Need advice/opinion in choosing Vandy 2ci or Thiel 1.5

Vandy. Thiels are an acquired taste. 

I wish Audiogon has a Like button soon...  I like your idea and what you meant. 

Not sure a tube integrated will have the juice for the Thiels. 

I have 2Cs, and rate them as a great value new, and especially used.

The Theils are in “the list of 5” along with Vandersteens as being time&phase correct, so I am not seeing any big problem with either as they start out technically accurate.

I would say:

1. Get him the Vandys (if you already have heard the Theils and you get a different perspective).
   
2. Or Let him choose.
   
3. Or get both, and later move on the loosing pair?

Very cool gesture. It’s subjective. I prefer the Vandersteens. They’re more sensitive and easier to drive, plus to young ears, the Thiels may sound a bit bright.  Maybe let him pick.  Should be a great sounding system.

Having owned both 2Ci's and Thiel 3.6, I also thing the Vandys would probably be a safer choice for this case. Easier to drive with tubes, a more forgiving tonal balance allowing for compatibility with lower cost amps and the fact that the company is still around for parts if needed all are factors. 
One consideration not yet mentioned is that many younger people's musical selections include more newer recordings that tend to be more compressed and hotter in the treble. Perhaps, a less than ideal fit with the Thiels relatively speaking. Cheers,
Spencer

@ soix The 1.5's average output is ~4 Oms so you're right, it may require high current amp. I have a 40w/c tube Class A integrated amp so hopefully in puts out enough juice in a relatively 10 x 12 x 8 room.

@ holmz  I like option 1 and 2. Thanks

@ knotscott I like your suggestion, the 2CI's may be too big for the room and we need to re-arrange the room but we'll see.

@ sbank I agree Vandys would be a safer choice. My son in his 20s now and he's a violinist in a commercial band. His plays multiple string instruments, classical and Latin jazz are his favorites. I guess since he was growing up in a family listening mostly to vinyl and tube does give him an appreciation for high quality music 

Vandys! Just never thought the Thiels were worth a damn. Bad tweeter and crossovers which tried to solve problems better solved elsewhere.

@audiomax Given your comments about your son's string experience, part of his ultimate satisfaction will come down to the vinyl rig choices. Your call on if you want to derail your own thread or start a another, but cartridge choice that has clear, tonally accurate treble might be a priority for him vs. your average Tom, Dick or Raul. Cheers,

Spencer

The Vandy 2’s are more room sensitive, the Thiel 1.5’s more amplifier sensitive. These Vandy’s have deeper, but less articulate bass response. Other than that it’s just a matter of personal preference.

Thiel's are no longer made I would get the Vandersteen 1Ci.  Great speaker for the $'s new

There's still support available for Thiel Audio loudspeakers:

Coherent Source Service – Specializing in repair and restoration of THIEL Loudspeakers

Small room 10x12. Do your self a favor and get the Vandy 1ci's. I prefer them over the 2's and personally think they'll do better in your small room. 

-Joe

my personal preference would be vandys

While I ultimately much prefer the Vandy 2’s to the Vandy1’s, @audionoobie is spot on regarding the Vandy 2’s being too big for such a small room.

The “Son is in his 20s” comment, suggests that he may not be in that room forever.

While this might not be his forever room, this might not be his forever system either.

While this might not be his forever room, this might not be his forever system either.

But it could be.
There are some owners of the 2C that have not upgraded their speakers, and they seem to be content with them.

I generally have not bought a speaker to use, knowing it is going to be discarded soon. I buy what I think will be lasting me for a long while.

What would one replace it with?

Plus the fellow already gets access to live music, much more so than many other people… so it is not like he needs a speaker and system “as his sole access to musical experience”.

Thanks for all the great advices and all seems to steer me to the Vandys' direction which I don't think we can go wrong. I may miss some transparency from the Thiel's but it could be a big gain for my son based on his preferred choice of music and vinyl.
@unsound, @audionoobie are correct, my small room will be overwhelmed by the 2Cx sizes.
jenney1 @unsound I'm thinking about the new 1Ci's as they may suit my room well thanks for the tip. I'm also glad to know Thiel still have service center to support their fans worldwide...

holmz   
I don't think my son will move out anytime soon but he can take the system and run if he decides to part 

Happy Listening!

+1 for the Vandys! Love my 2Cs

Thanks for all the great advices and all seems to steer me to the Vandys' direction which I don't think we can go wrong.

You are sort of getting a confirmation bias group… where all the Vandy owners say that the Vandys are great…  one should be mindful that the group has a high degree of bias, irregardless of the fact that they are probably right.

Maybe but I sold my Vandys and replaced them with Thiels at twice the price. I liked the Vandys better. Considering Thiels mate well with a narrower range of electronics and they're out-of-business, I couldn't recommend Thiels in 2021 to any but the most committed of audiophools, even though they sound great in a right rig. Cheers,
Spencer

to the point made by @holmz

i have personally had thiel 1.5s and 2.2s in the past, (in addition to hearing a very close friend’s system with 3.6’s many many times with different amps) and i currently have vandy 3a sigs (among other speakers)

so while i may fit into the theory of confirmation bias in favor of vandy’s, i would say that my preference for vandy’s and the sound they present is not developed without ample experience to thiels as an alternative

both are well respected brands with illustrious histories but the longstanding vandy sound is more natural and musical to me, less overtly detailed, lean and ’hifi’ sounding - obviously the choice of ancillaries matter in using either brand

@jjss49 My 2C have not been overly sensitive to amplifiers. They sound, and have sounded, good with most amplifiers that drove them (PSE, VTL, NAD, PrimaLuna). I only wish that some of that amps lasted longer.

