Pre and power amp for Vandersteen 3A Signature?

Rrog wrote:
"Richard Vandersteen used Audio Research at the shows more often than not"

I agree that's true and ARC certainly makes great gear. I've never heard ARC paired with Vandersteen but don't doubt it's a good match. But check out what RV uses in his living room to drive his 7s:
http://www.ultraaudio.com/features/20091001.htm

Scroll to the bottom.

Rufipennis, Very nice set up.
You mentioned wanting more midrange resolution. Words can never describe the improvement of adding a Vandersteen subwoofer. It is not about the bass. It is about a top to bottom improvement.
By relieving your amplifier of having to produce bass and removing the bass energy from the 2Ce cabinet the sound improves dramatically. This is no small improvement.
I have owned much more expensive systems, but one of my all time favorite systems was the Vandersteen Model 2 and 2W (not V2W) subwoofer.

>>>Very nice set up.
I assume you clicked the link to my "System" (sorry everyone for taking this thread OT).

>>>You mentioned wanting more midrange resolution
When I first got the Vandies, the midrange, especially voices and acoustic instruments, sounded somewhat veiled. This problem was more or less completely mitigated when I lucked into two demo pairs of Ayre speaker cables. I don't believe I wrote that my system lacked midrange resolution (but of course, I always want more!).

>>>adding a Vandersteen subwoofer
Thanks for the suggestion. I've actually considered this option for several years dating back to when I had Thiel 1.6s and really loved them other than their lack of response below 50Hz. If ever have $$ to upgrade, I'm thinking of the Quatro, Aerial 7C (if it ever is released), and Avalon Aspect. But another option is to simply add a stereo pair of 2WQs. In the meantime, I'm plenty happy with my current rig.

Ruffipennis...Isn't that interesting.... I have Ayre V1xe/K1xe with Vandersteen 5A's...had the Ayre cables in my system which was absolutely horrible. They are built by Cardas, and anything Cardas attached to my system is a definite downgrade. My dealer was amazed that Cardas/Ayre stuff didn't work. The best I found was Audioquest Everest/Sky, and Anti-Cables.

Stringreen, that IS very interesting. Another example of how one size does not fit all in this hobby. I've not tried many different cables but I am *very* happy with the Ayre's. AFAIK, the Ayre is essentially a Golden Reference but with a different jacket. I believe the material is less expensive than what Cardas uses on his own label. I almost pulled the trigger on the Anti-cables (I think I may have read your endorsement) but happened upon a screaming deal with the Ayre's.