aapke toothpaste mein Namak hai" just shows that it is not limited to expensive stuff but the common toothpaste as well

The exclusive high end toothpaste will have charcoal too. But Sona Chandi chyawanprash takes the cake.

In a relative context to the above, leaving aside the cost, do expensive materials like diamond or beryllium tweeters result in much clearer distortion free sound as compared to the mainstream tweeters ?

 

[Analogous]

do expensive materials like diamond or beryllium tweeters result in much clearer distortion free sound as compared to the mainstream tweeters ?

Whatever answers you receive to this question you may need to add some namak to make it palatable.
The number of variables in play make it very difficult to generalise the sound of any audio component in different contexts and settings as we all know (or should know)

The bigger variables are of course:
1. The room
2. Synergy and electronic fit between components
3. The quality and choice of music used to evaluate
4. Quality of Power supplies to the electronic components

And yet we are conditioned to seek absolute generalisations. They are comforting in a world of uncertainty?
The laws of physics and chemistry are probably most reassuring in this regard. The search for extremely lightweight and yet non distorting materials for speaker cones must have inspired some designers to turn to exotic metals and expensive carbon molecules… But how they will sound in my room with my amp, and other electronics etc is impossible to predict beforehand I guess.

Brings to mind an old graffiti:
“All generalisations are untrue, including this one”

 

[Nitin K]

Whatever answers you receive to this question you may need to add some namak to make it palatable.
The number of variables in play make it very difficult to generalise the sound of any audio component in different contexts and settings as we all know (or should know)

The bigger variables are of course:
1. The room
2. Synergy and electronic fit between components
3. The quality and choice of music used to evaluate
4. Quality of Power supplies to the electronic components

And yet we are conditioned to seek absolute generalisations. They are comforting in a world of uncertainty?
The laws of physics and chemistry are probably most reassuring in this regard. The search for extremely lightweight and yet non distorting materials for speaker cones must have inspired some designers to turn to exotic metals and expensive carbon molecules… But how they will sound in my room with my amp, and other electronics etc is impossible to predict beforehand I guess.

Brings to mind an old graffiti:
“All generalisations are untrue, including this one”

Yes true, could be placebo or a premium ownership factor too.Speaker drivers made with Kevlar material are available too.

 

[Analogous]

Yes true, could be placebo or a premium ownership factor too.Speaker drivers made with Kevlar material are available too.

Good protection from inquisitive little fingers, knives and bullets even maybe.

But what you mention about the pride of ownership is so true. If the sound is nice that’s a huge bonus.

I believe the human aesthetic bias is towards the visual aspect first (it’s immediate) and for many or most this counts more than the audio quality.

The switching on, warming up, selection of music and the start of the playback comes later. After the visual impression has been made.

But the spectacle of a vinyl head going through the ritual of cleaning and setting up has its own charm, mystique and gravitas. The visual effect of the spinning disc (vinyl or CD) also adds to the drama.

Then there is the discussion (if and when it happens) - a sprinkling of Audiophile insights, explaining the set up, the nuances of soundstage, separation, air, coherence, FR, and so on.

Finally there is the music playback … if done right it can bypass all the above, stop all discussions and entrance.

I think there is enough black magic in this hobby to last forever

 

[Analogous]

To add to the above…
The way we interact with our equipment and music also is varied and individualistic.
The physical activity while starting a vinyl or CD playback is important to some, while others are happy to call out “hey Alexa or hey siri”
User interfaces and user experiences are critical for the popularity of some streamers over others
How cost factors in all this is a thought that positively boggles the mind

 

[mahaaprasaad]

I believe the human aesthetic bias is towards the visual aspect first (it’s immediate) and for many or most this counts

Agree. Some people are of die hard fans of VU meters and dancing LED lights. Human beings, by nature, used to experience with 5 sensing organs collectively, rather than individually, at least more than one. Like food we take is more enjoyable only when combined with taste, smell, visual and physical(like hot or cold) appearance. Having a cup of smokey filter hot coffee with strong aroma on a chilling early morning at the highway side Hut along with a good friend ticks all the check boxes.