Time to move UP, speaker-wise...

Four drivers were found dead, across the two Vandersteen 2CI's. I could have had them repaired but I doubted that the investment would return the sound to its former glory. I did send them in to the local shop and the cost of repairs would have been quite a bit higher than I could justify, given a now twenty-seven year old set of speakers. I thought it best to take the money and apply it to something new... 

@OP, 
When you consider Vandersteen is constantly updating even their older models- without adding a new name or designation- it might possibly be an upgrade if you were to have them repaired by Mr. V.
Though, to be honest, I would move to the newer series, like the Treo or Quatro. They are much more refined, and look nicer,too.
B

The newer Vandersteens are highly attractive, but the Treo, new, comes in around $9000.00. That's quite a jump, from my $3000 limit. I have always been able to do amazingly well in the lower price ranges, and as I don't have buckets of cash and no longer believe in paying for things (except for cars and homes) on credit, I will bide my time until the right choice emerges. 

I did strongly consider fixing the blown drivers, but that possibility has now passed. The speakers were "donated" to the repair shop in my city. 

On other fronts, I spent about three hours "dynamating" (not dynamiting) my two RP280F's. The sound has improved. Glare has dropped away, at least by 30-50%, maybe more. Some 'glare' now sounds like the very instrument it had been hiding. I am going to play a bit more with positioning, which has always been huge in pulling the best from these speakers. They are dynamic, but I had an experience yesterday, on XMAS, that left me pondering a stronger midrange speaker voicing.... I went home visited the family, and a guest was in attendance who happened to be equipped with her violin. She's a professional violinist, and as she pulled out her instrument I asked if she could play any one-stringed Paganini; he was known to notch strings and play the final minutes of his presentations furiously on one-string, a kind of rock-n-roll style climactic event. The request was more to boast a finely (self-regarded) detail in memory than any sort of comprehensive appreciation for violin greats. Still, she quickly sat and immediately played two section of two Paganini pieces. The vibrancy of the instrument in the room put the reproduction of violin work in a CD I listened to today to shame. The violin almost didn't need to be in the recording, so subtle a position did it occupy. I feel that a more vibrant mid-range section would entirely change the character of the music I"m hearing. By contrast, I took "New Moon Daughter" (Cassandra Wilson) to the local stereo shop and played it on a pair of Forte III's and the midrange popped. the relationship between the acoustic instruments and the vocalist swapped places entirely. It was not a small change from my RP280F speakers... 

Nice donation!!!!

really why not call Richard and see what’s changed in your old model 2

he might just tell you about a very special violin that belongs to a model 7 owner, the 2 shares many design objectives 

sounds like you are enjoying the journey !!!

I am enjoying the journey, and so here's an update... after more hours than I want to admit, I've made a decision. The Tekton Moabs. Yes, the ring of "please please please" make sure to listen to them before buying was in my ears and yet I don't have a reasonable way to make that happen at this stage in the game. What I did accomplish was three talks with the six moons reviewer of the Moab, who has also reviewed most of the speakers in the Tekton line-up. He's also a fan of CODA amplification, as well as ARIC amps/pre-amps. He purchased the top end Tekton flagship model, the Ulfberht, but claimed the Moabs are perhaps better in many applications. The somewhat novel technology (numerous small weight drivers 'tuned' in consideration for the moving mass of possible instruments) makes some kind of sense to me, but not as much as the crossover design and time symmetry of the Vandersteen made sense to me, back when I bought the 2ce's in my 20's. I keep looking at other speakers in contrast to the Moabs and I find the "lack of risk" factor that I DO NOT find in the Moab. They cut something of an edge, both as unusually tall and wide, which must convert into soundstage impact. Four twelves, aimed in my general direction, for example. THIRTY, highly tuned tweeters, aimed at my face, for instance. There will be drivers come up from below, coming down from above, all in one package, standing 69" tall. Someone called the 2ci's polite and I think that's right, and I also think that while I was often impressed by the clarity of the 2ce soundstage, and I would find myself sizing up things within the sound field, there was definitely a sense of removal, of NOT being there. I want to "BE" there, with the musical event, for a NOT insane price, but a touch nutty.  

Just this last weekend, I sat in a jazz club, on the coast, THE SOUND WAVES COMING OFF THE cymbals were pure... 

By the way: anyone have an appliance dolly, I can borrow.?. Moab weights - 135lb each.