2. amps-preamps
  3. 1366909422

old newbie

Hi to all. Sorry for the length but here goes, Been out of the game awhile,kids,braces,college. Get the picture. Anyhow just picked up a pair of mint vandersteen 1cis. This is my second pair owned 1bs yrs ago. They sound better than the 1bs but I believe their being held back by my old gear,adcom gtp400 tuner/pre and 535II amp and rotel rcd 955ax cdp. Thought about a liin classik or should i go the integrated amp cdp route. budget is 1000-1200. Tuner is not a concern at this time. Im thinking used, more bang for the buck. Thanks for any and all suggestions.
128x128kwarmunde
adam18
670 posts
 
I enjoyed my Vandersteen 1C"s for many years .... first driven by a beautiful Arcam Delta 90 integrated amplifier, and then by my current Rogue Audio Cronus. In your price range, you may want to seriously look at the present day Arcam gear..... maybe a very nice synergy ! Good Luck, and welcome back !
zd542
5,339 posts
 
I also had the 1C's. Even though they're not too expensive, they are very detailed and revealing. Because of that, its very important to match your components correctly. I would recommend a Creek 5350SE (Either the old or new version. It doesn't matter.

The main reason I would pick the Creek is for the pre amp section. Its passive. I feel its very hard to find a good active preamp in your price range, let alone as part of an integreated. The passive preamp will allow you to get around some of the problems you run into at your price point.

Also, the 1's are very easy to drive. You can use just about anything. The amp in the Creek is more than enough.
celtic66
1,681 posts
 
I've owned the Linn and it's decent, but not decent enough for the Vandies.

Integrated/cd player is the route. Used, an Audio Refinement Compete integrated paired with a Rega Apollo R would very much suprise you. Later add an external DAC as the Rega is a very decent stand alone, but a terrific transport.
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