Vandersteen Model 2CE's: Should I upgrade?

you can also get 2wq to add to your existing 2ce. you can even get a pair of subs that will bring your system far better than with 3A's. you will have benefits of bi-amplified active system that you can adjust to perfection.
overal vandersteens havn't had any major improvements over the past 10 years and sound basically the same.

Unless you have a very large listening room, or tend to listen at "ear bleed" levels, you Bel Canto amp should be a very nice pairing with the 3A Sig's. Since you've raised the question about power levels for the 3A Sig's, you should be made aware that Vandy speakers are less well suited to playing at very high SPL's, compared to some other speakers. The Vandy 3A / 3A Sigs are of medium efficiency (87-88 db) , and they employe a 6-db, first order crossover, which somewhat limits their ability to play very loudly. If pushed to high volume levels, Vandy speakers may compress the dynamics a bit. I have driven my various Vandy speakers quite effectively using a low distortion 125 wpc solid state amp (although my current amp has about 300 wpc). Based on what I have read of the Bel Canto Evo amps, they have good dynamic headroom, and good bass control, so yours should be fine with the Vandies.

you'll love either signature series.

I agree that your current amp should be fine. The Vandersteen's as a whole do require power. I'm currently using a Belles 350A (250/ch @ 8 ohms) I have never felt the amp was remotely stressed for loud levels. I did use McCormack .5's back a while (rated at 100/ch) Thought they did fine but honestly didn't sound as refined and powerful as the Belles.
As a passing note, I can't agree at all with the sameness statement of the above gentleman. I have found an improvement as you go up the line although it is a less of one between the 3A and 2Ce Signature. The 3A Signature IS a jump above these two. The 3A Signature uses the Model 5 tweeter and midrange. This is a quantified improvement in drivers over the 3A and below and it shows in its performance. Also, when speakers and/or drivers are utilized correctly from the beginning, there is no need to bring out a new improvement every year. Vandersteen upgrades when genuine improvements come along.

having owned vandy 1 and 2ci's over the years and have moved to a higher resolution / transparent design. i have heard the 3a's in a friends house and they are nice but sound like a bigger 2 ( still laid back in the mid for my taste). they are nice but not as musically involving as some other speakers that i have heard.

i haved always enjoyed vandies and found they do their best with high resolution gear ( i went with pse studio V mono blocks amps at richard vandersteen's reccomendation). but they have seemed to be lacking coherency in the midrange ( top and bottom are fine).

a similiar design by alon has cured me of speaker "upgradeitis". they are similar in design - sealed bass enclosure but the mid and tweeter are on a open baffle.

the alon II(mark 2) or 5 are worth looking at in the used market.

the alon's offer a very musical, seemless and revealing presentation behind the speakers and do a great disappearing act. if you have heard a magneplanar then you know what i an talking about ( but with bass and dynamics!!!!!!) the cohearency of the speakers is amazing !! you are presented with the whole sonic picture and the sounds comes from a nicely layered soundstage that is huge and the images have smooth edges.

they are also very revealing of everything ( not bright... but revealing to speaker cable changes, interconnect changes etc, loose binding post etc..)

they are a dipole and need a room to breathe( the design is very similar except the back of the tweeter/midrange is open- a dipole). the bottom end of the model 5 is closer to the vandersteen 3 ( the alon 5 is a amazing speaker from top to bottom). the bass of the alon model 2 mkII goes to 40hz.

i would give them a listen if you have the room for them ( they need to be 4-5 feet out in the room to breathe) they are one of the few box speakers that sound/image like a planar (huge soundstage with height).

the vandies are nice and have always been a awesome deal for the money.... but the drawbacks have been a lack of resolution/cohearency/transparency in the midrange.that is where they give it up. the thiels get the midrange right....but it isnt a fair comparison - similar models have costed about $1000 more...

hope that helps !!!

mike