Thiel CS 2 2 vs. Vandersteen 2CE

Never owened, but have shopped hard and listened a bit to Theil: harder to drive, treble set for 3 meters, rather than 2 meters, (at least, in older Theils) so treble may be rather brighter. Have owned several Vandies, I like the Vandies, but they don't rock quite as well.

Flame on, Vandy fans

The archives might be of help here.

I think the Thiel 3.6 has a better reputation than the 2.2. I'd be willing to bet it would be worth the extra bit of money.

Thank you all. I found the threads Unsound was referring to and they are really helpful. Now I worry that if I did go with Thiels (and was leaning that way) that they'll sound horrible because of something bad upstream (that I might not have realized was bad until I got the things home).

Rtn: I don't have the amp to drive the 3.6, unfortunately (Forte F 55, AB, 100W).

IMHO, the Thiels are more sensitive to upstream components (especially amps), but the Vandy's are more sensitive to room placement and listening position. Your Forte' gear won't sound horrible with Thiels, or Vandys.

I have been installing Vandersteens for over 20 years
and of course it all comes down to preference.
one comment above I am in complete disagreement with is the Vandersteen placement actully will work better in a variety of room placements.
Because of the staggered design front 8 and rear 10 tend not to one note bass overload the room and or compete with mid range definition.
I think we have taken in on trade over the years at least 2 pairs of 2.2 and 3.6 in applications where the Vandersteens were just more room friendly by design.
One of the best tunes to prove this is Allman Bros Statesburo Blues on the opening Bass line or Cowboy Junkies
Misguided Angel /Trinity Sessions.
Cheers Johnnyr

With all due respect to Audioconnection , I beg to disagree. I'm sure that many might indeed prefer the Vandy's to the Thiels, I doubt it's because of room interaction. While the Vandy's go deeper, the Thiels are tighter in the bass. That looser, warmer bass can be problematic. I suspect that the Vandy's minimal baffle area might have it's benefits, but it might also create more variables with regard to early room reflections than the Thiels more controlled approach. I like both these designs very much and struggled deciding between the them when choosing for myself. I have been comparing these series from their respective manufacturers for over 20 years in many, many different rooms. In my experience the Vandys have demonstrated less consistantcy than the Thiels. Without proper placement the Vandy's and perhaps especially the 2's can sound really, really bad. I have not noticed the same variability with the Thiels. Though I ultimately chose Thiels, I have to admit, all things considered, I think the Vandy's are the better value. FWIW, I have no professional interest in either of these products.

Thanks for your opinion and here i have to strongly disagree
Mayby 20 years ago this was somewhat as you suggest but the newest 2CE Sig 2s are a whole different animal.
The speakers drivers are way more sophisticated ,Cabinet bracing at bass now is over 1 inch thick add to this the smaller baffle area, easy amp drive capable, and a company that always sports form follows function designs.
Cheers Johnny R

Audioconnection, your entitled to you'r opinion, I agree that the Vandy 2's have improved in this regard, but, I still think the Thiel 2's still have the advantage with regard to ease of room placement. OTOH, the Vandy 4 and 5's are easier than the comparable Thiels in this regard.

Depends what you are driving them with as well. I have a Mcintosh 200wpc amplifier driving my cs1.6's and WOW...what a nice combo. I would say that if you have somewhat powerful electronics that are not particularly cold sounding, that the Thiels would be a good choice. My buddy has Vandy 2ce's and they sound great - but are more lush and I think that Thiels are a punchier (to me more "fun") speaker.