Stand Loudspeaker Reviews

Vanatoo Transparent One Encore powered loudspeaker system Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Digital Sources: Apple 2017 MacBook Pro computer with 2.8 GHz Intel i7, SSD, 16GB RAM, running Roon; Apple iPad Pro.
Loudspeakers: Dynaudio Focus 200 XD powered loudspeaker system.
Cables: Digital: Nordost Odin 1 and 2 & Valhalla 2 (USB). AC: Nordost Odin 1 & 2, Valhalla 1.
Accessories: Dynaudio Stand 6 stands; Wavelink HS USB to S/PDIF converter; AudioQuest JitterBugs; Nordost QB8, QK1 & QV2 AC power accessories, QKore 1 & 3 with QKore Wires, Titanium Sort Kones; Tweek Geek Dark Matter Stealth power conditioner with High Fidelity and Furutech options; Stein Super Naturals.—Jason Victor Serinus

COMPANY INFO
Vanatoo LLC
1600B SW Dash Pt. Rd #51
Federal Way, WA 98023
(855) 771-1161
www.vanatoo.com
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
Ortofan's picture
Submitted by Ortofan on June 25, 2019 - 11:55pm

... the Transparent One Encore's DSP to make the output of its drivers time-coincident, as apparently KEF does in their LSX?
https://www.stereophile.com/content/kef-lsx-wireless-loudspeaker-system-measurements

Bogolu Haranath's picture
Submitted by Bogolu Haranath on June 26, 2019 - 6:03am

The Dynaudio Focus 200-XD, JVS compared with, are also DSP controlled time-coincident .......... See Stereophile measurements :-) ...........

Mike Rubin's picture
Submitted by Mike Rubin on June 27, 2019 - 7:45am

[Responded to the wrong comment by accident.]

Bogolu Haranath's picture
Submitted by Bogolu Haranath on June 27, 2019 - 8:42am

One more ....... Kii Audio Three loudspeakers (reviewed by Stereophile), are also DSP controlled time-coincident :-) ............

Mike Rubin's picture
Submitted by Mike Rubin on June 26, 2019 - 10:58pm

I have lots of 24/192, 24/384, and DSD files that can only play through the Vanatoo DAC with downsampling or conversion to PCM, as the case may be. I want to buy a set of powered speakers in this price range for a basement system, but I am finding that it makes the most sense to use an external DAC into analog inputs in order to allow my higher-res files to play natively. That means I am concerned about the quality of powered speaker analog inputs.

Did you try these speakers through the analog input? Also, this particular product only has a 3.5 mm input, which will necessitate an RCA-to-3.5 cable, which will limit cable choice. Are cables with 3.5 mm connectors inherently compromised?

Other readers: which powered bookshelf speakers in the $500-1000 range have you found to have transparency and decent imaging through analog inputs, preferably RCA's?

Ortofan's picture
Submitted by Ortofan on June 27, 2019 - 4:00am

... Dynaudio Xeo 2 is presently available for $900/pr., down from $1500.
https://www.dynaudio.com/discontinued-models/xeo/xeo-2

https://www.stereophile.com/content/dynaudios-new-xeo-2

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/dynaudio-xeo-2-wireless-loudspeaker/

https://www.avhub.com.au/product-reviews/sound-image/dynaudio-xeo-2-wireless-speakers-review-415505

https://darko.audio/2016/04/punch-a-higher-floor-with-the-dynaudio-xeo-2/

https://www.whathifi.com/dynaudio/xeo-2/review

Mike Rubin's picture
Submitted by Mike Rubin on June 27, 2019 - 7:46am

Will look into these.

Kal Rubinson's picture
Submitted by Kal Rubinson on June 27, 2019 - 5:13am

I have lots of 24/192, 24/384, and DSD files that can only play through the Vanatoo DAC with downsampling or conversion to PCM, as the case may be. I want to buy a set of powered speakers in this price range for a basement system, but I am finding that it makes the most sense to use an external DAC into analog inputs in order to allow my higher-res files to play natively. That means I am concerned about the quality of powered speaker analog inputs.

If you are obsessing about higher resolution and DSD, you are going about it in the wrong way. The analog input on the Vanatoo is re-digitized at 24/48 PCM in order to utilize the DSP crossover and other internal digital functions. Surely, doing that that is a much more disruptive procedure than simple "downsampling or conversion to PCM."

