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$ 2500 ....Stay with Vandersteens ??...what else ?

Please refer my "system" to see my current set-up. Everything sounds wonderful together.....extremely musical, great soundstage depth and width, beautiful rendition of timbre and tone, natural presentation of voices and acoustics. BUT....I have the speaker "upgrade itch," wanting fuller, richer, deeper sound, and I need advice from my friends at Audiogon.

I spend around three hours a night of "serious listening," about 2/3 digital and 1/3 vinyl. Roughly 70% of my enjoyment is 1950's - 1960's jazz (Miles, Coltrane, Basie, Rollins, Brubeck, Ella, Mobley, Morgan, etc., etc.), 25% "classic rock" that I grew up with (Allman Brothers, Dead, Dylan, CSNY, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Led Zep, Yes, Hot Tuna, etc.), and the other 5% "newer jazz audiophile stuff" (Patricia Barber, Rebecca Pigeon, etc.)

Keeping the rest of my system the same (except for bi-wire speaker cables if needed), what do you guys recommend for new speakers ? Vandersteen 2CE Sig. II's seem a natural option, but what else should I consider ? I'm open to all kinds of suggestions. Thanks a lot, and Happy Listening !
adam18
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
consider a panel speaker. you could listen to martin logan or magnepan in that price range. if you buy used, your options for a panel speaker expand.
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
Would panel speakers in that price range rock?
samhar
1,048 posts
 
The 1c doesn't have the Vandersteen mid range speaker one of the reasons to own Vandy's!!!! This is what you get with the move to the 2's Richard's own speaker creation the 4 1/2" mid range, very important!!!!! How can you compare inner detail and dynamics to a fuller bass??? When I had "just" the 3A sigs the sound was great (like it would be with the 2Ce sig MKll), when I added the subs the sound was better the point being they were good first!! The 1c just isn't in the same league!!!
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
Very true, and on a related not the move from 1 to 2 is significantly bigger than 2 to 3, but worth it nonetheless, but that makes sense, there does come a point of diminishing returns, but as Samhar says, the midrange driver found in the 2 and up is a key to the Vandersteen sound as you move up the line compared with the 1. I think the steps up the Vandersteen are real and reflect the prices asked. What I'm not clear on is whether I would would prefer the 3a/dual 2Ws or the 5a - forgetting the ergonomics. There is something to be said of bass loading with the two subwoffers versus bass equalization electronics. Nice problem to have when you have to choose, but I suspect the current revision of the 3A with subs is a very viable option to the 5A.
samhar
1,048 posts
 
Pubul57 you hit on my dilemma, are the 5A's 40%( as some say) and $10,000 better? I've passed on two sets of 5's because of the newer tweeters in my 3A Sigs!!
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