You're getting some good advice here. I started with Vandersteen 2's before upgrading to 3a's a few years ago. McCormick and BEL amps are good matches for Vandersteens. they're both available at very reasonable prices used here on A'gon. They are clean, powerful, fast and add a nice "jump" factor.
If you like a bit more laid-back sound, have a listen to the Classe integrated amps, don't remember model # CAP151 or 150 or something like that. Nice match and solid gear, available pretty cheap too.
Agree with the comment on the room. Read up on room tuning, it's worth another $1-2k in sound value, for mere hundreds of dollars (or less if you DIY). I learned this one the hard way. Just cuz you bought expensive gear doesn't mean your system will sound good. I was humbled by a friend with an extremely modest system (vintage gear), but well-set up. It sounded much better than mine, at least before I got the room-tuning religion.
FWIW, I've always thought Thiels were sterile sounding unless powered by really high-end gear, and maybe even then too. So it sounds like your ears work fine. Trust them, and take all advice here with a large grain of salt. it's a natural tendency, but folks like to justify their own purchase decisions by recommending them to others. OTOH, it's useful to get vicarious experience from people who actually own the stuff in which you're interested.
For what you've described as your needs, the Vandies sound perfect. The Vandies are much more forgiving of front-end, but the signature editions also will give you good value; every time you upgrade, you'll hear it. Highly recommended! On the downside, you might miss a bit of bass extension, but there's always subwoofers down the road. Vandersteen makes good subs and they're a nice match (I'm listening to one right now).
Hope this helps!
If you like a bit more laid-back sound, have a listen to the Classe integrated amps, don't remember model # CAP151 or 150 or something like that. Nice match and solid gear, available pretty cheap too.
Agree with the comment on the room. Read up on room tuning, it's worth another $1-2k in sound value, for mere hundreds of dollars (or less if you DIY). I learned this one the hard way. Just cuz you bought expensive gear doesn't mean your system will sound good. I was humbled by a friend with an extremely modest system (vintage gear), but well-set up. It sounded much better than mine, at least before I got the room-tuning religion.
FWIW, I've always thought Thiels were sterile sounding unless powered by really high-end gear, and maybe even then too. So it sounds like your ears work fine. Trust them, and take all advice here with a large grain of salt. it's a natural tendency, but folks like to justify their own purchase decisions by recommending them to others. OTOH, it's useful to get vicarious experience from people who actually own the stuff in which you're interested.
For what you've described as your needs, the Vandies sound perfect. The Vandies are much more forgiving of front-end, but the signature editions also will give you good value; every time you upgrade, you'll hear it. Highly recommended! On the downside, you might miss a bit of bass extension, but there's always subwoofers down the road. Vandersteen makes good subs and they're a nice match (I'm listening to one right now).
Hope this helps!