VANDERSTEEN 3A User manual

Thank-you for choosing the Vandersteen Model 3A
loudspeaker system. With proper care, your new
speakers will provide many years of trouble free,
high-quality sonic enjoyment.
The Model 3A is a high-technology product; we
recommend that you carefully read this entire manual
prior to connecting or using your new loudspeakers.
Vandersteen Audio
The Vandersteen Audio Model 3A is a floor stand- response guarantees superior performance from
ing dynamic loudspeaker developed and refined by records, CDs, video tapes, and laser discs. Custom
almost twenty years of advanced research into engineered drivers, built exclusively for Vandersteen
loudspeaker design. Engineering, construction, and Audio, are aligned in a boxless design to maximize
materials far exceeding industry standards have each driver’s accuracy and musicality. An aesthetically
resulted in a reference quality level of performance pleasing appearance, incorporating an acoustically
unmatched even by larger and more costly designs. transparent grille and an audibly vented top, allows the
The Model 3A is a worthy addition to any high Model 3A to compliment the decor of your home,
quality music or audio/video system. The innovative The Vandersteen Audio Model 3A is designed and
first order crossover supports either bi-wire or vertical built in the United States of America,
bi-amp connection. Superb dynamic and transient
Contents
Connections
2
Contour Controls
11
Overview
2
Specifications
11
Bi-Wire
3
Associated Equipment
12
Vertical Bi-Amp
4
Amplifier Requirements
12
Mono-Wire
5
Components
12
Speaker Set-Up
6 Cables
12
Listening Height
6
A/V Considerations
13
Speaker Placement
7
Model Three Care
13
Odd Dimensions
7
Maintenance
13
Third Dimensions
9
Service
13
Acoustical Center
9 Support
13
Toe-In
9
Packing Instructions
14
Acoustic Treatments
10
Warranty Information
15
Placement Hints
10
Model 3A
Signature
Loudspeaker
Operation
Manual

The Model 3A contains protection circuits that track voice coil temperatures
and reduce the current from your amplifier to one or more of the drivers if
excessive temperatures are detected. When these devices are activated, the
sound of the speaker will change and warning lights behind the front grille
will glow. If this occurs, immediately reduce the volume level to allow the
components in the speaker to cool down.
Please remember that no protection circuits are 100% effective and that
repeated activation could cause the circuits to fail.
Do not connect the speaker wires until the cones and rear braces have been
installed according to the instructions included with the braces.
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Connecting The Model 3As
The Model 3As are optimized for bi-wiring or
vertical bi-amplification. Separate heavy-duty screw
terminal inputs for the bass portion and tweeter-
midrange portion of the crossover are located on the
rear of each speaker.
Bi-Wiring
Bi-wiring uses two speaker cables to connect each
speaker to the amplifier. The speaker’s internal cross¬
over presents different electrical characteristics to
each cable so that one cable carries the signal going to
the woofers while the other cable carries the signal
going to the midrange and tweeter. The improvements
offered by bi-wiring versus a conventional single run of
cable can be substantial. They are often large enough
that a bi-wire set of moderately priced cable will sound
better than a single run of far more expensive cable.
All the speaker cables in a bi-wire set should be
the same. While it may be tempting to mix different
models of cable to have a cable known for good bass
response on the woofers and a different one known for
good treble response on the midrange and tweeter, the
differing sonic characteristics of the two cables can
seriously affect the blending between the woofer and
the midrange. The imaging of the speakers may be
vague, transparency may be lost and detail and clarity
can suffer.
Research has revealed that much of bi-wiring’s
benefit comes from the physical separation of the bass
cable from the midrange/tweeter cable. Four conductor
bi-wire cables that combine the wires together in one
sheath are better than mono-wiring with an equivalent
two-conducter cable, but they do not offer the full
advantages of true bi-wiring.
Bi-Amplification
The Model 3As can only be bi-amplified passively
with two identical stereo amplifiers, preferably in a verti¬
cal configuration. (One stereo amplifier per speaker.)
For Model 3A owners that already own two identical
stereo amplifiers or can easily acquire a second stereo
amplifier that matches the one they have, bi-amplifica-
tion may offer some advantages over bi-wiring. It
should be noted however, that bi-amplification usually
offers only slight to moderate sonic improvements over
bi-wiring so two lesser amplifiers will normally not out¬
perform a single better amplifier. Unless you already
have two identical amplifiers or easy access to a
second matching amplifier, you are better off investing
in the best single amplifier within your budget rather
than dividing your budget between two less expensive
and inferior sounding amplifiers.
When bi-amplifying, the speaker’s internal pas¬
sive crossover divides the frequencies by presenting
different electrical characteristics to each channel of
the amplifier. An electronic crossover is not used since
the passive crossover in the Model 3A cannot be
bypassed. Use of an electronic crossover would result
in the two crossovers acting in series and would cause
severe phase shift and response non-linearities.
The Model 3As should not be bi-amped with two
different amplifier models in a horizontal mode. (One
amplifier driving the woofers and the other amplifier
driving the midrange and tweeter.) When half of the
speaker is driven by a different amplifier model than
the other half—and in these cases, usually by
amplifiers chosen for the differences in their sounds
rather than the similarities—the blending between the
woofer and midrange is compromised and the sonic
consistency of the speaker is affected. The upper and
lower halves of the speaker will exhibit different
dynamic characteristics, imaging characteristics, tonal
balances and degrees of detail. This will cause consid¬
erable sonic confusion through the middle frequencies.
Vandersteen Audio, Inc. 2

