While I have been a long term Vandersteen 2c and 2ce owner, I have found that they sound their best with tube amplifiers. The Vandersteen 1c is a more forgiving and easier speaker to drive and sounds good with solid state. It also available new for under $1k. For about $700, including stands, I just picked up a pair of B&W dm 602s2 for a second system. These were surprisingly good for the money and are very easy to drive. They're not floor standers but sound as good or better than some. This would leave you $300 to put towards some good cables or maybe a better preamp.
