Replacement for Vandersteen 2ci

Jtma, I've never heard the 2ci but I would guess that if you like them, you'll love the 2ceSigIIs. They should certainly be on your short list. Stevecham, as much as I like the Thiel 2.4s (I almost bought a pair to replace my 1.6s), IMO the SigIIs are more musical and sound more "right". Granted the Thiels are very, very good and beat out the Vandies in terms of transparency and, maybe, resolution. YMMV.

Jtma, As I wrote above, I have never heard a pair of 2cis. But I am confident that the Sig IIs have far superior tweeter and midrange drivers, plus 20 years of incremental improvements to the crossover, cabinet, and woofers. They should sound much more transparent and resolved at a minimum. I would guess they're better in almost every sonic parameter other than, possibly, bass extension. Take a look at the discussion board on Vandersteen's website. RV strikes me as a straight shooter who's not trying to sell you something you don't need. You wrote that you want to keep the price below $3K. If you're buying new, IMO the Sig IIs are the best choice in this price bracket (assuming that your room is big enough to sit 8' away, with the speakers at least a couple of feet from the back wall). Read Art Dudley's review in Stereophile. I think it's spot-on.
Albertporter, Yes, my username is derived from the animal kingdom.