Vandersteen 1C - Upgrade

[inrank]

I have a pair of Vandersteen 1C speakers that are in decent condition but I would like to upgrade them.

I really like them as they fit in my room perfectly and also integrate really well into the room. I have had plenty of speakers in the past including Tannoy Stirling HE, Rega R9, KEF 104/2, Acoustic Energy AE2, Magnepan MMG and quite a few others. Most have had bass issues and have not worked well in my odd 'L' Shaped room but the Vandersteens really work well, bass wise.

I would like to improve the treble, at the moment it can be a little uneven and 'tingy' but I do like the integration with the Mid-Bass, works quite well.

I am looking to change the following:

Tweeter - Just a general upgrade, the Vifa D25AG-35-06 can be a little harsh and it would be nice to have something a little smoother (only real complaint about these speakers). I like the look of the Seas DXT (27TBCD/GB-DXT) as it has excellent off axis response and decent distortion performance.

The Vifa P21WO-23-08 is in great condtition, no need to change here as it seems well regarded, nice smooth response and with the existing cabinet, decent mix of bass depth with control.

Crossover - It's a simple 6dB/Octave @2800kHz as far as I am aware, I really fancy going active with these. I have used the MiniDSP 2x4 module before and really like it, the MiniDSP PWR-ICE125 looks ideal. I would like to explore running the crossover a little lower so it will be easy to play around with that on the MiniDSP.

Cabinet - I would like to veneer the bottom half in Rosewood to match my living room furniture, and then make a new grille to go over the top.

Does that sound like a sensible approach?

 

[eriksquires]

Hi Inrank,

Vandersteen is known for their attention to detail when it comes to crossover design, especially time and phase matching, so please be careful when doing anything with them, it's going to be easy to mess up their imaging, phase matching and tonal balance.

The tweeter specs are pretty good, but you may not like the rising output. It's not your average tin-can resonant metal dome tweeter, so I'd suggest you keep it but adjust your crossover or DSP alignment. If you stay passive, try Mundorf MCP or Clarity ESA caps.

If you must change the tweeter, the new version, the Peerless DA25BG08 may be a good option, it doesn't have that slight rise in the audible band, but it's not a drop in replacement. I really think you can keep that tweeter and tune it instead of replacing it.


Best,


Erik

 

[eriksquires]

Also, something I noticed that does help, is that the latest 1ci has felt around the tweeter housing. That's another cheap upgrade. I think Madisound even sells rings pre-cut for just that purpose.

 

[inrank]

Thanks for the comments, I have hopefully sourced a pair of the MiniDSP PWR-ICE125 amps so will see how I get on. Although, they come with a pair of speakers ready made so it may change the scope of the long term plan anyway.....

 

[norman bates]

True.
You could put foam in addition to around the tweeter, under the top piece of wood and perhaps the 2 front rods.