Magnepan 1.6 OR Vandersteen 2CE

Actually I owned both of them over past 5 years. That was a 2CE with optional stand. I just acquired a pair of Maggies1.6QR last month and love it. Vandies are really good speakers( for the price). The mid is so sweet. Since my breakup with ex-girlfriend, I was thinking about getting another pair. Than I heard the Maggie, and fall for it right away. I listen to maily jazz, vocal, chamber music, the sound stage is unbelieveble, very airy on the mid and high.I guess you can have a speaker better than Maggie in every aspect, but not for the same price range. I used an 40W tube amp for a while, and it still sounds very sweet, and fairly good sound stage. I guess what I try to say is: For only $400 more, you'll hear a big upgrade by going from Vandies to Maggie. Good luck

After auditioning both the Maggie 1.6QR and Vandie 2CE Sig fairly extensively I recommend neither. It's too hard a choice, so buy both. If that isn't possible then it comes down to the trade-offs. Comparatively speaking, the Maggies have a better overall sound, but the sweet spot is very focused, they're picky about room setup and they're bass extension is limited. The Vandies have more bass (and would be easier to mate with a sub) and are better at filling a room with sound, but they are somewhat more laid back. There was no info on the rest of your system, room or musical taste. These do matter, so remember to take them into consideration.

You can't go wrong with either, for different reasons.