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Seeking informed advice on speaker acquisition (Vandersteen vs. OHM Walsh)

I bought a used pair of Vandersteen 2CEs about 6 months ago. They sound great to my relatively uninformed ears, but I would like to step it up. The Vandys are 25+ years old.
I have two speakers under consideration and would like input from individuals who have heard both. I am considering upgrading the Vandys to the 2CE Signature II model. I am sure the improvements in the last quarter century will greatly enhance my listening experience. The other speaker I am considering is an Ohm Walsh 2000. I have read many rave reviews on the Ohm Walsh and am seeking input from those who have heard both.

I would also like to hear from those who have heard both speakers, but have an alternative in mind. My budget cap is $3000. I prefer to buy a new pair, but I am not opposed to acquiring a used offering in great condition. I am in the Atlanta area if anyone has a used pair for sale.

My room specs are 18 x 15 with 7 foot ceilings.
System:Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II; Merrill Super12 Polytable; Oppo UDP-203; Parks Audio Hybrid Budgie phono
arturos73
Post removed 
jackd
1,068 posts
 
Like Tomic said you can listen to the Vandies at Alan's but with Ohm you will have to take advantage of their 120 day trial.  For the money the 2CE Sig will be hard to beat if your room will allow proper setup.  I have a pair of 2CE Sigs that have been boxed up since I bought a pair of Treo's from Alan four years ago that I just haven't been all that motivated to sell.  Another relatively unknown gem with a similar sonic signature to the 2CE Sig is the Odyssey Lorelei. 
seanheis1
624 posts
 
Why did you disqualify Thiel? 
hifiman5's avatar
hifiman5
1,832 posts
 
Why consider Thiel?  It is pretty common knowledge that Thiel's since Peter's passing have been on an unproductive track.
mlsstl
1,436 posts
 
Keep in mind that Ohm, as a direct sales company, gives you 120 days to audition their speakers in your own home. You're only out shipping costs if you decide to send them back.

I like the voicing of Vandy's -- very natural IMO -- but they are still a box speaker in terms of radiation pattern.

I owned a pair of the original Ohm Fs (and regretted selling them almost immediately years ago) but they would be way too big for my current room. I'm in the process of deciding which veneer to get on a pair of Ohm 1000s that I'll be ordering shortly. I'm looking for a more spacious sound, along with not being tied to a small sweet spot for the best listening. I've got a difficult room (openings in awkward spots), but after discussing with John at Ohm, it looks like these speakers will be an improvement over my current layout.

Why not take Ohm up on their home trial offer? Can't say "nothing" to lose (i.e., shipping), but if you're serious about finding which is best for you, it'd be a cheap way to find out for sure.
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