2. amps-preamps
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Trying to extract more from my Vandersteen

I've come to the realization that my ideal system is always 2 steps ahead of whatever my current system is. I am only satisfied with whatever updgrade for a few months, before I convince myself that I need to upgrade again. This is as exciting as it is unsettling.

My current system is as follows:
Vandersteen 2CE sig
McCormack DNA-1 deluxe
TAD-150 sig tube preamp
Eastern Electric Minimax tube CDP
Blue circle Power cords
MIT IC's and speaker cables

I had spent the past two years building this current system, and I had been fairly happy with it. I thank this system for introducing me to the world of jazz. Switching to tubes really helped my Vandersteens "sing". I had entertained the thought of replacing the McCormack with a tube amp, such as TAD-60 or other equivalent, but I never did. I was happy with my system and figured it would remain intact for awhile.

Then something had to rain on my happiness or complaceny. Due to a busy work schedule, I was forced to do most of my music listening either in my office through my old NHT and all rotel setup or at home through my Sennheiser headphones. After a couple months of this, I finally had time to do some listening through my main system. It had never been apparent to me before, but all the music coming out of the Vandersteens sounded "veiled". Before, I purchased my vandies, I read and heard all the criticisms regarding this "veiled" or "shrouded" sound. I never felt this was true about my vandersteen's until now.

So instead of making generalizations, I figure this is a good opportunity to "improve" my system. I am still more than happy with the soundstage, midrange clarity, and bass dynamics. Perhaps what I want to improve is higher frequency extension.

All this being said, I welcome all recommendations and comments that need not be limited to the following topics:

tube-rolling...

Pre-amp...
Any recommendations on pre-amps (tube or SS)?
How about a passive unit (Sonic Euphoria, Placette, Mccormack TLC)?

cables...
anyone recommend Purist?

Amp...
Any good integrated's out there?
What do you think about the Eastern Electric Integrated?
How about Krell KAV 400xi? For that matter, how does Krell match with Vandersteens?

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to reading your comments.

Drew
drewyou
krisjan
100 posts
 
I will be the contrarian here and suggest that your time of listening to an old NHT/Rotel system AND through headphones (especially) has thrown off your perception of what sounds natural/real. I think you should recalibrate your ears to what real acoustic instruments sound like before making any changes at all. Of course, this really only applies if you are trying to get real, natural sound from your setup. If all you want is to get more exciting sound than what you have, then have a blast changing whatever you want that meets that subjective requirement.
Good luck,
Mark
timrhu
2,779 posts
 
After owning both the Vandy 1Cs and 2CE signatures my advice is to ensure proper set up and placement. I learned with the 1Cs that vertical orientation is critical to detail and image. This held true for the larger speakers also. I suggest this because my initial set up followed the instruction manual as I understood it. With some experimentation though, the sound improved significantly. If you haven't exhausted this avenue it will cost nothing but time.
Still believe the 1Cs are one of the best values on the market, new or used. Good luck.
getheleadout
144 posts
 
Greetings, I have four suggestions for you, I use them all and they are all from Walker Audio and made a HUGE difference in my system.

1. Walker's contact treatment, get the best one, it makes a huge improvement.

2. Walker's High Definition Links HDLs, they made a subtle, but very worthwhile improvement.

3. Walker's Vivid CD treatment, goes a long way in getting rid of the veil you discribe.

4. Walker Talisman de-magnetizer, also increases clarity.

And no I don't have any affiliation with Walker Audio.
Happy Listening.
darkmoebius
900 posts
 
I think there is a chance that switching to other cables from MIT might remove that veil. My brother has Vandy 3A Sigs, AR LS-16 preamp + AR 100.2 amp, plus MIT cables. I think the system sounds a little "veiled", too.

Try Fatwyre.com/The Cable Company's cable lending library to check out different cables for cheap. They essentially charge you a <5% rental fee to check out several different cables. I used them to try 4 digital cables valued from $75-450($850 total) and it only cost me ~$35 for two weeks of use.

The rental fee can be applied towards a purchase if you like one of the samples. There really is no better way to check out different cables both in and beyond your price range.

BTW, the guys that work at Fatwyre are experts for suggestions on what to try with your system. They never try to push anything on you and will suggest real budget performers. Ask for advice and take it seriously, they are great.
eagleman6722
217 posts
 
I had almost exactly your system. the only difference was that I had the DNA-1 not deluxe. I have since gone to the TAD-60 AMp.At first I noticed the greater sense of air/ spaciousness compared to the Mccormack. Highs were a bit laid back. I messed around a bit with the placement, toe-in toe-out and was able o change/improve the sound. I changed tubes both in the AMp and pre. i am using some GTs from Upscale in the pre, Tung Sol 6550s, a tele 12AX7 and some RCA 12 AU7 cleartops in the amp. Soundstaging and attack improved, air and spaciousness improve even more.

Now I am working on tweaks. Got some Electronic feet for the Amp and CD, a granite base for the Pre-power (stacked) and some solid wooden feet for the turntable. I also got some silver wire for the Amp-pre and TT pre connection. Now hearing some better balance to the system. Still a work in progress as i have not hit the speaker cable yet.

What I have found out by experimenting.
- Vandys do not promote listening fatigue. Bacause they are not normally bright I can listen for hours.
- Changes occur at most every tweak. They sound only as good as your sources. One might never reach the peak of what they can do.
- My ears do not find them veiled at all. I belong to the Houston Audio society and everytime I return home from a meeting, I find that my system sounds great to my ears.
- I wouldn't trade them. I like the nuetral sound that I get from them and the way they change with differnt tweaks.
- Placement is critical. Experiment.

Of course they are not for everybody but, there are so many people with 2CE sigs, they must be doing something right.

Eagleman
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