vandersteen Model 1s Any Good Reviews

I give them a good review. They should sound excellent with the equipment that you list. I put the 1's up against a bunch of speakers priced $2000 or less and liked them better than everything else I tried. (Except the model 2's). Also, your amp is very good. Be careful that you have something you definitely like better before trading or selling it.

Just to note, though, Vandersteen is my favorite speaker, so I am biased in their favor and I have not had my 1's for a couple of years. They were replaced by my 2's and 3's. Also, I don't read equipment reviews so I have no idea what others are saying about any of this stuff; good or bad. (You did state that you were looking for reviews, so I want to be clear that any info I give is just from my own experience with the 1's)

There's a Fi review for the 1C by Wayne Garcia out there if you search a bit. I own the new 1Ci, and having stepped down from the 2CE Signature II to buy them, I'm very pleased with them. I think it's a fantastic speaker for the money, and with real bass extension down to below 40Hz it outclasses a lot of stand-mounted 2-ways up to 2K or so--some of which I've also owned.

The sound is full-bodied and a little laid back, with excellent soundstaging when set up correctly (especially with some distance to the wall behind them). Compared to the 2, they're a little less resolving in the midrange, don't go quite as deep (though bass drum and bass guitar still have impact), and aren't quite as dynamic. They also harden up just a touch in the mids/highs if you push them at loud volumes (for me, over 85dB), probably because, even though they use the same tweeter as the 2 and 3A Sig, it has to cross over much lower to mate with the 8" mid/woofer. That said, I do think that at normal listening volumes the treble is sweet and well-integrated. I can and often do listen to them for hours without fatigue.

One thing the 1Ci does much better than the 2CE Sig II (and a big reason I've come to prefer them) is sound good all over the room, standing or sitting. All Vandersteens have a pretty narrow vertical listening window, and with the 2 when I stood up or sat in a higher chair across the room the mids and highs got very hashy--a consequence of the 1st order, time-aligned design. The 1Ci stays better integrated. I like being able to move around or stand and play along on my guitar and still have the speakers sound good, without shifts in timbre.

That's my 2 cents. If you've heard and liked any other Vandersteens, you'll probably like them, too.

One thing I forgot to mention about the 1's is how easy they are to drive. I don't find Vandersteen speakers difficult to drive, in general, but they do like a little power. With the 1's, you can use just about anything and be OK.

Albang. Excellent post. I haven't had a chance to hear the 1Ci version yet. I'm glad to hear you are having good results.

Even though I recently replaced my Vandy 1C's with a pair of Revel F-12's, I have thoroughly enjoyed the Vandersteens for 15 years. They are really fantastic speakers. Please feel free to read through my threads..... I have written many good things about them over the years. Good Luck and Happy Listening !