Vandersteen Quatro Wood CT
Vandersteen’s Quatro Wood CT pairs deep, tunable bass with a seamless, time-coherent presentation that stays open, tactile and composed from whisper levels to concert scale. Positive Feedback found its powered low end tightly integrated, its treble grain-free, and its room-filling dynamics remarkably free of strain—an accomplished full-range design for serious two-channel systems.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
96/100
Build Quality
95/100
Value for Money
95/100
Pros
Deep, tight and tactile powered bass integrates seamlessly with the upper drivers, while 11-band EQ enables room tailoring.
Remains clean, open and coherent at very high volumes, with substantial slam and no reported compression or hardening.
Silky, grain-free resolution and expansive dimensional air reveal vocal and instrumental detail without forcing it forward.
Exceptional fit and finish, with cabinet-within-a-cabinet construction and non-parallel walls supporting the refined engineering.
Cons
Its time- and phase-coherent design creates a relatively defined optimal listening position; placement is important for best results.
Closely spaced barrier-strip terminals may not accommodate wider spade connectors.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 96/100
The review portrays the Quatro Wood CT as an unusually complete, coherent loudspeaker, combining wide bandwidth, natural tone, high resolution and serious scale without obvious seams between drivers. It is described as equally persuasive at low levels and at very high volumes, with an open, room-filling presentation that remains composed.
Bass
97/100
The two 8-inch powered subwoofers are praised for bass that is deep, tight, articulate and tactile, with no apparent strain or compression. The reviewer found them seamlessly integrated with the upper drivers and especially effective after room tuning, loading the room with unusually convincing low-frequency authority.
Mid
94/100
The review describes a natural, coherent presentation with convincing tone, decay, presence and texture. Vocals and instruments are said to emerge clearly without being pushed forward, contributing to the impression of a speaker free from obvious coloration or crossover discontinuities.
Treble
95/100
High frequencies are described as silky, highly resolved and grain-free, with no edge, glare or brightness reported. The speaker is also praised for openness and air, while retaining a relaxed, natural sense of detail rather than sounding artificially clinical.
Soundstage Imaging
95/100
The reviewer heard strong spatial detail, dimensional air and ambience, with subtle instrumental information presented clearly but never forced. The soundstage is described as reaching the room's boundaries and becoming particularly immersive on atmospheric recordings.
Dynamics
97/100
The Quatro Wood CT is praised for remaining clean, open and coherent when played very loudly, without audible hardening or compression. The reviewer reports substantial slam and scale, saying the speaker continues to gain depth and impact without seeming to approach its limits.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
95/100
The review calls the fit and finish exceptionally good and highlights the cabinet-within-a-cabinet construction and non-parallel walls. It presents the Quatro Wood CT as a carefully engineered, beautifully executed speaker rather than simply a luxurious-looking one.
Value for Money
95/100
The review argues that the engineering and performance feel appropriate to a speaker costing several times its then-quoted $13,900 asking price. The supplied listing price is $20,150, so prospective buyers should account for the difference, but the available review still regards the Quatro as unusually compelling against more expensive alternatives.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
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Specifications
- Tweeter
- 1” Exclusive Aerodynamic Dual-Chamber, Transmission-Line Loaded Carbon Dome with Ferrofluid Voice-Coil Cooling
- Midrange
- 4.5” Reflection-Free Tri-Woven Composite Cone with Die-Cast Aerodynamic Basket and Magnet System with Ferrofluid Voice-Coil Cooling
- Mid-Woofer
- 6.5” Woven-Fiber Cone and Precision-Formed Magnet Assembly Copper Faraday Ring
- Subwoofer(s)
- (2) 8" Carbon-Loaded Cellulose-Cone Drivers with Long-Throw Motor Assemblies
- Phase
- Positive
- Subwoofer Amplifier
- 250-Watt High-Current Power-Factor Corrected Amplifier
- Recommended Amplification
- 40-200 Watts Into 8 Ohms
- Frequency Response
- 24Hz – 40kHz +/- 2dB
- Sensitivity
- 87 dB, 1 meter/2.83 volt input
- Impedance
- 8 ohms +/- 3 ohms
- Crossovers
- First order/6dB per octave, 100Hz, 900Hz, 5kHz
- Input Terminals
- Barrier strips, 7/16" max width
- Dimensions (WHD)
- 10” x 43” x 19”
- Weight
- 110 lbs. Ea. Net
- Country of Manufacture
- Made in the USA
Manufacturer's Description — Vandersteen
Vandersteen Audio introduces the Quatro Wood CT, the latest evolution in speaker technology and sound quality to derive from the research & development efforts that delivered the patented carbon-fiber Perfect-Piston drivers used in the flagship Model 7. While the Perfect-Piston Tweeter used in the Model 7 is the fully embodied deal of high-frequency purity and resolution, the Quatro Wood CT (Carbon Tweeter) features the superb Carbon Tweeter from the renowned Model 5A Carbon.
