What separates should I use for my vandersteen 1c?

If you don't understand and optimize your room acoustics spending 5 K on amplification can be of little help in getting the best out of your speakers.

That said both Macintosh and Van Alstine sound good with
Vandies.

The best pre-amp under $2,500 is the Doge 8 from Pacific Valve at around $1,500. There is a broad range of amplifiers for your budget. You might opt for a solid state amp, as the Doge 8 is a tubed unit and the solid state amp (adequately powered) probably would give you better bass control.

Greg

Underscore CJ electronics with Vandersteen speakers. One of those few but ideal matches.

With all due respect to the other posters, I'm not as big a fan of the Vandy's with c-j, especially c-j tube amps. IMHO, the Vandy's as great a value as they, are are bit bloated in the bass, not the last word in dynamics, and a bit reticent. c-j tubes tend to have the same characteristics. Now if you love that, and can't get enough, so be it. But, if your trying to balance qualities, both of these fine products are probably better suited for use with other gear than with each other. Just my 2 cents, YMMV.

Rogue Audio Cronus...... an integrated amp that works really, really well with the Vandy 1C's. If you're intent on separates, then the Rogue Atlas/Metis combination should sound just as fine. Happy Listening.