Hearing the Vandersteen System 1 with two different receivers makes me want to jump up and down and grab people by their ears to hear what can be accomplished in a $6000 home-theater system with a $1000 to $1700 receiver.
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Vandersteen Model V2W subwoofer augments the deep bass response of a home theater speaker system, employing the home theater processor's dedicated subwoofer output. It provides the power, dynamics, and low-frequency detail required for superlative reproduction of both music and film. In addition to assuming the responsibility for deep bass reproduction, these subwoofers dramatically improve the mid-bass and midrange response of any speaker system. It couples advanced materials, construction, and design with innovative technology in a system that is always true to the emotion and content of the original sonic source.
Starting at $2,490 / Each
Prices shown do not include duty, taxes, or freight
Black
Cherry
Dark Oak
Maple
Oak
Walnut
Available Finishes
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(*) indicates upgrade finishes.
The V2W accepts line-level inputs exclusively and is designed for home theater systems with integrated processor/amplifier units where the bass is handled by a line-level subwoofer channel.
The V2W subwoofer is compatible with a wide range of main speakers from Vandersteen and other manufactures. Large main speakers with accurate frequency and phase response extending at least an octave below the integrated processor/amplifier’s crossover point will provide optimum blending and linearity through the crossover region. (Basic filter theory dictates that the main speakers must have a predictable response at least an octave below the crossover point to insure seamless blending and linearity with the subwoofer.)
Smaller, limited-range main speakers will benefit from the V2W’s superior pitch definition and lack of midrange interference which provide better integration and system coherence than is possible with a conventional subwoofer.
The subtlety of plucked bass, the complex harmonics of organs, and the incredible power of modern movie sound effects are all beyond the reach of many speaker systems. Even subwoofers rarely excel at all three, their designers choosing to compromise one in exchange for proficiency at another. Vandersteen Audio refused to compromise. The original Model V2W spent five years in the prototype stage being tested, evaluated, measured, and revised before its introduction in 1984.
Vandersteen V2W subwoofers use three active eight-inch drivers rather than a single large woofer. The three eight-inch drivers equal the cone area of a fourteen-inch woofer, but with a much higher motor-to-cone-area ratio. The high ratio improves pitch definition and ensures stable frequency and phase responses throughout and beyond the drivers’ operating range. This allows better integration with a wider array of speakers and home theater processors as the internal crossovers have more design flexibility since a steep-slope, high-order crossover is not necessary when the drivers perform well several octaves past the crossover frequency.
The drivers are downward-firing in a front slot-loaded configuration to provide superb bass detail, impact, and dynamics while minimizing any potential midrange interference.
Each of the drivers uses a heavy-duty 1 1/2 inch, four-layer voice coil engineered to withstand high temperatures. Each voice coil is within a massive 40 oz, high gauss magnet structure for increased control and efficiency. Critically damped, long fiber cones with environmentally stable butyl rubber surrounds are used for excellent rigidity and linearity.
The drivers are connected to a built-in 300-watt amplifier with advanced feed-forward error correction. This powerful amplifier provides the benefits of bi-amplification to the system without the additional expense and complexity of an additional separate amplifier.
The cabinets of the V2W subwoofers are constructed of MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard), a wood product far denser and acoustically inert than particleboard. FFT analysis and listening tests refined both the shape of the enclosure and the placement of the internal braces. The entire structure is carefully designed to minimize cabinet resonances that could affect the system’s performance.
Feed-Forward Error Correction
Many subwoofers use negative feedback or servo control type of error correction that samples the output of the subwoofer amplifier or the movement of the driver and makes comparisons to the original input. When a deviation is detected, a correction signal is generated to counter the error. A shortcoming of these systems is that an error must actually occur before the correction process can begin. The negative feedback and the non-linearities of the correction create their own audible distortions that compromise the performance of the subwoofer.
The V2W uses Feed-Forward Error Correction (FFEC), which eliminates the errors before they begin. Extensive spectrum, FFT, and dynamic analysis of the V2W detected the errors that would occur during normal use. The inverse of these errors was then designed into the integral amplifier to eliminate the errors before they could occur. Errors resulting from coupling, loading, driver phase, and frequency non-linearities, and thermodynamic box loss are eliminated by FFEC.
The output level of the V2W can be adjusted to match speakers with an efficiency rating of between 82dB and 100dB. Wires and banana plugs to connect the output of your full-range amplifier to the input of the 2Wq are included with each subwoofer.
Mono or Stereo Bass
There are significant advantages to using two subwoofers. Modern sources such as streaming, CDs, DVDs, digital high-resolution music files, and Blu-ray Discs maintain full stereo separation to below 20Hz. Summing the channels into a single subwoofer reduces or cancels all the low-frequency information containing phase differences between the channels. Stereo subwoofers reproduce all of the bass information complete with the phase differences that help provide the imaging and location cues we use to place people and things at distinct points in the sound field. Stereo subwoofers also improve linearity on mono as well as stereo sources by coupling the bass to the room at two points and lending themselves to natural placement near the corners where low-frequency room gain is often desirable.
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Subwoofer(s) |
(3) 8” Critically-Damped Long-Fiber Cones with Butyl Rubber Surrounds, Heavy-Duty 1.5” 4-Layer Voice Coil with 40 oz. Magnet Structure |
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Subwoofer Amplifier |
300-Watts, Zero Current-Limiting |
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Amplifier Power |
300 watts with no current limiting |
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Frequency Response |
- 3dB @ 20Hz and 80Hz |
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System |
Second order, slot-loaded with less than 1/2 pulse overshoot |
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Crossover |
First order/6dB per octave, 80Hz- Requires external high-pass filter between preamp and power amp matched to power amp input impedance (see user manual) |
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Input Terminals |
Line-level RCA attached to sub out on theater receiver. |
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Dimensions (WHD) |
18” x 18 1/2” x 17” |
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Weight |
80 lbs. Net |
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Country of Manufacture |
Made in the USA |
Hearing the Vandersteen System 1 with two different receivers makes me want to jump up and down and grab people by their ears to hear what can be accomplished in a $6000 home-theater system with a $1000 to $1700 receiver.
See Full Review
The Treo is essentially a passive version of the original Quatro Wood, sharing the same driver complement sans the powered-bass system. It too is offered in an array of wood finishes in a strikingly attractive form factor. But the Treo is also a modern take on the legendary Model 2, a paragon of cost-effective performance that's made in the USA, but in an elegant outer package.
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