" ... the Quatro (Wood CT)s fit the bill for musicality, extended frequency response, dynamically spot on, and being drop-dead attractive to look at. Thanks, Richard. Much love to you and all at Vandersteen ... A real keeper." -Dave Clark, Editor Positive Feedback Online
Vandersteen Audio introduces the Quatro Wood CT, the latest evolution in speaker technology and sound quality to derive from the research & development efforts that delivered the patented carbon-fiber Perfect-Piston drivers used in the flagship Model 7. While the Perfect-Piston Tweeter used in the Model 7 is the fully embodied deal of high-frequency purity and resolution, the Quatro Wood CT (Carbon Tweeter) features the superb Carbon Tweeter from the renowned Model 5A Carbon.
Carbon driver cones offer the pistonic linearity of metal drivers without the unnatural sonic colorations inherent in metal drivers. Employing a carbon tweeter allows the Quatro Wood CT to deliver an astonishing amount of the air, space and natural purity previously heard only in the Model 5A Carbon and the Model 7.
Like all Vandersteen speakers, the Quatro Wood CT is a time- and phase-correct loudspeaker, made in the USA. Because such great demands are placed on the drivers in Vandersteen’s first-order speaker designs, all of the Quatro Wood CT’s drivers are the kind of highly advanced transducers typically found in cost-no-object designs. Vandersteen’s patented, Reflection-Free 4.5” midrange driver breaks up energy from behind the driver before it can pass directly back into the room and to the listener’s ears. The 6.5” Tri-Woven woofer offers superior transient response and definition in the crucial lower-midrange/midbass frequencies.
Of course, the Quatro Wood CT also provides much of the performance and versatility of Vandersteen’s top-end powered-bass speakers in an attractive and compact form factor. The Quatro Wood CT’s foundation is its powered subwoofer section. Each speaker is equipped with dual 8” subwoofers powered by custom-tailored amplifiers that work in conjunction with passive, first-order (6dB/octave) 100Hz high-pass filters and 11-band EQ for the ultimate in-room performance optimization.
High-pass filtering allows the main amplifier to perform better, unburdened of reproducing deep bass, and is also the only way to ensure flat frequency response at the crossover to the powered subwoofer. Passive speaker designs always require placement compromises between the areas in the room where the imaging is typically best (farther out in the room) and where the bass is best (closer to the walls for boundary reinforcement). In Vandersteen’s powered-bass speakers the speaker can be placed out in the room where it images best, while the 11-band EQ ensures powerful but perfectly tailored in-room bass performance. The best of all things.
The impedance-compensated crossovers are ultra-high-performance designs featuring extreme-quality parts and individually tuned in an anechoic chamber. Vandersteen’s Minimum Baffle enclosures ensure maximum rigidity free of time-smearing reflections and diffraction.
All of this technology allows the Quatro Wood CT to offer the kind of exceptional resolution, imaging, and natural musicality Vandersteens are known for, with deep and powerful yet tuneful bass, virtually anywhere in any room.
Tweeter: 1” Exclusive Dual-Chamber, Transmission-Line Loaded Carbon Dome with Ferrofluid Voice-Coil Cooling
Midrange: 4.5” Patented Reflection-Free Tri-Woven Composite Cone with Die-Cast Aerodynamic Basket and Magnet System with Ferrofluid Voice-Coil Cooling
Mid-Woofer: 6.5” Woven-Fiber Cone and Precision-Formed Magnet Assembly with Copper Faraday Ring
Subwoofer(s): Dual 8” Carbon-Loaded Cellulose-Cones with Ultra Long-Throw Motor Assembly, Powered by Integrated Purpose-Designed 250-Watt Class B Linear Amplifier
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Vandersteen Quatro Wood CT
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- Ajasom — online and in-store — Amadora, Lisboa, Portugal (website)
- Alternative Audio — in-store — Taunton, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Audio Advice — online and in-store — Raleigh, North Carolina, United States (website)
- Audio Alternative — online and in-store — Fort Collins, Colorado, United States (website)
- Audio Classics — in-store — New York, United States (website)
- Audio Connection — online and in-store — Verona, New Jersey, United States (website)
- Audio Nexus — in-store — Summit, New Jersey, United States (website)
- Audiophile Zone — online and in-store — Baywood-Los Osos, California, United States (website)
- BELHIFI — online and in-store — Meise, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
and 21 more verified dealers