Vandersteen 1C or Meadowlark Kestrels?


Hi,

I'm putting together a modest two-channel system and would like to know your collective thoughts regarding these two speakers. I've heard the 1Cs and think that they're just terrific for the money.

I see a lot of comparisons between the Kestrels and the 2CEs, but I don't have the space for the 2CE, not will I have the amplification to do them justice.

In my price range, I'm looking at the original Kestrels, (non-"hot rod"). I'll be driving the speakers with approximately 30-40 wpc of tube amplification. Maybe a Sonic Frontiers SFS-40 or similar.

The room that I'll be using them in is quite large - maybe 20'X25'.

Based on this information - which way would you go? Any other recommendations are welcomed. However, please keep in mind that my budget is only ~$500.

Thanks in advance for your input.
heather_scrapsfcd5