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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
 
onstead of asking for advice, why not audition as many products you can afford ? your ears will tell you if there is an improvemnt in sound relative to what you own now.
adam18 OP
670 posts
 
Mrtennis....In an ideal world, YES...the auditioning process is a fantastic idea. However, many of us live in areas where it isn't possible to audition "as many products as you can afford" due to a total lack of quality audio dealers within reasonable driving distance. Therefore, one of the many things I appreciate about our Audiogon forums is the ability to exchange ideas in an effort to "narrow down the choices," so as to properly plan the necessary "auditioning road trips."
timrhu
2,779 posts
 
Auditions in a dealer's show room are over rated. How can you know what any piece will sound like in your room, with your equipment? Listening to five or fifteen cuts in a showroom can lead to false impressions.
My tried and true method is find a good deal used, evaluate at your leisure and keep or resell depending on results. I have neither the time nor the inclination to spend two or three afternoons with local dealers who may or may not have my interest in mind. Also, they usually bore the hell out of me.
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
if you learn on your own without any assistance from others, you will make some mistakes and be dissatisfied , at times.

if you follow the advice and opinions of others, you will make mistakes and perhaps be disappointed with your purchases, as well.

there is no evidence that making decisions based upon what others say is any more rewarding than making your own decisions.

in this case, the results of any decision are not predictable, so you might as well buy any speaker, so long as it can be be resold with a minimum loss to you.
adam18 OP
670 posts
 
Wow, Mrtennis............Very insightful philosophical thoughts. These ideas can be extended to quite a few realms far beyond audio decisions. Well said, sir !
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