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B&W vs Vandersteen vs Goldenear

10K views 21 replies 7 participants last post by  clnconcpts 
#1 ·
I have been demoing some speakers recently and thought I had narrowed myself down to Goldenear Triton 1's vs B&W 804 D3s. I was going to bring them both home and compare in my home for the final decision, but now I am curious if I should also listen to the Vandersteen Model 2ce Signature II, Model 3a signature, and Treo CT? I can start a separate discussion but was also curious of peoples opinions of Anthem amplifiers to drive whatever I decide on. I am looking to get LCR, but have not heard the centers I am considering yet, would be either the B&W HTM1 or HTM2 D3, the Supercenter XXL, or the Vandersteen VCC-5. I look forward to hearing any opinions or thoughts (also if there is something else in that pricepoint that I should consider).
 
#5 ·
I would love to, but need to be on my best behavior to get my wife on board :-D. I would love to hear your opinion on the differences or comparison though! I plan to listen to them all myself, but like hearing multiple thoughts to ground myself as well.
 
#6 ·
I have an all Vandersteen system but B&W are a close second for me. They do sound quite different. The Vandersteen sound a bit cleaner and more accurate to me. I love the B&W sound but they do have a sound of their own. The Vandersteen seem to disappear more and let the music talk. For movies I think you will notice a difference in the dialog from the center channel but not much from the other channels. You owe it to yourself if you are a music fan to compare. And sorry, I can't speak to Golden Ear. I've heard good things from others but have not had them in my system.


For amps, honestly the Anthem is fine but something like an Emotiva would be cheaper and sound just as good. As a matter of fact unless, unless you are playing things at extremely high levels your receiver will likely do fine until you run out of channels with Atmos (using Vandersteen 2WQ subs is the exception as it requires separate amplifier channels to use the external crossover).
 
#7 ·
Is the difference in the center channel comment referring to the Vandersteen VCC5 sounding better? Which Vandersteen speakers did you go with? My current issue with my receiver is that I think I am losing out on some low end notes compared to what a separate could power. I did also think about comparing Anthem vs Emotiva vs Behringer, but wanted to find speaker first then start down the amp comparing road.

To add to the speaker confusion, I just found some Magnepan speakers that interest me and think I will be adding them to my demo journey. Though it is a little difficult to see, but it appears to get a comparable full range center I need to buy two pieces?

I am planning on attempting to demo the 3 different Vandersteen this Saturday and the Magnepan if I find out the local dealer has the 3.7i available.
 
#10 ·
Vandersteen and Maggies both need quite a bit of "air" around them. So if you have a small room, these may not be the best choices. That said, they are both excellent speakers that require some care in set up. Once set up correctly, they will deliver superior sound quality.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Do you have any preference between the two? I have not heard either yet, but hope to either this Saturday or next.

Have you heard them sound poorly without enough space around them? My room now is small but plan to have a larger one in the future (I don't want to buy for a small room just to upgrade once again later...)
 
#11 ·
My local Dynaudio dealer has Vandy and GE, definetly prefer the Vandy's. Have heard the Triton 1, 5, 7 and they're ok but not what they're hyped as on the forums IMO. B&W definetly start with the CM 8 if possible. The new CMs surprised me in a good way.

However what I like and what you'll like could be vastly different so try to hear them all and come to your own conclusion.
 
#15 ·
I thought the noticeable difference between the CM10 S2 and the 804 D3 was too much for me to overlook (granted there is a substantial price difference as well). Switching back to the CM10 S2, I thought the sound was unnatural, but of course, listening to them first they sounded great (if only I could've not said "go ahead and let me hear the more expensive ones")
 
#12 ·
Speaker choices

Despite all of the "golden" press, I was less than impressed with the GE Triton 1's. The tweeter seemed less than ideally integrated with the midrange. B&W's are an excellent choice, but I think my favorites are the Vandys. Granted I was listening to Quattros, but they were phenomenal to me. One thing I am convinced of though, is that you need to listen to as many brands as you can. There are some notable differences and the desirability is really idiosyncratic between listeners.

I would vote for a listen to the Vandersteen if you can before pulling the trigger.

Good luck!
 
#21 ·
So my current shortlist to listen to:
Magnepan 3.7 (the i is not available at the dealer)
adding Martin Logan Ethos
Vandersteen 2ce, 3a, treo ct
Goldenear Triton 5

What I am guessing I will demo in home:
B&W 804 D3
(same dealer does GE and Vandersteen so the best out of those 5 options)

And I think I will compare them as I compare amps. I am thinking between an Anthem MCA525 and an Emotive XPA-5

The room is too small now, so I don't want the speakers to sound awful, but I also don't want to get as was suggested by another person bookshelf speakers and then upgrade in the next room. I do know that I loved the clarity, well, basically everything about the 800 D3 series, and I enjoyed for the price the Triton 1s, but it was a good deal after listening to the B&W (my friend said he could definitely tell the B&W had better clarity).

Thank you very much for your input thus far and I will update as I go, it may now be a 3 week delay before I get out to demo or bring any home for an in home comparison.
 
#22 ·
Hello , I own the 804's and htm1 with 805's for rears. These were bought back in 2005 so , and not the diamond series. For music, I love listening to them . home theater is OK. My complaint would be I feel bass isn't punchy enough . if I could do this all over again, I'd be the owner of vandersteens. The sound and bass was freaking perfect. I listened to the 3a signatures.I don't recall what center I heard . music and vocals with the 804's is very good 9+ , bass I'll give it a 5
,
 
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