2. speakers
  3. 137204-115818

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
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,911 posts
 
my treatment shortlist:

to minimiza shipping which can equal cost of some product I tend to source local

for SoCal - Lambvin in Oceanside
for Seattle - Vicoustic USA - happen to know old importer
for East I tend to go GIK

imo great rooms use a lot of natural diffraction and diffusers - plants, book laden java tables, rugs, odd shaped tables in wood and heavy metal - low resonance stuff...

have fun
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,911 posts
 
OP - I understand, which is why i have 7 pairs of speakers at any given moment, which includes a pair or three Vandersteen......
......got to listen around for sure.....
bstatmeister
537 posts
 
I was gonna get a new pair of the latest 2Ce sig IIs since I love my 2Cs so much... until the day I walked into my Vandersteen dealer and heard the Treos CTs. Now I can't go back... trebel and detail to die for all with that Vandy sound you know and love. I have to figure out how to come up with an extra $5500 dollars :O
Beware of the higher end models spoiling it for you.
blueranger's avatar
blueranger
719 posts
 
I have the OHM 5000's and the more power you feed them the better the more dynamic they sound. I run them with a Bryston 14bsst. When the drum kicks in on Yes "Leave It" it sounds like a cannon going off. When I blew out a tweeter 5 years ago, John S. designed an ingenious protection device for it because I told him I like it loud. When the volume gets too high a bulb will flash draining off the excess energy. It looks really cool but I turn the volume back quick.
hifiman5's avatar
hifiman5
1,832 posts
 
@bstatmeister   You are so right about being spoiled!  I went from 3A Signatures to Treo CTs.  And no, there is no going back.  For me, the smoothness, the clean, undistorted sound is remarkable for speaker in their price range.🎼
More to discover