I’m sure that the newer Vandys are better.

so while i may fit into the theory of confirmation bias in favor of vandy’s, i would say that my preference for vandy’s and the sound they present is not developed without ample experience to thiels as an alternative

The Thiels were also speakers that were time and phase correct. So one is comparing speakers that are more technically closer to each other than two wildly different different speakers. Hence tjhe comment:

“One cannot go too wrong with either”

My confirmation bias point was that people that like Vandys are also people that may not like Klipsch or other bright and hard to listen to speakers. If the OP had suggested Klipsch, then the comments would be filled with Klipsch fanbois (or fans of some other speaker brand),


As I mentioned at the end:

… one should be mindful that the group has a high degree of bias, irregardless of the fact that they are probably right.

@holmz, I don’t swap gear in and out all that often, especially speakers. I’ve kept speakers for decades. What usually causes such changes; is a change in rooms. The room / speaker relationship can not be under emphasized. And this is Audiogon, changes are not that difficult.
@audiomax, For what little it’s worth; I didn’t much care for Thiel’s earlier 1 series, but the 1.5’s and later 1.6’s are to my ears much better, and favorites of mine for small rooms. I should point out that both the Thiel’s even more so for the Vandy’s, need proper room setup more so than some others to perform their best. Small rooms often offer less flexibility in this regard. Both brands offer co-axial designs that are much more forgiving of compromised room set up. Again for what little it’s worth; as much as I think the Vandy 2’s just might be the best overall value in the history of audio, I’ve never much cared for Vandersteen’s 1 series. I firmly believe that one should buy amps for speakers, not speakers for amps. With that said, your current proposed amp will probably work somewhat better with the Vandy 1’s than the Thiel CS 1.5’s.

i am much in agreement with the recent posts by @holmz and @unsound

it was some 20 years ago, but my one very notable point of recall on the thiel 1.5’s was their lack of height... short speaker that while spacious and clear and fairly well balanced, seemed to have the soundstage rather low (waist height), no doubt due to their own rather diminutive stature - i remember at that time living in seattle, i traded my regular loveseat sofa for a low beanbag to ’get down’ to hear the sound properly hahaha

2jjss49, I’ve heard this criticism across various Thiels including larger models from time to time. My experience suggests that this might be more to do with the sloping baffle and ceiling reflections. When I moved from an 8’ ceiling to one with a 15’ peak the soundstage with the very same system including Thiel CS 2 speakers (soon after changed) expanded quite a bit vertically. A bit of room treatment could go a long was to mitigating what you’ve described. FYI, Most Thiel's and Vanderseens are designed to be listened to at standard seating positions, (which interestingly varies by only a few inches for almost everyone) at a minimum distance of 8' for time alignment driver integration. 

Double confirmation as I have two pair of Vandy and recently parted ways w T 2.3… w 7 pairs of speakers, something had to give…
OP that room that amp better served w new pair of 1ci, I think TMR has a slightly used pair for under $900.
have fun, enjoy the music !
so cool you are helping !!!!

it was some 20 years ago, but my one very notable point of recall on the thiel 1.5’s was their lack of height… seemed to have the soundstage rather low (waist height)

I think that those speakers were noted to be romantic. ;)

(I would have been spinning the Barry White discs.)

I've never heard either one, but I'd think with both of these, their Vifa drivers must be pretty darned old by now so you might want to just check condition of the surrounds and cones.

I have to agree with @Holmz re: the Vandersteens 2’s unfussy compatibility with various amps. One of the most accommodating speakers I know of in that regard. Though I do have a particular fondness for PSE, McCormack and Audio Research with them.

I've been around the block a time or 3. The only reason I remember specific components and model numbers I've heard as far back as 49 years is because they impressed. I heard a pair of Vandersteen 2Ci about 20 years ago, now, and they impressed. Haven't heard those particular Thiel. So, can't weigh in on this one. However, someone said it doesn't matter what you like. It matters what your son will like. If possible, both of you should listen to both choices at his place, if possible, and, by all means, tell him what a lucky kid he is to have a dad like you and teach him the proper care, handling & maintenance of vinyl and TT's.

You are sort of getting a confirmation bias group… where all the Vandy owners say that the Vandys are great… one should be mindful that the group has a high degree of bias, irregardless of the fact that they are probably right.

@holmz — STOP, just stop with the confirmation bias crap. You’ve no idea what “confirmation bias” is so don’t bring it here. And yeah, I took decision making theory at Cornell from a well-respected professor in the field, so just STOP trying to fly your crap here. Or we can have a more in-depth debate about what confirmation bias actually is and you’ll come out as a fool spouting crap you don’t know about. Keep your buzz words and your ignorance to yourself. You’ll be the better for it. Or, bring it and let me feed it to you.

@holmz — STOP, just stop with the confirmation bias crap. You’ve no idea what “confirmation bias” is so don’t bring it here. And yeah, I took decision making theory at Cornell from a well-respected professor in the field, so just STOP trying to fly your crap here. Or we can have a more in-depth debate about what confirmation bias actually is and you’ll come out as a fool spouting crap you don’t know about. Keep your buzz words and your ignorance to yourself. You’ll be the better for it. Or, bring it and let me feed it to you.

 
@soix 
Can we just take a middle ground where you just explain to me what is wrong with my use of the term?
(Without a slap down?)