It is easy to ponnect a cable out of phase when using this connection method.
Carefully verify cable polarity at speaker and amplifier.
Bare wires should never come into
contact with the aluminum dress
plate while the amplifier is on.
Amplifier damage could result.
The input screws should be snug,
but should not be overtightened.
Bi-Wire Connections
Bi-wiring provides the sonic attributes of bi-amping
without the cost and complexity of two stereo
amplifiers. Bi-wiring is recommended for all systems
using a receiver, integrated amplifier or single stereo
amplifier. Four identical runs of equal length speaker
cables are required. (Two per speaker.)
1. Crimp and solder spade lugs to the speaker ends of
the cables being used to connect the Model 3As.
2. Choose one of the cables as the tweeter/midrange
cable. Connect the ground side of the chosen cable
under the top left terminal screw and the positive
side of the cable under the top right terminal screw.
3. Connect the ground side of the remaining cable
under the lower left terminal screw and the positive
side of the cable under the lower right terminal screw.
4. Connect both cables in proper polarity to the same
set of outputs on your amplifier. If possible, use only
one spade lug to connect both cables to each
terminal on the amplifier as shown in the enlarged
view of an amplifier connection.
For Better Sound
a. All four speaker cables should be the same type and
length. While certain different cable types may
work well together, using identical cables on the top
and bottom insures perfect blending.
b. Use high quality cables and spade lugs. Crimp and
solder the spade lugs to the cables.
c. If your amplifier has “A” and “B” outputs, use the “A”
outputs for both cables. The two sets of outputs may
not be electrically identical.
d. If your amplifier has multiple impedance taps, both
cables should be connected to the same tap.
3
Model 3A Operation Manual

This connection method can only
be used in a system configured with
two identical stereo amplifiers.
Bare wires should never come into
contact with the aluminum dress
plate while the amplifier is on.
Amplifier damage could result.
The input screws should be snug,
but should not be overtightened.
Vertical Bi-Amp Connections
Vertical Bi-amplification uses a stereo amplifier to
drive each speaker. Four identical runs of equal length
speaker cables are required. (Two per speaker.)
1. Connect two cables to each speaker as described in
steps 1-3 on the previous page.
2. Designate one stereo amplifier as the left channel
amplifier and the other identical stereo amplifier as
the right channel amplifier.
3. Use high quality single female to dual male “Y”
connectors to connect the preamp’s left channel
output to both inputs of the left amplifier and the
preamp’s right channel output to both inputs of the
right amplifier as shown in the diagram.
4. Connect the bass cable from the left speaker to one
output channel of the left amplifier and the
tweeter/midrange cable from the left speaker to the
other output channel of the same amplifier.
5. Connect the bass cable from the right speaker to
one output channel of the right amplifier and the
tweeter/midrange cable from the right speaker to the
other output channel of the same amplifier.
For Better Sound
a. Verify with the amplifier manufacturer that your amp¬
lifiers are the same generation and sound the same.
b. If your amplifiers have multiple impedance taps, both
cables should be connected to the same rated taps.
c. All four speaker cables should be the same type and
length. While certain different cable types may
work well together, using identical cables on the top
and bottom insures perfect blending.
Preamp
Vandersteen Audio, Inc.

