vandersteen VCC-5 Review (Center Speaker)

[thewas]

The Klippel NFS computation gives anechoic frequency response measurents in all directions (by computing the sound radiation field around any sound sources) like when measuring a loudspeaker in an anechoic chamber, thus the influence of room boundaries is not included in either.

 

[Holmz]

Vandersteen's whole philosophy is based on using 1st order crossovers due to time/phase alignment. I don't think he would ever use anything else.

^This^ is precisely why it makes some sense to consider the VCC5 when one needs to match up with existing speakers which, in this case, are time/phase correct.

Back a year+ ago we got an OLED TV, and the Haus-boss was unhappy with the sound.
We briefly looked at some sound bars, and they were all pretty dire.
Luckily the WAF concerns went out the window, and I was given the responsibility to come up with better sound.

I am new to AVRs, AVPs, and home theatre, so it was a bit of a learning curve.
And many center channel speakers were not measuring very good in horizontal dispersion… many are also MTM designs.


This center channel made its way over the ocean a while ago, and I picked up two pairs of the VSM (wall mount) surround speakers, which were also used.
Those are listed new at $3k a pair, and one of the used pairs was ~$200 for the pair… the other less.
And I picked up an AVP used as well.

I finally got the AVP going, and set it up as 5.0, and it is pretty good.

I do not have the 2C speakers at this house, so I am using one of the pairs of VSMs are LF and RF.
Eventually those surrounds will move up into a 5.2.2 setup.
The AVP comes out as a bunch of XLRs, and I got 3 of the AIYAMA A07 amps, with one doing this VCC5, and one doing the surrounds.
It took a few hours getting the XLR to RCA cables soldered up.

As mentioned, I am new to AVRs, AVPs, and home theatre. But the AVP has a mic and I stumbled through the set up, and it was not very difficult.
Still trying different settings.

@pierre and @Maiky76 posted EQ parametric settings, so I might take a crack at implementing those…
(I a couple of Hypex FA502 for some subs, so that should allow the EQ to happen.)


I can see where in a dedicated HT room, it would be easier getting Emotiva, Elac, or some other dedicated HT speakers.
But with an existing 2 channel set up, and needing to put it all in the same room as a combined 2 channel and mini-HT set up, one needs to either change the speakers or get a center channel that mates with the existing speakers.

I did not have the budget for brand new, but used I am into the center channel and the two pairs of surrounds for ~2k USD with shipping.

So I am rating it as good. It should be pretty poor mating with a speaker that is not time/phase correct, but with a Vandy, Theil or Dunlavy it seems like the only viable option… and one is not listening to the sound too closely for movies and Netflix. And we can actually hear the dialogue now, and it got the WAF nod.

I am still working on the rack and TV lift…

 

[ATX]

^This^ is precisely why it makes some sense to consider the VCC5 when one needs to match up with existing speakers which, in this case, are time/phase correct.

Back a year+ ago we got an OLED TV, and the Haus-boss was unhappy with the sound.
We briefly looked at some sound bars, and they were all pretty dire.
Luckily the WAF concerns went out the window, and I was given the responsibility to come up with better sound.

I am new to AVRs, AVPs, and home theatre, so it was a bit of a learning curve.
And many center channel speakers were not measuring very good in horizontal dispersion… many are also MTM designs.


This center channel made its way over the ocean a while ago, and I picked up two pairs of the VSM (wall mount) surround speakers, which were also used.
Those are listed new at $3k a pair, and one of the used pairs was ~$200 for the pair… the other less.
And I picked up an AVP used as well.

I finally got the AVP going, and set it up as 5.0, and it is pretty good.

I do not have the 2C speakers at this house, so I am using one of the pairs of VSMs are LF and RF.
Eventually those surrounds will move up into a 5.2.2 setup.
The AVP comes out as a bunch of XLRs, and I got 3 of the AIYAMA A07 amps, with one doing this VCC5, and one doing the surrounds.
It took a few hours getting the XLR to RCA cables soldered up.

As mentioned, I am new to AVRs, AVPs, and home theatre. But the AVP has a mic and I stumbled through the set up, and it was not very difficult.
Still trying different settings.

@pierre and @Maiky76 posted EQ parametric settings, so I might take a crack at implementing those…
(I a couple of Hypex FA502 for some subs, so that should allow the EQ to happen.)


I can see where in a dedicated HT room, it would be easier getting Emotiva, Elac, or some other dedicated HT speakers.
But with an existing 2 channel set up, and needing to put it all in the same room as a combined 2 channel and mini-HT set up, one needs to either change the speakers or get a center channel that mates with the existing speakers.

I did not have the budget for brand new, but used I am into the center channel and the two pairs of surrounds for ~2k USD with shipping.

So I am rating it as good. It should be pretty poor mating with a speaker that is not time/phase correct, but with a Vandy, Theil or Dunlavy it seems like the only viable option… and one is not listening to the sound too closely for movies and Netflix. And we can actually hear the dialogue now, and it got the WAF nod.

I am still working on the rack and TV lift…

Hi Holmz good to see you .
I have a vague memory of RV saying that the VCC5 was not intended for direct axis listening, but that it was intended for off-axis listening. I have used the VCC5 in two different set ups: Room 1 where there was not a preferred listening position(16-20’) the VCC5 was absolutely amazing. Room 2 the VCC5 is on axis at 9 feet and directly pointed at the primary listening position, the results have not been as good and I find myself constantly tweaking the VCC5 with DIRAC et al.

 

[andyclev]

Interesting review/feedback on the VCC-5s. I recently snagged a pristine VCC-2 for $350, built a hardwood/solid stand to emulate a wall mount, that resides in line with the fronts (Vandersteen 2ces). Amazingly seamless, and sounds fantastic to me. I do believe (not 100% certain of anything audio these days) that matching the center to the fronts does make a difference. I had a old (ahem) Klipsch RC-3 (horn), and the timber was off, but usable. Now it just "blends". Much deeper voice/mids, with great sparkle on the high end. The VCC-2 has two rear-firing woofers, which are flat against the wall when mounted with a tiny gap (panel, in my case), and the overall sound quality is quite good.

 

[Holmz]

Interesting review/feedback on the VCC-5s. I recently snagged a pristine VCC-2 for $350, built a hardwood/solid stand to emulate a wall mount, that resides in line with the fronts (Vandersteen 2ces). Amazingly seamless, and sounds fantastic to me. I do believe (not 100% certain of anything audio these days) that matching the center to the fronts does make a difference. I had an old (ahem) Klipsch RC-3 (horn), and the timber was off, but usable. Now it just "blends". Much deeper voice/mids, with great sparkle on the high end. The VCC-2 has two rear-firing woofers, which are flat against the wall when mounted with a tiny gap (panel, in my case), and the overall sound quality is quite good.

The slopes and phases of what’s going on with the main speakers can easily cancel with a center channel.
But often the dialogue is “hard panned” to the center and not 25/50/25% across the front.

I used the VCC5 because I needed them to match existing speakers.
It would be harder, or more “luck driven” to find that they matched with some arbitrary speaker… so I’m glad that the VCC02 worked for you.