Meet the Model Seven XTRM, the newest Vandersteen Audio flagship! The original Model Seven was introduced in 2009 and remains firmly ensconced as a Stereophile Class A Recommendation, a perennial TAS Editor’s Choice winner, and a winner of universal praise from reviewers and consumers worldwide. All of which is testament to the fact that the Seven was a formidable speaker to improve upon! Vandersteen is XTRM no Grillproud to announce an upgrade to the Model Seven Product range. This new evolution features a recalibrated internal linear 400-watt amplifier with a power-factor-corrected switching power supply, powered Counterforce BassTM with new Opposing 11” Side-firing Subwoofers. Founded upon an included constrained layer damped BedrockTM mass loading base, the cabinet maintains the already quiet StealthTM carbon fiber box-in-box construction. The 11-band EQ now yields more control into the mid-bass to bass integration for better driver transition transparency.
Of course, the beating heart of the Model Seven XTRM is the patented carbon-fiber-clad Perfect-PistonTM drivers that made the Model Seven a sensation. Richard Vandersteen spent 10 years developing these amazing carbon cones, a completely original technology that realizes the dream of true pistonic linearity from dynamic driver cones without the unnatural sonic colorations inherent in metal driver cones. A video showing measurements of this driver is linked below.
Each change contributes significantly to the overall sonic XTRM improvement. This new model substantially improves clarity and harmonic information, better driver transition accuracy resulting in more fluid and holistic clarity. Every pair is handcrafted entirely at the solar-powered factory in California with unlimited choices of high-gloss automotive paint. To ensure precise response and driver reliability, one unit at a time is measured and adjusted using Vandersteen’s anechoic response measurement (ARM) and calibration. Each piece is then explicitly matched in driver response, crossover accuracy with its twin to make a perfect stereo pair.
The Model Seven XTRM advances are rooted in our 40-year-old cornerstone concept: to design full-range, time- and phase-accurate, minimum baffle, vertical array speaker systems. We introduced this concept with the original Vandersteen Model 2 in 1977. The fact that narrow speakers with vertically arrayed drivers are ubiquitous today demonstrates the influence and validity of this speaker design.
Our flagship Model Seven XTRM is entirely uncolored and free of cone-imposed distortions that even the most astute listeners never identified as originating from the loudspeaker itself. The Perfect Pistons’ startling linearity opens an entirely new window on your music collection, revealing nuances only heard by the artists and artisans who made the original recording.