The performance of the Model 3As is compromised by a mono-wire connec-
tion. They should be bi-wired as soon as possible._
Bare wires should never come into
contact with the aluminum dress
plate while the amplifier is on.
Amplifier damage could result.
V__ J
The input screws should be snug,
but should not be overtightened.
Mono-Wire Connections
Mono-wiring should only be used with the Model
3As as a temporary connection method. The speakers
should be bi-wired as soon as possible.
1. Cut two sections of wire about 2Vfc inches long to
make two jumper wires.
2. Crimp and solder spade lugs to all four ends of the
two jumper wires.
3. Connect one end of a jumper wire under the top left
terminal screw and one end of the other jumper wire
under the top right terminal screw.
4. Crimp and solder spade lugs to the speaker ends of
the cable from the amplifier.
5. Connect the ground side of the speaker cable and
the jumper cable from the top left terminal screw
under the lower left terminal screw.
6. Connect the positive side of the speaker cable and
the jumper cable from the top right terminal screw
under the lower right terminal screw.
7. Connect the speaker cables to your amplifier, ground
to ground and positive to positive.
For Better Sound
a. The speaker cables should as short as possible and
the same length. Consider putting the amplifier
between the speakers rather than off to one side.
b. Use quality cables. Keep all connections clean and
tight.
c. Bi-wire or bi-amplify as soon as possible for optimum
performance.
5
Model 3A Operation Manual

Setting-Up The Model 3As
Listening Height
All properly aligned loudspeakers have a vertical
listening window where their sound is optimized. The
Model 3A’s six inch high optimum listening window is
centered at 35 inches when the speakers are vertical.
If your ear height is above 35 inches at your normal
listening position, the speakers should be leaned back
to raise the optimum listening window up to your ear
height. The chart to the right shows how much the
speakers should be leaned back for different ear
heights and listening distances.
1. Measure the distance from the listening position to
the speakers and the height of your ears when you
are seated at your listening position. (Ear height is
roughly equal to the height of the tip of your nose)
2. Find the values closest to your actual measurements
on the chart to the right.
3. Follow the horizontal line across from your listening
distance and the vertical line up from your ear height
to the point where they intersect. The heavy lines
numbered from 0 to 2Vz indicate how many inches
the top of the speaker should be behind the bottom
of the speaker to center the listening window at your
listening height and distance.
4. Adjust the length of the spike or cone on the rear
brace of each speaker to lean the speakers back the
proper amount.
5. As an example of how to measure for the proper
amount of lean:
a. Tie a nut to a piece of thread about five feet long.
b Hang the thread and nut from the back of the
speaker and measure the distance the nut is away
from the bottom of the speaker as shown in the
diagram. This measurement is the amount of
speaker lean. (For clarity, the amount of lean in
the diagram has been exaggerated and the rear
brace is not shown.)
c. Secure the rear spike or cone.
Distance From
Speakers In Feet
r ~ "\
The Model 3As break-in and significantly improve during the first 100 hours of use. Until
this period has elapsed, the speakers exhibit some sonic aberrations as the parameters of
the Model 3A were established with completely broken-in drivers.
One way to speed-up the break-in process is to let the system play at a moderate volume
level 24 hours a day for a week or so. Playing the speakers louder than a moderate level will
not shorten the break-in period.
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Vandersteen Audio, Inc.
6