Mike Rubin's picture
Submitted by Mike Rubin on June 27, 2019 - 7:43am

I agree that the digitization of the analog inputs sounds more destructive than whatever the DAC inputs do to higher-res files. Is this a universal issue with these particular powered speakers or one that affects all powered speakers? Do you know of any in this price range that keeps the analog signal from the external DAC in the analog domain?

Kal Rubinson's picture
Submitted by Kal Rubinson on June 27, 2019 - 9:21am

I agree that the digitization of the analog inputs sounds more destructive than whatever the DAC inputs do to higher-res files. Is this a universal issue with these particular powered speakers or one that affects all powered speakers?

Neither. Non-DSP active/powered speakers are basically speakers with their analog amps and analog crossovers internalized and, therefore, keep everything in the analog domain. DSP active/powered speakers depend on digital processing to do crossover and other useful machinations (as with the Vanatoo) but they do that in the digital domain. Thus, it is generally better to feed them with a digital source than an analog source.

Do you know of any in this price range that keeps the analog signal from the external DAC in the analog domain?

There are many small, inexpensive active speakers without DSP but I have no personal experience in that realm.

Mike Rubin's picture
Submitted by Mike Rubin on June 29, 2019 - 5:52am

Makes perfect sense. I should have thought this through before asking.

Bogolu Haranath's picture
Submitted by Bogolu Haranath on June 27, 2019 - 7:38am

You could look into the Tannoy Reveal 802 active speakers ....... The signal stays in the analog domain ...... No DSP ........ Now available at Amazon for $200/pair :-) .........

Mike Rubin's picture
Submitted by Mike Rubin on June 27, 2019 - 7:47am

Thanks for the suggestion. Will look into these.

Bogolu Haranath's picture
Submitted by Bogolu Haranath on June 27, 2019 - 8:14am

Tannoy Reveal 502 and 402 active speakers are also available at Amazon for even lower price ......... No DSP ........ All analog ....... There are several reviews and answered questions available at Amazon :-) ......

mrkaic's picture
Submitted by mrkaic on June 27, 2019 - 3:20am

It is strange to think that reviewing a lower price item = demotion. :)

But more importantly, JA could open the boxes and measure the amp section in isolation. Just as any other amplifier. Would be quite informative to those of us who read mostly JA’s measurements and skip the rest.

Kal Rubinson's picture
Submitted by Kal Rubinson on June 27, 2019 - 6:33am

How would that be informative? The speaker cannot be used without the amps nor can the amps be used without the speaker.

mrkaic's picture
Submitted by mrkaic on June 27, 2019 - 2:03pm

When you have a system, you want to know how its parts behave. The fact that the amp and the speaker are in the same box does not change anything.

Also, I don’t agree that you could not use the amp without the speaker. Take.it out of the box and use it. If nothing else, it would be fun.

Bogolu Haranath's picture
Submitted by Bogolu Haranath on June 27, 2019 - 9:16am

How low can you go? :-) ........

"Limbo Rock" ......... Chubby Checker :-) .......

Kal Rubinson's picture
Submitted by Kal Rubinson on June 27, 2019 - 2:13pm

When you have a system, you want to know how its parts behave. The fact that the amp and the speaker are in the same box does not change anything.

I can understand your curiosity.

Also, I don’t agree that you could not use the amp without the speaker. Take.it out of the box and use it. If nothing else, it would be fun.

OK. Then you can measure the two amps when you do but the task is hard to justify except for idle curiosity.

mrkaic's picture
Submitted by mrkaic on June 27, 2019 - 5:43pm

...but I am a curious guy. And I’m not the only one around here.

Kal Rubinson's picture
Submitted by Kal Rubinson on June 27, 2019 - 6:16pm

Perhaps. I doubt that many are curious about this particular matter.

Bogolu Haranath's picture
Submitted by Bogolu Haranath on June 28, 2019 - 6:27am

In almost all of the active speakers, each individual amplifier is connected to each individual driver in the speaker ....... So, they both are optimized for each other ....... and, both are optimized to the active crossover which is placed before the amplifiers ........ So, all these individual components are optimized to work with each other ....... Each individual amplifier, driver combo is optimized for certain limited frequency ........ Let us say a 50W amp is connected to a tweeter, and a 100W amp is connected a woofer ......... In a DSP speaker a DAC is also included in the package :-) .........

In a passive system, speaker designers try to make their speakers work with as many different amplifiers as possible ........ Same way, amplifier designers try to make their amplifiers work with as many different passive speakers as possible :-) ..........

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