No image from Vandersteen 2ci sigs?

Fishwater - The Vandies DO image well. The problem is the proximity of the speakers to the walls and if that entertainment center is in front of the plane of the speakers or even with, their sound is going to suffer.

I owned the 2c's for 10 years and when I moved I encountered a problem similar to yours in the new room. They never worked and I reluctantly gave up. Subsequent speakers never eliminated the room problem I suffered from and I ended up setting up in another room a few years ago.

In their original location(my previous home) they were out in the open and were wonderful, providing all the important elements of music reproduction including excellent staging and imaging but more importantly their full range performance and balance was totally satisfying.

Recommendations would be to get rid of the entertainment center and move the speakers out and closer together, if this is at all possible. A tall order but while you may get better imaging from another design, you will never get maximum staging with your current room configuration.

May I suggest room treatment.

I think everyone who has responded to your question is reasonably certain that the lack of imaging, etc., is due to poor speaker placement. If there is any way to re-arrange your room before you give up on your Vandy's, you really should try.
Until you get the speakers away from the side walls, however, and out in front of your entertainment center, there isn't much likelihood that you will achieve the sound quality you want. When the Vandy's are properly located in the room, they are a fine speaker with the qualities you desire.

For what it's worth, my listening room is about the same size as yours, and I have an entertainment center between my Vandy 3A Sig's. However, I don't have the French doors to contend with. My speakers are located about 4 feet from the side walls (measured from the outside edge of the speaker), and about 30" from the rear wall (measured from the back of the speaker). The front of the speakers are about 12" beyond the front plane of the entertainment center which houses my TV and audio gear. The speakers are slightly toed-in toward the primary listening spot, and while my arrangement is hardly the best, I get good sound (imaging, soundstaging, frequency balance, etc.).

Hope you are able to find a solution to your dilemma that does not force you to sell your Vandy 2Ce Sig's, which are a very good speaker.

I know it's not the speakers & is all the room. I really don't want to get rid of them but don't know where else to place them. The backs of the speakers are about 6 inches in front of the entertainment center, I can still move them forward a little but to get the left speaker away from the one french door is impossible. I may be able to steal another 6 inches but not much more on that left one. The right one is next to an open door way so isn't as much of a problem. I didn't know if a bass trap behind the left one would help clean it up a little b/c I really can't cover the glass door unless I use a rug over it every time I listen to music.

Don't give up on the Vandy's! You will have a *very* hard time getting something better anywhere near their price...

First question - have you checked to make sure that the speakers are hooked up in phase? If they're wired incorrectly from the amp you will get no image...

Second - how good is your amp? Unless it is very very good, it is going to have a hard time creating a decent image with the speakers 7 feet apart... You are at the outside of what most amps can do with your distance. Try an experiment; move the speakers out about a foot further and then move them a foot closer together. See if your image snaps into place... If it doesn't, then I would begin to look at your other equipment...

I have used the 2c's as well as the 4's and have always found both to be pretty forgiving compared to other speakers I've used. Sure, room placement makes a difference but I've never had a situation where I wasn't able to achieve an excellent image...

Just a couple of ideas...

I can promise you if you hooked those speakers up to a Pass Aleph amp you would be blown away!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck to you,

Steve