Replacement for Vandersteen 2ce


Hi everyone,
i have found this forum extremely helpful so I’m looking for some opinions on replacement speakers for my Older Vandersteen 2ce speakers. Been trying to do tweaks but wondering if I can improve the imaging and soundstage with something else maybe in the 2-4K region. 
Components are as listed:
Krell Digital Vanguard w/ Shunyata Delta NR PC
Acoustic Signature Triple X
SPL Phonos 
Marantz CD6006 w/ 
Digital from ITunes through RME DAC
Vandys have 15ft Taralabs RSC Primes which I was going to cut in half or replace but if I’m going to buy new speakers I’ll hold off.
I appreciate any help!
128x128audiosaurusrex
I recently had a go with Vandy 2CE Sig IIs. Despite many attempts with various setup configurations, I just didn’t find them nearly as impressive as expected. It might be that 100watt/ch amps don’t provide enough juice, idk, but I couldn’t get them to sound nearly as good as what I remembered of the 1Cis. I found the midrange was recessed and only average imaging. Keep in mind this was in a dedicated listening room with plenty of space for speaker positioning and acoustic treatments.

Where I think you’ll find difficulty in replacing the 2CEs is the bass. Few speakers in this price range play as deep, and if they do, it lacks definition. I use good stereo subs in my system which made this a non-issue.

One speaker that immediately comes to mind is the Stirling Broadcast LS3/6. It won’t play as deep as the 2CEs, but in my room, they definitely have the upper hand in imaging and resolution, by a large margin. They’re easy to dismiss by their looks but that’d be a mistake. They are every bit deserving of their price tag, and even a bargain compared to many I’ve auditioned. The midrange is as good or better than any speaker I’ve heard, at any price point. Music Direct currently has an open-box pair for $4600. I’ve seen brand new pairs listed for an even $5K, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d accept $4K or just a little over. They do require stands, and the best option (Sound Anchors) command about $600.

Another speaker I really enjoyed is the Spatial Audio M4 Triode Master. This speaker imaged well in terms of width and depth but lacked the pinpoint imaging you can get from a good mini-monitor (think LS50 or LS3/5a). Of course everything in speaker design involves trade-offs, so what the Spatials lacked in imaging precision, they made up for in soundstage scale. They can play really loud before compressing and produce realistic scale better than probably any other speaker at that price point. Resolution was also quite a bit better than the 2CEs, with a tweeter/midrange driver that sounds more like beryllium than it does titanium.
Being as I value imaging precision over absolute scale, I decided not to keep them.

If you you’re not one of those who really struggle to integrate subs in your system, you might consider a small 2-way monitor that gets high-passed through high-quality subs. To my ears, this is the best approach for achieving full-range sound along with great, transparent imaging and not draining one’s IRA.

Many smallish 2-way monitors compete well with the megabuck speakers in the midrange and above, partially because they don’t have large cabinet surfaces to tame. I find more and more that I agree with the ol’ assertion that "large speakers have large problems" (can’t recall which speaker designer said it first).




You can pick up the Vandersteen 3A used for very little money and it would be a big step up. 
(((((replacement speakers for my Older Vandersteen 2ce speakers. )))Before you jump ship.
It sounds like you could have an improper tilt back
in your set up to be complaining of that area amongst other things. Glad to see you are enjoying your new table
 Shoot me a call at Audio Connection NJ 973*239*1799 and Ill dial you in. Best, JohnnyR
Though I know it may not be something you want to hear...
My thoughts would go to changing first the speaker cable to AQ. A set of GO-4 isn't too expensive. I use them for my Treo's and find them a good match. Johnny probably knows your current cables and can give you good advice.
Second, I would change the Krell to an Ayre or Belles. They just seem to work better with Vandy's.
You have a nice system, but sometimes it takes a bit of tinkering to get 'synergy'. I think you chose a very good speaker, too.
Get Johnny's take on this. He is one of the best out there and won't try to sell you anything. Trust me.
Bob

@gdnrbobThanks Bob
I was thinking that initially and even demoed Shunyata Deltas but yes I will reach out to Johnny
thanks so much!!