2. amps-preamps
  3. 1071073968

opinion on electronics for Vandy 2Ce Sig

I recently sold some JM Labs and a reciever to move into some Vandys and...

Early this week I auditioned the Vandersteen 2Ce Sig. They will be mine, oh yes, they WILL be mine.
Shortly after Christmas, I will purchase a pair (here on audiogon probably) I need some opinions on electronics.

Budget = ~$1500
I need a pre and amp both. I can probably go a little higher, but lower the cost, the sooner I am listening.

Volume: Once in a while, I like to listen LOUD! I suspect that 100wpc won't be enough...perhaps I am wrong. Anyway, I DON'T want to run out of headroom.

Room: Strange...living room with 20ft vaulted ceilings, very oddly shaped and also open to the rest of the condo, but three steps down (sunken).

Music: I listen to everything, but I really like the double bass of bluegrass music, Knopfler's guitar, keys and horns of Steely Dan and Alison Krauss + Union Station's beautiful harmonies. When I auditioned the Vandys, I thought that the highs needed some more extention....dare I say a little more brightness. I don't want to loose that midbass though. The audition equip. was PS Audio CDP, Anthem pre/amp combo (not sure the model).

I will almost certianly buy used here on Audiogon.

Here are some brands I am considering in no particular order, and would like comments + suggestions: NOTE: I haven't heard ANY of this stuff, and since I am going to buy used, I won't have the ability to audition before I buy...it's going to come down to performance/price.

McCormack
Conrad Johnson
Musical Fidelity
Bryston
Classe
Aragon
Ayre
Rogue Audio

I am also not allergic to tubes, but my wife says she doesn't want 'test tube experiments' in the living room. It seems any tube gear would have to have a case, much to my dismay.

Any and all opinions are welcome, but please don't suggest other speakers. I sat in the audition chair for two hours with a big smile on my face, so they are definitely it as far as speakers go.

Thanks,
Z
zstokes
zstokes OP
124 posts
 
Thanks for the advice folks!

Kt 88,

Right now, it looks like a tube pre and a SS amp. But,
after looking around a bit, I wouldn't be against something like Rogue M-120 Monoblocks...tubes, but you can't see them. I've never heard them, so I don't know if they would fit the setup or not. She also doesn't like the look of McIntosh stuff. The compromises we make...

The only tube-exposed amp my wife has given the stamp of approval of are the new VAC PHI series (I was daydreaming online recently, and she caught me.) Unfortunately, they are about $14/monoblock. A little out of budget for me

Hope that makes sense.
Z
mikesinger
572 posts
 
would suggest pse studio v's mono blocks ( you can confirm this with richard vandersteen).

they were one of the original solid state designs he voiced the speaker with.

fully balanced design that is very neutral / transparent/and dynamic. what you put in them is what you get out - they go for $500 to $600 used.

if you can try to find the silver signiture's - they go for $800 tp $900. the only - solid state amps that i have found better than these is the classe cam mono blocks ($4.5K pair new vs. pse's $3k new)

for a pre, i think it is okay to go with with tubes. you really need to get them somewhere in the line. you can get 80% of the tube sound with a tube or a hybrid pre with out the tube hassle.

remote ( remote is REALLY Nice, i would consider it mandatory)

audio research ls-2b mkII ( fully balanced with remote)they go for $1000 to $1100 used. truly wonderful pre and very reliable. they only require 1 tube. if you want non remote- they can be had for $700 to $850. this is a great match with the vandies and pse's.

bat 3vki - balanced and with remote- a little warmer than the arc ls-2bmkii. they go for $900 to $1100 depending on options and age. if you can strech a little more- the 5vki non remote is $1250 to $1350. with the price of the pse's that will be about $1800. the bat has more tubes, but a very musical and dependable design.

another non remote pre is the audible illusions l-1.
they are extremly reliable and can be had for $600 to $700 used.

hope that helps !!

mike
kt_88
242 posts
 
Mikesinger,

You definetly offered the other end of the SS world with the PSE. I auditioned them early on in my SS days, just about 1 week before I auditioned a McCormack DNA-1 " All on Vandersteen speakers by the way "

While I considered the McCormack brought the music too far forward ( for me ) I thought the PSE's were " to polite for the Vandersteen's " In fact I thought 60 watts tubes added more to the music than the PSE's But who knows?

Zstokes if you want you can e-mail me privately.
bigtee
803 posts
 
When I was using the McCormack's (.5's) for biamping, I opened the top and soldered a piece of silver Wonder wire across the two inputs (hot center wire) You could then use the amps for this purpose without the degradation of a Y connector. It in NO way harms the amp and you certainly want have a warranty issues with amps of this age.

Unsound, why will you not get the benefits of biamping using the internal crossovers? They are designed for exactly this. I have discussed this with Richard at a seminar and I don't believe this is the case with these speakers.
unsound
7,362 posts
 
Bigtee, I did not say there weren't benefits. I said you wouldn't get all the benefits. Having the (active) crossovers before the amps will allow the amps to work more efficently.
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