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$ 2500 ....Stay with Vandersteens ??...what else ?

Please refer my "system" to see my current set-up. Everything sounds wonderful together.....extremely musical, great soundstage depth and width, beautiful rendition of timbre and tone, natural presentation of voices and acoustics. BUT....I have the speaker "upgrade itch," wanting fuller, richer, deeper sound, and I need advice from my friends at Audiogon.

I spend around three hours a night of "serious listening," about 2/3 digital and 1/3 vinyl. Roughly 70% of my enjoyment is 1950's - 1960's jazz (Miles, Coltrane, Basie, Rollins, Brubeck, Ella, Mobley, Morgan, etc., etc.), 25% "classic rock" that I grew up with (Allman Brothers, Dead, Dylan, CSNY, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Led Zep, Yes, Hot Tuna, etc.), and the other 5% "newer jazz audiophile stuff" (Patricia Barber, Rebecca Pigeon, etc.)

Keeping the rest of my system the same (except for bi-wire speaker cables if needed), what do you guys recommend for new speakers ? Vandersteen 2CE Sig. II's seem a natural option, but what else should I consider ? I'm open to all kinds of suggestions. Thanks a lot, and Happy Listening !
adam18

Showing 10 responses by pubul57

pubul57
3,712 posts
 
It is very easy to veer off in the wrong direction in this hobby, going from the 1s to the 2s will keep you from doing this. If you like the Vandy sound, I would stick to getting better sound within the product line - Vandy's portray soundstage differently than most speakers with the time coherency, 1st order xover approach and if you like that (many do)go for the 2s, I think the now use the same tweeter as the 3s which should be all the better. There is a reason so many Vandy owners keep their speakers for a long time and if they make a change it's to move up within the line - it's not a coincidence. If you buy the 2s, you will one day own the 3s.
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
I know 5A owners are likely to disagree, but I thought the old 3As with the two subs were not far behind the 5As of that time, the new 3As should be even better. John Rutan knows this gear a lot better than me, but I wager that if ergonomics is not a consideration, the 3A/2Wq would not be far behind the Qauttros or 5As and a great value. Of course the Q and 5 are a neater, more elegant, one-box solution. I thought having the two subs with the mains was cool in my dedicated listening room -- in a living room maybe a different matter.
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
Impossible to think you would regret it:)
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
100% agree with Sonofjim. The 3As are definitely worth the extra costs, just a matter of when you get there, but the 2Ces are a very nice place to park for a while as money allows.
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
I 100% agree with Jdolgin regarding John Rutan. I have lefet the Vandersteen fold, but I have had great systems built on the Vandersteen platform based on John's recommedations. He is about as much a straight shooter as you will find in a audio retail shop.
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
Would panel speakers in that price range rock?
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
Very true, and on a related not the move from 1 to 2 is significantly bigger than 2 to 3, but worth it nonetheless, but that makes sense, there does come a point of diminishing returns, but as Samhar says, the midrange driver found in the 2 and up is a key to the Vandersteen sound as you move up the line compared with the 1. I think the steps up the Vandersteen are real and reflect the prices asked. What I'm not clear on is whether I would would prefer the 3a/dual 2Ws or the 5a - forgetting the ergonomics. There is something to be said of bass loading with the two subwoffers versus bass equalization electronics. Nice problem to have when you have to choose, but I suspect the current revision of the 3A with subs is a very viable option to the 5A.
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
Sonofjim, no question you are right about the primacy of "enjoying the music"; god knows there of plenty of folks with expensive gear that don't, either because their systems are not put together right, or they're to anxious about the equipment to relax and enjoy. Adam 18 is lucky to feel at peace with his system. But going from a 1 to a 2 or 3 in the Vandersteen does make the system better in a very real way. Better resolution and bass as you move up the line does lead to a greater potential connection to the musical message and performance. That is no guarantee that Adam 18 would "enjoy" his system any more, but he would have a "better" system in audio terms.
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
It seems trite, but "enjoying the music" is so important. I know you do Adam18, and you will continue to as you "upgrade" in the coming years, just keep your eye on the target, enjoying the music. Stick with Vandersteen, it will always bring you them music and keep you from getting distracted in pursuit of the this month's "best".
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
In the case of Vandersteens, bi-wiring does actually make a difference for the better, not so with most speakers - I think that in VS' case it is more than "appealing" to the marketplace.
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