Studio's or Vienna's? (1 Viewer)

[John*paulJ]

This is more or less in reference to my other post.
I'm trying to get a Job at Tweeter here in northern VA(manassas)and was wondering if I should get the studio's now or wait until I can get employee price for the vienna acoustics? I have not heard the studio's but I have heard the vienaa's with Music and all I can say is my Jaw dropped(Mozartz?).
They were hooked through a B&K combo at tweeter.

 

[Russell _T]

I have heard the Studios many times, and only recently had the chance to hear a pair of Vienna Beethovens at Tweeters run through the same B&K equipment. The studios are pretty good speakers for the money, but I much preferred the Vienna's. They are a lot more expensive but with your discount, the price might be more equitable. The Vienna's are not as bright and sound more accurate in the midrange than the Studio 100's. I also was impressed with the rock solid imaging and spacious soundstage. The rosewood cabinets were stunning, but the black and I believe maple ones didn't look as good to me for some reason.

 

[Matt Jesty]

John , I work in the area and in the same industry and LOVE the Vienna's.........

 

[Alex F.]

The sound quality of Vienna's loudspeakers are among the very few of which I admire. Others, in no particular order, are Sonus-Faber, Vandersteen, Joseph Audio, and Polk's new LSi series. Wonderful musicality.

 

[Russell _T]

Actually I listened to the SF Grand Piano's side by side with the Vienna's, and liked the Vienna's by a considerable margin.

 

[Justin Doring]

I would certainly choose the Vienna Acoustic Mozarts over the Paradigm Studio 100s. The Mozarts are far more natural sounding speakers, and the gorgeous veneer doesn't hurt.

 

[John*paulJ]

Thanks for the Advice Guys!

 

[DonJ]

People around here think that price means quaity. So everyone is going to say the Vienna's except me. How do you have control over QA when you don't build your own drivers.

 

[Thomas Will]

I would disagree I listen to both Vienna and Studio. In my opinion I thought the Vienna sound better and I wish they were cheaper.

 

[Bruce Chang]

I would say the silverline audio sonatina's sound alot better then vienna and the studios. The sontatina's are easy to power 93db sensativity and sound great in all listening environments. I'm right by silverline audio and had a chance to listen to them in a warehouse with 50wpc and was one of the best speakers I've listen this summer. I have listen to:

Revels F30
Sonus Faber grand pianos
B&W N804s
Joseph Audio 55? forgot the model
Vienna Beethovens and mozarts
Silverline Audio grandeurs, sonatina, sonata
Dynaudio 1.3se, 3.3, 1.8

Out of all these speakers mentioned I would pick the sonatina's over all the speakers. Every the grand jures and the sonata were the more expensive models in the silverline line up, the sonatina's IMO were better for the price.

 

[Alex F.]

Don:

You could not be more incorrect. My stated opinion is based purely on sound quality, not price. Paradigm makes fine loudspeakers (I once owned the Titans) and I have listened to many of their models critically, most recently their top-of-the-line floorstanding Studio 100s. But to my ears the Viennas sound much more musical, as do all the other products I mentioned.

 

[Russell _T]

"People around here think that price means quaity. So everyone is going to say the Vienna's except me. How do you have control over QA when you don't build your own drivers."

This is a pretty strong statement obviously posted by a member who is intimately familiar with the audio industry. The poster hasn't stated his experience with the speakers in question though. In my experience, there is not one word of validity in the above quote. For example, the new Onix Rockets not only outperform the Studios, but are on a par with the Vienna's at a fraction of the price. And their QC is second to none.

 

[Mark Austin]

I would definitely say the Vienna's are a better sounding speaker, and of course that is personal preference. But, at the same time, for basically the same money, I think the Sonus faber offerings sound better than the Vienna's.

 

[Mal P]

Don - Most speaker manufacturers have their drivers sourced from the top OEM driver manufacturers, like SEAS, Audax, Scan Speak, Vifa etc. Whether a speaker manufacturer makes their own drivers or not is inconsequential to the sound quality, as the drivers made by some of these companies (for example, SEAS with their Magnesium cones) are pretty much as good as it gets. Also it is easy for an order to be placed for custom variations of certain "off-the-shelf" drivers.

