vandersteen 2ce sig/ 3a sig power requirements

thanks again bigtee, have added jolida jd1000a 100 watt tube integrated and belles 250i hybrid integrated to the list, i think the amp i choose will be temporary solution until i can rationalize spending more bucks. originally planned to spend only 4k as this is my first system. will demo jolida at home, and also demo 60 watt integrated at the dealer with the 3's before deciding on amp. listen to alot of orchestral music and like a big soundstage outside of the speakers.

aloha keith

In the past I have owned a pair of Vandersteen 2 C's I paired with an Aaragon 4004 and Audible Illusions 2C pre. I agree with Bigtee that the ss amp and tube pre combo give you most of the tube benefits without the tweaking and maintainence a tube amp demands.
I have not found a speaker at the 2CE Sig's price point that offers such even and musical sound without some glaring fault that, for me, leads to speaker fatigue i.e. lack of bottom end, glaring or steely highs, etc. For this reason the 2CE Sigs will probably be my next system upgrade from my current vintage 15 amp Rogers LS3/5 a's. I would be most interested, Ataqi, in how you find the match with the Belles 250i and the rest of the amps on your list. On paper (power, specs, tube pre, etc.) it seems as if it would be a wonderful match if the amp is as musical as touted.
I understand that Richard Vandersteen voices his speakers through ARC gear so I have been hoping to hear the 2CE Sigs through some of this gear as well, perhaps a 100.2 amp and tube linestage or the new 150.2 integrated.

--Listen with your heart, vote with your dollars... it's all about the music!
Ron

ron,

ended up getting the 3a sigs as dealer had a pair that a customer ordered but upgraded to 5a's before taking delivery. didn't demo the belles, i was going to buy it blind. did demo the 2ce's with arc (vk?)55i and the combo sounded excellent. much better than ayre ss seperates. ended up getting bat vk3i pre and vk 200. also demo'ed jolida jd 100 cd player vs. ayre cx-7. unfair because the ayre cost 3 times as much but the jolida kept up all aspects except seemed to drag a little on a few cuts. very close. ended up with ayre. also purchased a jolida jd 302b 50 watt integrated which i think will be a perfect match for 2ce's. i prefer it over the bat gear. it's a great little amp and has way more juice than i will ever need in 18x14x9 room. bass is almost as good as with subs and mids are silky smooth. i would highly recomend the jolida integrated with 2ce's and it's dirt cheap to boot. also, 2ce's are great but the 3a sigs are better. if you get the jolida, the money saved would allow upgrade to the 3's. good luck in your search. right now i'm in audio bliss.

aloha keith

Vandersteen speakers usually match very well with tubes. Between 70 - 120 should do just fine. I drive my Quatros with 78 watts per Chanel cyber 800 mono blocks.