Vandersteen speakers will produce excellent, satisfying sound
placed almost anywhere in a room. With all the possible variables
in room layout, there are no magical formulas for determining the
best speaker placement in every room. Since every room is
different, we recommend that you try the speakers in every
domestically acceptable location to find where they sound the
best in your particular listening environment. The following
sections contain suggestions that may be helpful in your
placement experiments.
Speaker Placement
Problems can arise when you attempt to place a
given loudspeaker, either front radiating or dipole, into
a typical domestic environment. These problems are a
function of the physical dimensions of the room. The
room’s dimensions dictate where in the room a node or
anti-node will occur. Frequency response dips and
peaks caused by nodes and anti-nodes can easily over¬
whelm the inherent accuracy of a loudspeaker.
If, for example, you place a loudspeaker with excel¬
lent frequency response characteristics in the corner of
a room, you will increase response below about 200Hz
by 6dB. This particular condition is a worst case ex¬
ample, but similar conditions apply throughout the
room to some extent.
Odd Dimensions Placement
Research on speaker placement has produced a
method for reducing the nodes and anti-nodes in many
rooms by positioning the loudspeakers on the odd
dimensional intersections of the room. The odd dimen¬
sional intersections are the intersections of the imagi¬
nary lines you would draw if you divided the length of
your room and the width of your room by odd numbers.
As an example, we will use a rectangular room
measuring 14 feet wide by 18 feet long. We’ll assume
that you want to set the speakers on one of the short
walls, although this method works equally well for long
wall placement.
The first step is to take the length of the room,
(18 feet in our example) convert it from feet to inches,
(18x12 = 216) and divide the result by odd numbers.
216 divided by 3 is 72 (all to the nearest inch)
216 divided by 5 is 43
216 divided by 7 is 31
216 divided by 9 is 24
216 divided by 11 is 20
216 divided by 13 is 17
(And so on, eventually the lines start to pile
on top of each other or the speaker runs into
the wall.)
The results are the distances in inches that the
center of the speakers can be placed into the length of
the room, away from the wall behind them, to minimize
nodes and anti-nodes.
Now we can graph these odd dimensions distan¬
ces on a drawing of the room. We only need to graph
them for the wall where we intend to place the
speakers.
We use the same method to figure how far the
centers of the speakers should be from the side walls.
We take the width of the room, (14 feet) convert it from
feet to inches, (14 x 12 = 168) and divide the result by
odd numbers.
168 divided by 3 is 56 (all to the nearest inch)
168 divided by 5 is 34
168 divided by 7 is 24
168 divided by 9 is 19
168 divided by 11 is 15
The results of these odd number divisions are the
distances in inches that the center of each speaker can
be placed into the width of the room, away from the
side wall, to minimize nodes and anti-nodes.
Now we can graph these odd dimensions distan¬
ces on a drawing of the room.
7
Model 3A Operation Manual

15
24
34
56
56
34
24
15
_r
■
L
Symmetrical Placement
Listening
Position
_r SK9
L
31
By overlaying the width and length graphs, we can
see the intersection points of the lines. These points
represent where the centers of the speakers should be
placed to minimize nodes and anti-nodes.
15
24
34
56
56
34
24
15
72 43 31 24
As you can see, we now have quite a few intersec¬
tions to choose from in our example room. Some of the
intersections in your room will probably be eliminated
by aesthetic or room function considerations, so you
probably will not have as many.
As you try different placements for your speakers,
always place both speakers on the same length line.
For example, both speakers would be placed on the 43
inch line or both speakers would be placed on the 24
inch line. The speakers can be placed on different
width lines, for example one on the 34 inch line and the
other on the 56 inch line. Placing the speakers on dif¬
ferent rather than matching width lines will require that
the listening position be offset to center it between the
speakers. Often, the bass response of the system will
be slightly more linear with the speakers placed on dif¬
ferent width lines, (asymmetrical placement) while the
imaging will often be better with the speakers placed
on matching width lines (symmetrical placement).
r
■
34
Asymmetrical Placement
Listening
Position
■
56
Q
31
After listening to the speakers centered on the
charted intersections, you should listen with the
speakers a couple of inches away from the intersection
points in each direction. In some cases, the speakers
will sound better slightly off the intersections due to the
particular characteristics of your room or a slight error
in your original room measurements. Both speakers
should be moved the same amount forward or back¬
ward when fine-tuning placement.
It
J
k
1
r
* 34
Up to 2 inches
Listening Up to
Position
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2
i
ir
ches
L 34
1
2
1
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Vandersteen Audio, Inc.
8

Several factors influence how speakers interface
with a room other than the room’s basic dimensions so
it is possible that none of the placement options on the
wall you initially place the speakers on will sound quite
right. The sound may have too much or too little bass
or be too forward or too withdrawn. If you are unable to
achieve satisfactory sound with the speakers placed on
one wall, try placing the speakers on another wall of
the room. Even in a rectangular room, the speakers will
interface differently with the room depending upon
which of the four walls they are placed. In some rooms
the speakers will sound best placed on a short wall
while in other rooms the speakers will work better
placed on a long wall.
Third Dimensions Placement
A placement method that provides some unique
effects is to place each speaker on the thirds of the
room measurements and the listening position on the
third of the length. The speakers are placed one third
the length of the room from the wall behind them and
one third the width of the room from the walls along
side them. The listening position is then placed one
third the length of the room from the wall behind it.
In our 14 by 18 foot example room, the thirds are
72 inches in the long dimension and 56 inches in the
short dimension. The intersections of these measure¬
ments are used for third dimensions placement. In addi¬
tion, the listening position is placed 72 inches from the
rear wall of the room.
r
Listening
Position
t
56
56
72 72
Both speakers should be tried up to two inches
ahead and behind the intersections to determine if this
improves the sound. Both speakers should be moved
the same amount forward or backward.
Third dimensions placement reduces the interac¬
tion of the speakers with the room to an absolute mini¬
mum, but can create aesthetic or room function
problems due to the speakers and listening position
being so far out into the room. (The lower the odd num¬
ber used to divide the room dimensions the lower the
interaction between the speakers and the room.
Acoustical Center
The Model 3A's acoustical center is the physical
center of the loudspeaker. In a perfect rectangular
room with absolutely rigid walls and no doors or win¬
dows, the acoustical center of the loudspeaker would
be placed exactly at the point where the two dimen¬
sions intersect to realize the full benefits of odd dimen¬
sions or third dimensions placement. In a real room,
the actual best placement may vary from the intersec¬
tion by as much as two inches or so. Fine-tuning the
placement by moving the speakers a couple of inches
off the odd dimension intersections takes these real
world conditions into account.
No placement should be used that would place the
acoustical center of the loudspeaker the same distance
from the rear and side walls. The measurement from
the center of the loudspeaker to the two walls should
differ by at least two inches. If any of the odd dimen¬
sion intersections are within two inches of the same dis¬
tance from both the side and rear wall, those
intersections should not be used.
Speaker Toe-in
The degree of toe-in can affect the imaging and
response characteristics of the speakers. In most
rooms, the speakers will sound best facing straight
ahead or slightly toed-in. Speakers that are placed
close to the side walls or in rooms with very reflective
side walls may require additional toe-in to avoid a con¬
fused image and/or a forward midrange and treble.
If the speakers need an excessive amount of toe-
in to image properly or achieve good center fill, there
may be a problem with the set-up or connection of the
speakers or some part of the system may not be
functioning as intended. To determine why the
speakers require excessive toe-in, check all your
speaker wire connections for correct phase and verify
that the electrical components in the system are con¬
nected and functioning properly.
Acoustic Treatments
If the speakers are close to the side walls and you
hear a brightness in the midrange/treble or a problem
with the imaging that toeing-in the speakers does not
help, some sound absorbent material should be
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Model 3A Operation Manual

mounted on the side walls to control reflections.
To determine where the sound absorbent material
should be placed, imagine that the walls are mirrors
and mount the material on the walls where you would
see the reflections of the speakers when you are sitting
in your normal listening position. Before you actually
mount anything on the side walls, experiment with a
folded natural-fiber blanket to verify the positioning of
the material and that you will get the results you desire.
If your listening position is close to the wall behind
you, mount some sound absorbent material, such as a
hanging tapestry, directly behind your head. As with
the material for the side walls, experiment with a folded
natural-fiber blanket to verify the results before you
acquire or mount the material.
Helpful Hints
a. To try the speakers on different walls, set your equip¬
ment in the middle of the room so the speaker cables
can reach each possible location.
b. When you change the placement of the speakers,
listen to several different pieces of music before
judging the results of the change.
c. If you set the speakers on a wood floor, place a coin
under each cone or spike or use rounded head
carriage bolts; 1/4-20 thread bolts in place of the
cones and 3/6-16 thread bolts in place of the spikes.
d. When you have discovered the optimum speaker
positioning in your room, mark it with tape so you
can move the speakers to vacuum without losing
your placement reference.
e. If the bass is ill-defined in your room regardless of
where you place the speakers, check your windows
for loose panes of glass. Loose glass will vibrate
and can seriously impair the low frequency detail
of the system.
f. Don’t over-analyse the sound of each placement.
When the sound is right, it will be obvious.
g. Keep notes on the sound of different placements
you try. It is easy to get mixed-up and forget which
placement sounded the best.
Placement Notes
Bass problems that cannot be corrected with place¬
ment adjustments may be helped by the addition of
bass traps or other bass control devices. Follow the
instructions of the bass control devices as to their
proper set-up and placement to correct the problems
you are experiencing.
Vandersteen Audio, Inc.
10