Vandersteen question.

In my opinion, entry level high end begins with the Vandersteen 2ce. I began with the model 3 myself 10 years ago. The 2 ce will give you plenty to listen to.

What is nice about Vandersteen is that they are very forgiving. Some speakers require very expensive upstream components in order to deliver the goods. Vandersteens can sound very good with more moderately priced electronics. One idea would be to call around to Vandersteen dealers and find out what they are using to drive the 2ce. Usually dealers will pay attention to synergy and commensurate cost in putting together demonstration systems.

good luck

The Vandersteen 2Ce line are rated to handle between 40 and 160 watts. Your 85 watt Creek should be fine, especially given the relatively small room you have. As far as solid state integrateds go, you could do (much) worse. The Vandies are a fine speaker (I own a set), but what don't you like about your PSB speakers? They are not bad speakers---maybe it is how you have them set up? Or something farther up the chain?

I am not going to try to disuade you from buying Vandies, as I personally love mine. I can tell you that they really shine with tube amplification. They sounded 100% better in my room with tubes than solid state. I went from a well regarded 152 watt solid state to a 90 watt tube amp, but the tubes blow the transistors in all respects.

If your current sound with the PSB/Creek match sounds a bit shrill for you, you will get some some relief from Vandies in that regard. They tend to be more rounded on the highs to most ears. Another good upgrade to reduce any shrillness associated with your system is to get an outboard DAC. The 951 is not the top CD player in the Rotel line, and the DAC is a bit aged by this time. I like Rotel myself (I use thier 980 CD transport), but a Perceptual Tech or MSB Link DAC will greatly improve the sound of your system for a reasonable price.

You may not get a true picture of the Vandersteen's sound in the showrom as they need to be properly placed (3 feet away from wall, at least 3 feet from side walls) and broken in. Vandersteens definitely have their own sound, and are unlike any other speaker. The time/phase correct engineering does convey a slightly different sound (Vandersteen lovers would say a more "correct" presentation). It does take some time with them before you begin to get a grip on thier presentation and appreciate them for what they do well.

Having owned the 2ce's, 2ce signatures and now the model 3A signatures, if you want the best sound for your money(in the vandersteen line), go with the 2ce signatures. They are considerably better than the 2ce's for a touch more money. The creek will be sufficient but to be honest with you, the Vandy's perform better with a bigger amp (more current.) I owned a Creek 5350se for a while and am very familiar with its sound. Its probably the best integrated i've heard for any where close to the money. It will be excellent own the highs and midrange for sure. Bass is a big function of your room and setup. The vandersteen's MUST be set up correctly or you're miss the beauty of these speakers. Don't let anyone tell you they are soft. When set up properly, they are about as neutral of a speaker as you will hear. Also, bi-wiring is a MUST! I agree with an above post, might want to upgrade the CD portion of your system.

Both Philo1 and Bigtee are on the money about vandy room placement and setup. It took me a few months to get this right and realize just how good these speakers are. By the way spend the extra $ and get the 2ce Sig. they have the tweeter used in the model 3.Also get an amp with enough power--I got the Musical Fidelity A300 (150 watts) and am really happy with it except that it needs a bit of volume to really shine. My solution was to also get a pair of monitors for softer nightime listenning. Good listenning, John

I have owned both 2ci's and 2ce's. Great sounding speakers but their size and placement requirements can dominate a room your size. I also agree that the 2's sound better with tubes. However, the 1c's are smaller and seem to be more forgiving of electronics. I would suggest you audition them before deciding. Would also suggest you show your wife some pictures of them before you drive 150 miles.