Vandersteen 2CE Signature III — video review on YouTube by Steve Guttenberg (1/15/2023)

I have always been curious about Vandy speakers because they consistently get great reviews.  All Models it seems.

Therefore, is it worth buying any of the higher end models?  Or just buy the 2Ce sig 3 and be done?  Are the Treo TC or the Quatro worth the money?  Anyone heard all 3, or 2 of these 3 and made a comparison?

tubular1

I own the latest 2CE Sig III and auditioned the Treo CT at the time I was deciding, and since. Also the Quatro CT, and have spent time in front of the 7 with the top Vandy monoblocks (AMAZING system). All are listed as Editors’ Choices in their price brackets by Absolute Sound in their Recommended Components guide, iirc.

There is a consistency of sound, the "Vandersteen Sound", among them. I would say it comes down to budget. IMHO, the 2CE is a best buy and punches way above its weight. But, if spending $10k (vs $3500) is in the budget, the Treo CT is superb and is much better looking. I may soon get the Treos. BUT—again IMO—I think the Quatro CT is in the sweet spot of performance vs value in its price-range and in the Vandersteen lineup, when compared to the top of the line 7 (really great) or even the Kento. There is really no wrong answer. I would REALLY love a pair of Quatro CTs.

It is quite common to see Vandy owners move up from the 2 or 3 to the Treo, and then to the Quatro or Kento as/if funds allow. So, "worth the money?". Only you can decide that. There is the law of diminishing returns in high-end audio, and to some of my friends spending even $3500 on speakers is insane, but I would gladly spend the $$ on the Treo CT or Quatro CT.

There is a member here who has the Treo CT and the 7 with monoblocks (which I have heard). Maybe a 10X difference in price and I asked him specifically if he felt like the Treos come up short compared to his 7's.  "No way," he said. He said there is a consistency in the sound, and that he loves the Treos but that the 7 is just more of a great thing. 

CAVEAT: The Treo and Quatro are superbly-resolving speakers and will highlight any deficiencies elsewhere in your system. It is important that the components upstream are up to the task, including cabling. I have an Odyssey Audio Khartago+++ amp, and though it’s not super expensive I like it and it’s a Jon Valin best-buy, I think it would be adequate or fine with the Treos. A more expensive amp *might* even be better (I would like the Ayre VX-5/Twenty maybe, or mono blocks, for the Treo). Richard Vandersteen recommends "zero negative feedback" amps like Ayre, and so do many dealers. A good Vandersteen dealer will tell you about good pairings (Optimal Enchantment in Santa Monica, or John Rutan at Audio Connection in NJ are two...where are you?).

I am not a card-carrying fanboy, blindly loyal, but I have found Vandys to be speakers I can live with for a long time, and I don’t have the money to scratch every itch and jump from brand to brand. Vandys are extremely musical, for lack of a better term, and let you forget about them and just enjoy the music. For me, that is the goal. GOOD LUCK!

The 2CE and Treo are on this AbSound list of 50 Greatest Bargains in High-End Audio 50 Greatest High-End Bargains List

Thanks Patrick!

I have always been curious about Vandy speakers because they consistently get great reviews.  All Models it seems.

Therefore, is it worth buying any of the higher end models?  Or just buy the 2Ce sig 3 and be done?  Are the Treo TC or the Quatro worth the money?  Anyone heard all 3, or 2 of these 3 and made a comparison?

@tubular1 
It depends on what you want. If you want more bass then you need a sub or to move north of the Treos.

The Treos are way more expensive that a 2C, but the WAF ends up with them usually saying get the Treos.

There are so many factors it is not just an easy answer.

I am not a card-carrying fanboy, blindly loyal, but I have found Vandys to be speakers I can live with for a long time, and I don’t have the money to scratch every itch and jump from brand to brand. Vandys are extremely musical, for lack of a better term, and let you forget about them and just enjoy the music. For me, that is the goal. GOOD LUCK!

The pair in front of me were purchased in ‘84.
I’ve been watching the TV with them more lately as the TT is being rehabilitated.

I forget that they are there.

tubular1 My pleasure!

holmz  does make a good point about bass

If you want more bass then you need a sub or to move north of the Treos.

My 2CEs have a lower bass extension than the Treos, but the Treo bass is BETTER. Tighter, cleaner, more accurate. Quality vs quantity, though the bass from the 2CE isn't bad at all. It can sometimes be a bit bloated or "squishy" but I listen to a lot of acoustic music and not much of that is bass-heavy.

At "my" dealer, one of the guys has Treo CTs with 2 subwoofers and loves it, saying it's as least as good as the Quatro CT, (but not much less expensive to go that route if at all, esp with Vandy subs). The beauty of that combo is you can do it in stages: get the Treos, and if you miss the extra bass then add one or two subs. You may decide you don't need it. 

The Quatro CT is in another league from several standpoints: 1) Each speaker has its own built-in powered subwoofer, with very adjustable output settings. Tuneable to the room and setup. 2) You won't need as much "horsepower" in your amp to drive the speakers, because the woofers are internally powered. So, you can drive them with a lower-powered amp.You will need the Vandy high-pass filter crossovers ("The M5 High-Pass Crossovers are ideally suited to the Quatro line of speakers as well as the SUB Three and are implemented between the preamp and the amplifier. ") BUT—I was just told that Ayre can modify both their integrated amps and their amps to have the high-pass crossover internally, meaning the external high-pass won't be necessary. I am told that other mfrs do this too, but not sure who.

The Vandy Forum is a good place to browse for info and ask questions
Vandersteen FORUM

Cheers