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Vandersteen VLR Speaker Review

Rate this speaker:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 225 89.6%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 18 7.2%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther

    Votes: 2 0.8%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 6 2.4%

  • Total voters
    251

itz_all_about_the_music

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Seriously? You think comparing consumer to pro gear proves your point? I'd try just a bit harder next time.
You wrote "...their gear definitely isn't furniture grade". Pro schmo - the point was aesthetics. I.e., a set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, especially in art. It's in that vein.
 

Everett T

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You wrote "...their gear definitely isn't furniture grade". Pro schmo - the point was aesthetics. I.e., a set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, especially in art. It's in that vein.
Do you know what furniture grade means and just a hint, it's not IKEA.
 

itz_all_about_the_music

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Revel with tamper-proof door knob sized grill fasteners. A lovely piece of industrial furniture. All bits "attached" as some here seem to demand.
Revel_Grill_Fasteners.jpg
 

itz_all_about_the_music

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The simple fact of the woofer being “on” the baffle instead of flush is an almost immediate sign that the response will be jagged. Even moreso with the frame being cut to fit on the sides
vandersteen-vlr-ct-speakers-driver-2.png.ashx
Attached, copied without permission from www.vandersteen.com Forums page, the loudspeaker designer comments on the need for the grill to be attached.
Vandersteen Grill Effects Comment.jpg
 

MarkS

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Yes, of course, it's obvious that this speaker is designed to be used with the grilles on, just like it's obvious that the Revel F206/F208 is designed to be used with grilles off.

A damn shame that neither speaker's manual points this out, but I suppose that sort of truth in packaging was nixed by the marketing people.
 
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amirm

amirm

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Attached, copied without permission from www.vandersteen.com Forums page, the loudspeaker designer comments on the need for the grill to be attached. View attachment 218888
So you found another example of someone finding it natural to use them without grill. I suggest you write the company and complain, not to me. And ask them to show the before and after measurement of the said grill. Then we can tell if it is an opinion being expressed or facts.
 

itz_all_about_the_music

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So you found another example of someone finding it natural to use them without grill. I suggest you write the company and complain, not to me. And ask them to show the before and after measurement of the said grill. Then we can tell if it is an opinion being expressed or facts.
You wrote "...without grill" yet the Vandersteen Forum, with Mr. Vandersteen's words, states emphatically to USE the grills. Typo? Freudian thing?

No "complaints" here for ASR or Vandersteen. Just sharing information from a loudspeaker manufacturer for ASR readers to consume.
 
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maverickronin

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You wrote "...without grill" yet the Vandersteen Forum, with Mr. Vandersteen's words, states emphatically to USE the grills. Typo? Freudian thing?

No "complaints" here for ASR or Vandersteen. Just sharing information from a loudspeaker manufacturer for ASR readers to consume.

No. The end user thought it was perfectly reasonable to take them off and only discovered the manufacturer's recommendation after posting on the manufacturer's forum.

In hindsight yes, it would have been better to test this particular model with the grill on - an exception to standard design and practice - but given all the other shortcomings of the design it's perfectly reasonable for Amir to decide that it's not worth the time to retest it with the grill on.
 

itz_all_about_the_music

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No. The end user thought it was perfectly reasonable to take them off and only discovered the manufacturer's recommendation after posting on the manufacturer's forum.

In hindsight yes, it would have been better to test this particular model with the grill on - an exception to standard design and practice - but given all the other shortcomings of the design it's perfectly reasonable for Amir to decide that it's not worth the time to retest it with the grill on.
Who are you referring to as the "end user"? Maybe you're reading something I missed. The person who posted on Vandersteen's Forum, name not shown, didn't utter a word about grills. Sure, the grills happen to be removed in the photo to which Mr. Vandersteen commented as he did.

In hindsight, yes, I agree. If so, maybe the manufacturer wouldn't have been so severly punished in this forum as heretics were in the Middle Ages. Or that might not have made any difference in our current age of gleeful ostracism.
 

Rick Sykora

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Not sure there is much more to be had on this grille question here. Amir has explained why he tested without, there is no longer any way to test differently and am sure he will consider for future reviews.

If Richard Vandersteen is not complaining, not sure there is anything more that can be done at this point.:)
 
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maverickronin

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Who are you referring to as the "end user"? Maybe you're reading something I missed. The person who posted on Vandersteen's Forum, name not shown, didn't utter a word about grills. Sure, the grills happen to be removed in the photo to which Mr. Vandersteen commented as he did.

I'm kinda of dumbfounded here...

The end user is the OP quoted by Richard Vandersteen. The picture is evidence he thought it was perfectly reasonable to use the speakers without the grills.

My point is that that the average person will remove grills from a speaker unless they need to protect it from kids or pets. If the grills are an integral part of the design then they should be screwed in or something.
 

MarkS

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My point is that that the average person will remove grills from a speaker unless they need to protect it from kids or pets. If the grills are an integral part of the design then they should be screwed in or something.
Maybe the average single person ...

And I am not average. I strongly prefer the grilles-on look.

And so I look for speakers that are designed to be used that way without compromising the sound. Alas there are not very many out there.
 

itz_all_about_the_music

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I'm kinda of dumbfounded here...

The end user is the OP quoted by Richard Vandersteen. The picture is evidence he thought it was perfectly reasonable to use the speakers without the grills.

My point is that that the average person will remove grills from a speaker unless they need to protect it from kids or pets. If the grills are an integral part of the design then they should be screwed in or something.
The OP's pic is "...evidence"? It's come to this??

Evidence.jpg
 

itz_all_about_the_music

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Wondering if the Linkwitz LX521.4 Owner's Manual specifies not to do this. Otherwise...well, we know Murphy's Law.
Linkwitz.jpg
 

fpitas

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It's a good thing these are dirt cheap. Oh, wait...
 

Spkrdctr

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In hindsight yes, it would have been better to test this particular model with the grill on - an exception to standard design and practice - but given all the other shortcomings of the design it's perfectly reasonable for Amir to decide that it's not worth the time to retest it with the grill on.
That is the truth! A very, very poor showing. Almost took the LGK 2.0 spot as #1.
 
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