Lacking Soundstage - Vandersteen 2C

Thanks to all for great tips. I listened to Eric Clapton unplugged after moving the speakers 6ft apart and wow the soundstage is much wider and the instruments are where the mixer wanted them to be. It's still not ideal but much much better than before. I have yet to try the toe-ins and tilts suggested.

I'll keep you guys updated.

Thanks Again wonderful people.

FWIW, I have a pair of 1Cs, and they are a bit under 5ft apart. I get great width, decent hieght, a little extension into the room, and no depth (55" RPTV sits between them). IMHO, the 4ft space between them is not the problem. Placing the speakers too close to the side wall might make things worse (soundstage and frequency balance). But, it seems to have worked, so, I'm happy for you! The tilt is essential. Also try different amounts of toe-in, or no toe-in. Also, make sure the 2Cs are level in the horizontal plane. Vandersteen has stressed the importance of this for his designs in the past. Use a good bubble level, making sure both speakers are level and even in hieght.

Livin_262002, have been able to move the speakers further from the back wall? Say 4 ft? You are likely to benefit from some side absorbtion panels as well. But getting them 6ft apart was a major and necessary move.

I will just affirm the placement recommendations of the previous posters. The original 2C's were my first real high end speakers many years ago, and they generated a huge and enveloping soundstage, but the room I had them in gave them a ton of breathing room, and I remember LOTS of futzing around before I got them optimally placed.(I was single back then and could have my rig way out into the room... LOL...) But hang in there.... they're tremendous speakers if you can get them placed right.

I've had a couple of pairs of 2c's over the years and have always considered them one of the best there is. All of the recommendations above are great but it's true that your room and configuration may be a little small for them. I always found that little to zero toe-in should be required to get the best image, but usually in a little bigger space. Getting them spread farther than 4 feet was probably the best thing you could do and getting the tilt right to smooth the tweeter response is also critical.

What else is in your system? Vandy's are great speakers but with the right amplifier driving them, they just come alive... maybe it's all a good excuse for an upgrade! ;)