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Paradigm Studio v2 VS. Vandersteen 2Ce Signature ?

I've recently been "auditioning" a pair of Studio 60 v3's and found their sound to be much more suitable to my taste in music over my current pair of Triangle Antal XS. I've not heard the Vandersteen speakers but heard they sound pretty good. Some negative comments I heard about the speakers is that they lack transparency and extention in the treble. Switching from a pair of Antals to these speakers sounds like it would be a complete opposite, but how do they compare against the Paradigm Studios? Who owns a pair of these 2Ce Signatures and how is their value rating? I'm using a pair of NAD C 272 mono blocks with an NAD DVD player. I listen to a range of music including rock, classical, electronic, folk, and more.
jwglista
jwglista OP
206 posts
 
Unfortunately, my listening room is small too (my bedroom), so this has been on my mind and may be a major drawback of these speakers. The Studio v3's sound fantastic, but I'm just wondering what the main differences are between the v2's and v3's. To me the v3's don't sound that bright (I'm a 23 year old male, so I'm somewhat sensitive to bright sounding epuipment). I think the warm-sounding Vandersteens would fit me better. There's a dealer listed on Vandersteen's site that's hopefully still in business (on the map it appears to be located in the same spot where an old audio place went out of business). My plan is to put the Triangles up on AudioGon while I go around and listen to other speakers.
mikej
172 posts
 
Just to clear up what the sound of the Vandersteen Model 2CEs is: They sound like the upstram components. It's one of the most transparent speakers up to $3000 that you can buy. People who think they're mellow/laid back or warm need to listen to them with a good amplifier. I'm running mine on a 3 year old Rotel receiver and they sound very good paired this way. However, I have been known to bring an amp in or to bring them downstairs for listening in the main room. That's when you can really hear what they're capable of. Simply put, they're stunning, dynamic and neutral with the right rig in front.

This isn't to say that they're the ones for you, but I would certainly suggest you give them a serious audition.

Best of luck to you!
jwglista OP
206 posts
 
Unfortunately the dealer here in the Pittsburgh area that is listed on Vandersteen's site has been out of business for a while now. I should probably inform Vandersteen so that the listing can be taken off of their retailer list. The closest dealer now is in Cleveland.
mikej
172 posts
 
Ouch...well, if you're in CA I can help out.
I think you should make a point of auditioning the speakers before you buy if you can. I know I listened to my 5s repeatedly in 3 systems before I decided to buy them. Even though the 2s are less expensive it may be worth a weekend trip to check them out and look at some other options as needed.
Good luck!
dave123456
51 posts
 

I'm wondering, for those of you who think the Paradigm Studio series is bright/harsh or whatever, what do you think of PSB's Stratus series? I own PSB Stratus Mini's ( aluminum tweeter just like the paradigms) and to me they sound bright sometimes. I am toying with the idea of getting some older model 2's like these for my living room system -http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1126026794- Iv'e seen even cheaper ones for about $350 a pair, and for that kind of price it may be worth it.

When I first got into hi fi someone recommended these speakers since I listen to a lot of hard rock and bass heavy music. I would go ahead and get them for my main system, but I'm in a VERY small bedroom, and im guessing the model 2's would overwhelm it. I'm curious if anyone has heard the older model 2 series, as well as PSB's stratus series and can tell me the differences. Thanks
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