Integrated recommendation with Vandersteen 2C

+1 on the proper stands - don’t bother with anything else until you get those sound anchors.  Think of it as a component upgrade, because the difference between having them on the stands and on the floor is at least one component difference.  Dialing them in properly is another component upgrade.

On the integrated front, I had a pair of 2CE Sigs with a SimAudio I-5080 (similar to the I-3 which replaced it).  It’s very fast, clean, but cool.  Holographic soundstage with the Vandys, but again, not at all warm.  In your budget, how about a used Rogue Cronus?   The other integrated amp I liked with the Vandys that is now long out of business and hard to find - Magnum Audio IA 170 SE.  Spectacular, warm, detailed, rare, hard to find now.  If you can find one, it would be well under your budget.  They were like $650 new.

jsbach1685
2nd- Creek 4330SE/5350 integrated amp. While not the most robust power rating -wise, very musical indeed. Match it w/ a NAD or Naim cd player and you are set. Agree as above, provide some kind of stabilization (sound anchor or platform) under those speakers first.

Happy Listening!

"...without a solid platform and proper execution of tilt back."

Johnny, what degree of tilt back do you recommend to start with?  

Hi Guys, 
Thanks for the additional feedback.

STANDS:
There are stands on the 2C's, but yes, I need to plan a drive out to Audio Connection in NJ and pick these up once. I'm in Harrisburg, PA, so it's a journey, but not cross-country travel. I do want to say though there are stands on my 2C's. They were bolted on the speakers when I bought them. They're not sound anchor, but they are a heavy, black metal stands that bolts onto the bottom. I tried looking for a pic on the net, but I cannot find anything. Basically, if you look at the speakers from a side angle, the stand forms a square U shape; with the open part of the U facing the rear of the speaker. The stand runs along the edge of the bottom of the speaker, so they are flush. If you look at the back of the speaker, there are four square black plastic plugs at each corner of the stand--I guess for filling sand or something? 

COMPONENTS:
I'll check out the Magnum Audio and Rogue gear. As for the Moon i5, the review in Stereophile seems very favorable, however, the rest of the gear and cabling they have at their disposal is also to consider. Just because it sound great at Stereophile, doesn't mean it will in my space. Jafant, I have been thinking of another Creek and Naim combo. Or, perhaps another Roksan and Naim. As of right now, I can put together a Roksan Kandy MKIII integrated with a Naim CD5x cd player for about $1,175. This would leave leftover funds for cabling and sound anchor stands. I recall when I tried that slew of British integrateds (post 4330SE) I discovered the Exposure 2010s was close to the 4330, but was too soft sounding. The 4330 has more punch. It was the Roksan Kandy MK III that gave the closest to the 4330's sound, yet had some of the naim 5i's liveliness and dynamics, but the MKIII's bass punch was much better. I remember writing somewhere at the time (can't find it now) about how the Roksan had the best parts of each of the integrateds I had tried. I think then if I throw a Naim cd5x on there, it will get me close to what I once had with the 4330 & CD3.5 set-up. 

Get the Sound Anchor stands first, nothing you do with the Vandersteens matters until you do that first.

I play Vandersteen 2Ce with a YBA 2 power amp w/ 70w in a room your size and it's plenty. So the Sim Audio i5 should work. I also have a Krell amp to really rock out and when used with my YBA preamp I have no bass problems, must be a synergy thing.