Cheers,
Mal

 

[Matt Jesty]

When reflecting on the pros and cons of companies making their own drivers (and other elements of the speaker) there are a few things to consider...
Are they doing it because that company can make and is renowned for making great drivers, and can produce a better product (as is ussually the case with the aformentioned mnfgs of high-end drivers ) or is it a mid-fi speaker manufacturer saving on money and time?
Given GREAT drivers a GREAT cabinet maker who has a nack for creating crossovers and voicing speakers can make GREAT product.....
The danger is that the driver mnfgs like VIFA AND SCAN (only random examples) will build/sell others mediocre product to hit a price point like everyone else...
People who frequent this forum are learning the importance of box design and quality and some even know a bit about crossover design, when the diy'er gets these elements down he/she will begin to experiment with voicing..
If you ask me if Polk started to "farm-out" their driver mnfgrng and moved their box assembly to Tijuana to make a "better" more "audiophile grade" product, my answer would be "no"...
Does BOSTON ACOUSTICS need to build almost all (all?) their own components in their own factory to make them good?
Does it bother me that DEFINATIVE TECHNOLOGY doesn't have ANY factory?
Good questions....

 

[Andrew Santos]

Does it bother me that DEFINATIVE TECHNOLOGY doesn't have ANY factory?

what does this mean? i'm not doubting your statement, i'm just curious as to how that works.

 

[Matt Jesty]

Other companies make the drivers for them and the Kimball Piano factory builds the cabinets and does the assembly...
I don't think that this has changed at all since inseption but if I'm wrong I'm sure someone will correct me....

 

[Peka J]

"For example, the new Onix Rockets not only outperform the Studios, but are on a par with the Vienna's at a fraction of the price. And their QC is second to none."

What is this statement based upon? Have you listened to both for a good amount of time? I'm very interested in this because I have been intrigued by the Divas for some time, and now am considering the Rockets. However, I haven't heard either and am nervous about ordering speakers I have never heard. Listening to speakers at B&M stores, I have to say that the Vienna Acoustic Mozarts are the best speakers that I have heard (at least for my tastes), but they are a little expensive for me (after factoring in the price for a 5 speaker system). I would be interested to hear a comparison between the Rockets and the Vienna Acoustics because if they are equal or very close, then the Rockets are worth my trying out. If they sounded the same I would be ecstatic, and if they don't I'll send them back and be out the shipping but I would like to hear from people that have heard both.

 

[Russell _T]

Peka,
I had the pleasure of an extended listening session with the Vienna Acoustic speakers during a recent trip to San Diego. It was my first trip to a Tweeters, and they had a very nice sound room which one of the salesmen had obviously gone to a lot of trouble to set up. The Viennas were set up using the Beethovens as mains, and Haydns as rears. I forget the center, but I think they only make one. They were finished in a gorgeous Rosewood. I ran them through a Pioneer TX49, a Denon 5803, and B&K Ref 30 with their 7250 amp. I listened to them in both HT configuration and 2 channel stereo. They were set up next to SF Grand Pianos and Concertinos which I also listened to, but not as much. They were not to my taste. The Vienna's on the other hand sounded out of this world. They had a large open soundstage, and pinpoint imaging that was especially beautiful on the Sarah McClaughlin numbers I listened to. I could have listened to them all evening, but they eventually threw me out at closing time.
The only thing is that I have been listening to the Onix Rockets in my home for the past 4 months and while it has been noted that sonic memory is short, I wouldn't trade in my Rockets for the Vienna's even if they were the same price. They both have exceptional tonal balance and sweet clear highs, but you can get the Rockets from AV123, and their level of service can't be had anywhere else. Bass extension is just what it should be, tight and accurate with out a hint of boominess or overhang. Neither speaker attempts to do the job of a subwoofer. The finish on the Rockets while somewhat different is easily up to the standard of the Vienna's. The Rosewood on the Rockets is an elegant low sheen over 1" MDF cabinets, while the Vienna's have a higher gloss.

 

[Peka J]

Russell,
Thanks for the info. I have heard the Vienna's at two different Tweeters and both times I heard them after listening to several other speakers at Tweeter. I just couldn't believe how much better these sounded to me than the Klipsh, or Boston Acoustics, or Mirage speakers that I heard immediately before the Viennas. I definitely am interested in the Rockets, and as I said, if they sounded close to the Viennas, I would jump on them in a second. I am moving shortly to NYC, and am waiting to move to buy my new speakers - hopefully some more people will have the rockets by then and will post some reviews.