VANDERSTEEN 3A - ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT; AMPLIFIER REQUIREMENTS; CABLES

Associated Equipment
Amplifier Requirements
The Model 3A is designed for use with amplifiers
rated between 100 to 200 watts per channel into 8
ohms. Amplifiers in this power range will provide ample
power for realistic listening levels in most situations.
Amplifiers with less than 100 watts may not be able to
drive the Model 3As to realistic listening levels without
stress under all listening conditions. Amplifiers with
more than 200 watts must be used with caution due to
the increased potential for speaker damage if they are
misused or an accident occurs.
The Model 3As are very revealing speakers and
are easily capable of showing the subtle sonic differen¬
ces between amplifiers. They will perform well with a
tube, transistor or hybrid amplifier, allowing each
Components
To maximize the performance of your system, you
should properly set-up your components according to
the manufacturer’s instructions. Each component
should be placed on a piece of furniture or in a stand
that is stable and not prone to vibration or rocking. An
isolation base or isolation feet may improve the sound
design to realize its full potential.
The stability of the amplifier to be used is very im¬
portant as it will affect the current capability and there¬
fore, the dynamics and realism of the music. A stable
transistor amplifier will be able to deliver twice the wat¬
tage into a 4 ohm load as it does into an 8 ohm load.
Amplifiers with this ability should perform well with the
Model 3As.
Fuses between the amplifier and the Model 3A will
degrade the performance of the entire system. No
fuses are used in the Model 3A and preference should
be given to the use of an amplifier that does not use
output fuses.
of some sources or electronics.
Allow sufficient air space around the electronics
for needed air circulation. Excessive heat can both
shorten the life of electrical components and impair
their performance.
Preamplifiers and CD players should be left on all the time. Amplifiers should
be turned off when the system is not being used. Once broken in, modern
power amplifiers sound good after only 20 minutes of warm-up. Leaving the
amplifier on all the time exposes the speakers to possible damage from power
line anomalies or electrical component failure while the system is unattended.
Cables
Our research has convinced us that interconnect
and speaker cables should be considered an integral
part of the music system. Each brand and model of
cable has its own sonic characteristics and contributes
to the overall presentation of the music as much as any
active component. The Model 3A easily passes the
amount of information required to hear these differen¬
ces between cables.
The research also confirmed the importance of
keeping speaker cables as short as possible. In
repeated trials, short runs of moderate to inexpensive
speaker cable consistently outperformed long runs of
the same cable as well as much more expensive cable.
If you must place your speakers a long distance from
your electronics, we recommend that you position the
amplifier between the speakers so you can use longer
interconnect cables with shorter speaker cables. With
comparable lengths and quality, long interconnect
cables seem to compromise the sound of a system less
than long speaker cables. An additional advantage is
that a given length of interconnect cable will usually
cost much less than the same length of bi-wired
speaker cable. The amplifier you have placed between
the speakers can easily be concealed by a plant or
placed in a decorative piece of furniture.
To assure that they were sonically neutral, the
Model 3As were developed using a direct coupled
laboratory amplifier connection loaded by precision
resistors to simulate cable resistance. However, with
the wide diversity of associated equipment, environ¬
ments and personal listening tastes, there is no single
make or model of cable that will fit all situations. One
system may sound best with lively cables while another
system may sound best with subdued cables. You
have to determine which cables in you price range com¬
plement the characteristics of your particular system
Vandersteen Audio, Inc.
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