Vandersteen 5 vs Model 2c/2wq Combo


If anyone out there has read any of my posts, I have been scouring the Earth to find a speaker setup that will fit my needs and fit my pocket book. I have found some great info here and now I have another question.

I thought about getting the Vandersteen Model 5. I believe that with this setup, I would not have a need for a subwoofer, but my listening room is small and I believe that the Model 5 would be alot like practicing scales with my guitar plugged into 100 watt Marshall stack in the bathroom. It would be complete overkill in both price and size for me; plus, I don't think I could afford that big of an investment all at one shot and you know how savings usually goes out the door because of emergencies or whatever. However, I could afford to get the Vandersteen Model 2ce this year(with help from tax refund) and then next year maybe get one Vandersteen 2Wq subwoofer. How would this setup compare to the model 5 in sound quality? The model 5 would probably still be much louder and probably get better integration, but how close can I come to a good sound with the 2ce/2wq combo?

TIA
matchstikman
Hi Match..; If you're really set on the pretty big Vandersteen 2Ce/3A, they will sound very good when played at low volume settings. In fact that was a characteristic that I really liked about those speakers. The 5s have to be played louder to sound natural. In a 12 X 12 ft. room, you can't get low bass anyway-- probably no lower than about 40 HZ, but for most music that is enough.

You probably already know that square rooms are acoustically difficult to set up stereo systems in because the "squareness" creates some bad room modes/nodes. If you're set on a good sized speaker, the Vand. 2Ce sigs are excellent and would be my choice, and they do sound good at low to low-mod. volume settings in a small room.

But in my 12 X 14 ft. room, I wish I had chosen something like the small Proac stand mounted speaker (don't remember the model number), and a small sub to get greater bass solidity. Good Luck, and Cheers. Craig
No one seems to like the Vandersteen 1c around here? If you have a budget crunch they are one of the best values in speakers under the price of 2's and sell for real bargain prices here on Agon. There is a pair of 1b's on now for $325, and 1c's can be had for a bit more. 1B's or 1C's wont take up any more floor space than a monitor on a stand and you dont need to spend lots of cash on realy good stands. Think of them as monitor speakers with the stands built in and deeper bass than tiny monitors. These may even be overkill in a 12X12 room. Check out the Sound Dynamics RTS-3 at Audio Advisor. I have several friends with a pair of these and they are amazing for about $200 a pair right now! Seriously these sound great. Don't let the price put you off. HP from The Absolute Sound loved these things and so do I. I have a friend who sold his Silverline Panatellas and went back to listening to these.(he did like the Silverlines and am not sure whay he did it, same guy who sold his 3A sigs after a few weeks)
Good point Maxgain, re the Vand. Model 1 speakers. I've only heard them in-store, but they sounded good to me. They would be easier place and use in a 12 X 12 room. Cheers. Craig.
FWIW, my son had a pair of Vandy 1's for almost 10 years while in college (currently finishing his PhD thesis). About 18 months ago, I helped him acquire a used pair of 3A's, but he is still using the Model 1's for rear channel surround. The 1's have served him very well, making good music although they don't go much below 40 Hz.
I don't have nearly the experience of some of the other posters. With that said, I find the Vandersteen 2's to be the best value in their line and amongst the best values in audio. You did not mention your room. I think that Vandersteens can be quite fussy about room and placement. I believe that all of the Vandersteen options should be easy to audition. BTW, I'm not a big fan of the McCormack amps in general but they do seem to work very nicely with Vandersteen.