General Asylum: REVIEW: Vandersteen Audio VLR-1 Speakers by rkeman

Model:	VLR-1
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$995
Description:	Compact Front Channel Speaker
Manufacturer URL:	Vandersteen Audio

Review by rkeman on September 25, 2007 at 08:00:35
IP Address: 208.62.174.21 Add Your Review
for the VLR-1

A new home can present a variety of challenges to the audiophile, and I recently found myself in this sticky situation. The room that was most difficult to deal with was the large living room on the main floor. It opens directly into a front atrium and kitchen and is lined by a long wall that is predominantly glass. One wall has a central alcove suitable for a rear projection television and flanked by two smaller alcoves with shelves 38" above the floor. The flanking alcoves would have to house all of the AV equipment. The center alcove would house a 50" RPTV on a shelf 22" above the floor. The space below would hold a pair of custom built powered subwoofers and a small center channel speaker between them. What about the three front speakers (left, center and right)? There was no space for floor-standing speakers in this room! In-wall speakers would require major renovation of the room. A compact speaker that could fit on shelves in the small alcoves seemed to be the only viable solution.

The search ended with the Vandersteen VLR-1. The VLR-1 is a compact front channel speaker designed for in-cabinet use or in situations requiring a small shelf-mounted speaker. The coaxial driver used offers a 6.5" die-cast basket woofer and 1" alloy dome tweeter in a compact sealed box and the rated frequency response is 64 to 21,000 Hz +/- 3 dB. The crossover is a first order network at 3500 Hz and includes phase and frequency compensation networks. Impedance is rated at 8 ohms and sensitivity is said to be 86 dB/w/m. The cabinet measures a compact 12.125" x 9.25 x 10.125" and can be placed upright or on the side without affecting performance. Cosmetics are typical Vandersteen - a fabric wrapped box and wood end caps offered in a variety of finishes.

How is the sound in this difficult acoustic environment? Very good indeed! Installed in the flanking alcoves, the VLR-1s drivers are about 4" above ear level, nearly 8' apart, 10' from the primary listening position, and flush with the surrounding wall. Toe-in changes little with these speakers, perhaps due to the coaxial driver arrangement. The subwoofer crossover is at 100Hz using the the 6 dB/ octave slope in a Theta Casanova preamp/processor. The resulting sound is clear and crisp with a variety of music and movies. String tone is natural and solo piono has good weight and definition. All holds up to fairly high levels even in this large space (98 db peaks at the listening position), and the speakers overload gracefully. Running the VLR-1 full range reveals some dynamic and bass limitations as expcted in any speaker based on a 6.5" woofer. Imaging is surprisingly good with excellent depth and fill despite their placement limitations. Vandersteen recommends acoustic damping behind and around the speakers when placed in cabinets, and 2.5" acoustic foam panels covering the rear wall of the alcoves did improve imaging substantially. Integration with the Vandersteen VCC-1 center channel is very good. It sould be noted that although the VLR-1 and VCC-1 share the same driver, they are not identical. The VCC-1 has an open back cabinet design with less capacity in the bass and a greater tendency to harshness when pushed hard.

Does the VLR-1 compare with other full-range speakers? Yes and no. My reference system includes the Vandersteen 3A Signature and, while similar in nature, the VLR-1 cannot match the ultimate resolution and dynamics of this much larger and more expensive speaker. In combination with a quality subwoofer, the VLR-1, does offer very good sound that is better than much of the larger competion and it will fit where others cannot.

Product Weakness:	Requires a subwoofer for maximal performance.
Product Strengths:	Compact size, imaging and clarity.

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Theta Intrepid
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Theta Casanova
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Sony BDP-300, cable tuner box
Speakers: Vandersteen VLR-1, VCC-1, custom subwoofers, JBL in-wall surrounds,
Cables/Interconnects: Anti-Cables, DIY Belden
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Pop, classical, and movies
Room Size (LxWxH): 29' x 27' x 12'
Room Comments/Treatments: See review
Time Period/Length of Audition: Two months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Velodyne SMS-1 subwoofer equalizer
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	Theta Intrepid
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Theta Casanova
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Sony BDP-300, cable tuner box
Speakers:	Vandersteen VLR-1, VCC-1, custom subwoofers, JBL in-wall surrounds,
Cables/Interconnects:	Anti-Cables, DIY Belden
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Pop, classical, and movies
Room Size (LxWxH):	29' x 27' x 12'
Room Comments/Treatments:	See review
Time Period/Length of Audition:	Two months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Velodyne SMS-1 subwoofer equalizer
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner