Напольная акустика — Vandersteen Audio 1Ci+

The Model 1Ci+ is an American-built two-way tower by Vandersteen Audio, sold with its stands at a starting price of USD 2,190 for the pair, not counting duty, taxes or freight. The Model 1 series has been in continuous production since 1983, and the company identifies the 1Ci+ as the fourth version of the design. Compared with its predecessor it drops the treble attenuation control, which the maker says went unused, and adopts Vandersteen's more recent crossover design.

Key specs that matter

Vandersteen fits a 1 inch dual-chamber, transmission-line loaded dome of ceramic-coated alloy with ferrofluid cooling of the voice coil. Bass and midrange go to an 8 inch woofer whose mineral-filled polycone rides in a die-cast frame, with a 1.5 inch dual-layer voice coil wound on a ventilated aluminium former and a 1.1 kg focused-gap magnet. Frequency response runs from 38 Hz to 22.5 kHz within plus or minus 3 dB. Sensitivity reaches 90 dB at 1 metre with 2.83 volts, and impedance is 6.8 ohms plus or minus 2 ohms. A first-order crossover with 6 dB per octave slopes joins the drivers at 2.8 kHz, and both are connected in positive phase. Inputs are barrier strips for spades up to 11 mm wide. Width, height and depth measure 305, 914 and 254 mm, and the net weight is 20 kg.

Engineering and use context

Vandersteen describes the Model 1 as offering a sample of the Model 2 at about half its price in a smaller package that is easier to drive. The cabinet keeps its fabric covering instead of wood veneer or paint, and the company says leaving that cabinet unchanged is a large part of how the price is held down. The tweeter dome is carefully damped to avoid the excess ringing associated with metal domes, and its alloy was selected for strength and resistance to break-up. The woofer uses patented open cast-metal baskets instead of the stamped type, which the maker says increase rigidity and reduce sympathetic resonances. Development relies on measurement as well as listening, and Vandersteen states it was the first loudspeaker maker to use the Gen-Rad 2512 Fast Fourier Transform analyser in research. Buyers choose walnut, maple, dark oak or cherry, all fitted with black grilles, or a black version that comes with a charcoal grille.

Pairing

Vandersteen rates the 1Ci+ for amplifiers of 20 to 100 watts into 8 ohms. On its product page the company links the model with the SUB THREE powered subwoofer, which has a 325 watt internal amplifier and three 8 inch drivers.

Alternatives

In the same Model 1, 2 and 3 family Vandersteen builds the Model 2Ce Signature III, a floorstanding model also sold with stands and quoted down to 29 Hz.