A Chat with Richard Vandersteen of Vandersteen Audio

When you visit a company’s website and one of the first tabs you see is “Ask Richard,” you know you’re going to get a knockdown awesome product and customer experience. That’s the case with Vandersteen Audio and their founder, Richard Vandersteen. Their speakers are technological marvels that create a one-of-a-kind listening experience. We were pumped to sit down with Richard and let him open up on a variety of subjects.

vandersteen_tryptic

                                                    Richard Vandersteen

The listening experience 

According to Richard, the first thing most people notice when they’re listening to sound through a speaker is tone and character, which is identified by its frequency response. To him, this is where the industry has always put the emphasis. “When a speaker is time and phase correct, the illusion becomes those instruments or performers are being transported to a sound room and the listener is in the room with them,” he says. “To do that correctly, magnificently, and more realistically, a speaker should be time and phase corrected. It’s a learned experience; it’s not the first thing people listen to. However, by the second or third demo, the listener begins to perceive that the music is real. I think it’s that realism that lets the music speak to the listener.”

 

His recommended equipment list. 

We’ve frequently been asked about building a system with high-quality speakers like the ones from Vandersteen Audio. Richard’s advice is that you need a good pre-amp tied into the time and realism and high fidelity, and a good digital source or file server for casual listening or convenience. “None of our systems have any digital processing; we don’t want to corrupt a pure analog signal,” he says. A good turntable (and arm and cartridge) is a must, too.

 

Richard’s thoughts on the resurgence of LP’s/Vinyl: 

“When the CD player came out, it was heralded to expand the high-end audio business, and appeal to people who wanted a sound experience above the norm. The outcome was that it diminished the  hobby of high-end listening, and analog was abandoned at the high-end retail level. Most people bought a CD player for easy listening. Music shuffling is wonderful and convenient and builds your listening library. Now, it’s good to see this vinyl aspect growing in our industry, and it is bringing young people in. It’s driving people into home theater, which is a good thing, because these people may be into high-end audio, too. It’s good for music’s sake.”

 

His opinion on the resurrection of the HiFi Buys name: 

Vandersteen equipment was part of the original HiFi Buys product line 30+ years ago. After the store was renamed, the company had to rely on other dealers in the area. Richard and the Vandersteen team are now thrilled to be back with HiFi Buys.  “HiFi Buys serves the customers in a way that the customers enjoy, and has a heart for this hobby and this experience. Their sound rooms have to be one of the top 3 listening experiences in the country. The aesthetics and the sound quality are like walking into a family room and being able to listen to several systems in each room. The soundproofing allows you to hear the nuances of each system in each room. It’s very comfortable.”

 

Experience doing the demos at the Grand Opening 

Richard was present at our Grand Opening, doing demos on Vandersteen Audio’s Model Seven Mk II floor speakers and their new liquid-cooled M7-HPA amplifier. These amps spent 4 years in development, since Richard didn’t want to launch something so radically new without it being perfect. He had a good time explaining these radical new designs to the crowd. “It was unbelievably positive. Many people came to me and said they hadn’t heard anything like it.“

Model Seven Mk II

                              Model Seven Mk II

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              Inside the M7-HPA Liquid-Cooled Amplifier

Yeah, Richard! We love it, and we love your awesome speakers! Come back anytime. If you’re in Buckhead, swing by our store at 3157 Peachtree Road and give Vandersteen speakers a listen. Check hours and other events on our Facebook page.

chris

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