I owned a pair of Vandersteen 2ci speakers for 15 years and a pair of 2ce signature speakers for 7 years. They are easy to listen to, go pretty deep in the bass compared to others in their price class and sound very good. I know nothing of Thiel speakers. Perhaps member jafant will chime in as he is a Theil owner and loves them. I have no idea which model he has.
33 responses Add your response
Back in the day when these two speakers were new, the conventional description of the principal difference between the two speakers was that the Vandersteens were darker in overall tonal balance (slightly tilted to the bass regions) and the Thiels were brighter in overall tonal balance (tilted more to the treble). While I liked them both and heard them both extensively, my preference at the time was the Thiels, and I tried an Aragon 2004 amp with my Thiel CS3s with good success (though I ultimately got a Krell KSA 50 instead). Both use first order crossovers, and both are well-designed. The Vandersteens sounded good with both an inexpensive Rotel amp and, while a little lush, with Quicksilver monos. Your room size might matter; generally you should sit at least a few meters away from the Thiels to get optimal blending of their drivers. The Vandersteens were set up and sounded good in a small room (at Audio Connection, before Johnny R bought the business). I have not heard the Von Schweikert bookshelves, but if they're like the VR 4s (which I have heard) I don't know if this would be a move forward in sound quality; maybe more a lateral move, IMHO. The Thiels go down to 40 Hz and drop off quickly after that (which is why I got the CS3 demos instead of the CS2s), so your setup with the sub might go lower. Is there something about your current setup that you'd like to improve on? |
Greetings from Audio Connection (( New and now available
Model 2Ce Signature III))
I would make sure you definitely hear the latest Vandersteen creation We just received this rare Announcement. Vandersteen is Back and with a new Speaker Model. Vandersteen is open and making speakers as you read this. Like many of you, Vandersteen closed for the health and well-being of our employees. Everyone is in good health and happy to be working. We are practicing all the requested measures to ensure the health of every employee remains strong. We are grateful for all your efforts keeping orders coming while remaining patient during this very unusual moment in our over 4-decade history. As we re-engage, we are pleased to announce that we have a NEW Model 2Ce Signature III. The Model 2 always sets the sonic standard at this price and this 8th upgrade is no exception. This model maintains the category's iconic status while retaining its Made in the USA standing. This gain incorporates new crossover components and eliminates the very seldom employed contour controls. The result is a more natural and noiseless musical presentation that made the Model 2 famous in 1977. Now with the stand included At $3279, the price is a net increase of only $100. This new speaker is currently available for immediate order shipping with a 3 to 4 week lead time. We will immediately update our website and send out a subscription newsletter to our opt-in consumers. Our website will also feature a way to identify vintage Model 2's combined with the visual difference of this new model's lack of contour knobs should reduce confusion about new Model 2's vs. used Model 2's "With a new and improved circuit board, new higher-quality components, and the elimination of the contour connections, everyone will experience better clarity and reduced noise from this new Model 2. It is good to be back making speakers again and I wish the best for continued health to our customers and our dealers." - Richard Vandersteen. |
@rcprince I'm pretty happy with my current setup but when I see a good deal on speakers it's hard to resist. I was thinking of buying both vandersteen and Thiel and comparing them with my von Schweikert speakers. Would keep the winner and sell the other pairs. It's just the excitement of getting new equipment :) |
How fun, iF you buy and try them all - please level match to ensure a good comparison- louder and brighter is not better. :-) a decent reliable SPL meter is $50, will put you ahead of many....except Audiogon which is like Lake Wobegon “ where everyone is above average “... As a Vandersteen AND Thiel owner ( check virtual systems, ) I would encourage you to try both, they both will reward fanatical setup. Obviously Vandy is still in business with parts, support. There is also support for Thiel with some parts being unobtainable- Rob at Coherent Source could answer specific parts at risk. have fun, enjoy the music jim h |
I owned Thiels (about 30 yr ago) and extensively auditioned Vandersteens (about 35, then 15 years ago). As @erik_squires said, the Thiels have very pronounced treble. That gives them great imaging, air, and soundstaging, but can make them hard to listen to. I finally built a low-pass filter to tame them. The Vandersteens have a far more relaxed -- I’d say natural -- tonal presentation. Not showy, but rewarding. They are about as far apart as two speakers can be.. |
I cannot believe that you’d like both in the same systemI went from Thiel CS1.6 to Vandersteen 2Ce Sig II to Thiel CS2.4SE. I’ve been increasingly happy at each stop. When I first got the 2.4s, the midrange had a "glassy" quality but otherwise were a step up from the Vandies. There was evidence that the previous owner overheated a couple of resistors. I replaced all the OEM sandcasts with Mills MRA-12s and that pretty much cleared up that issue. I have since completely replaced every passive part from the binding posts to the driver hookup wire. Now, I’m super happy and, other than bass extension and definition, hear them as nearly as good as the very best I’ve heard (Vandersteen 7, TAD Ref One, Vivid Giya, Avalon Ascent). During my rebuild, I heard an opinion that Thiel’s practice of using 1 uF bypasses contributed to a "tizzyness". So, maybe that’s the cause of the claimed Thiel treble issue? According to this source, bypasses should either be 1% or less or all-in (eg, >25%). Regardless, I liked Vandersteen and Thiel in my system/room. |
NEW Model 2Ce Signature III. The Model 2 always sets the sonic standard at this price and this 8th upgrade is no exception. This model maintains the category's iconic status while retaining its Made in the USA standing. This gain incorporates new crossover components and eliminates the very seldom employed contour controls.Cool, cool. I hope to hear these sometime. My Sig IIs were first generation (2008). At RMAF ~6 years ago, RV told me he had upgraded the midrange drive in the 2. Such a great speaker for the price, and made in USA. I keep dreaming that Vandersteen will have a model 2 with a carbon midrange for $5K. |
@beatle ya that would be the holy grail but then the ever restless and innovative Mr. Vandersteen would start polishing it.... I told this story on another thread - talking with Richard one day early in Covid shutdown - he was a work by himself - he said I have several changes I am making to the Model 2 to make it better - and now here we are !!!!! Since 1977 |
| Post removed |
I like both. Many years ago after nearly a year of auditions of many different speakers at various dealers in the NYC tri-State area, it came down to these very two. I was already to buy the Vandy 2’s, when dealer suggested giving the Thiel CS 2’s a listen, well a few hours later I left with the Thiel’s. IMHO, the Vandy’s are warmer with deeper bass, the Thiel’s better in transient attack, and tighter bass. Matter of taste. |
With an Aragon 2004 I’d go with the Vandy’s. Pretty much agree with the opinions noted above. I owned the 2C and dragged home the CS2 (worked at a shop that carried both Thiel and Aragon) and I didn’t care for them but at the time I probably didn’t have the best amp for the Thiel’s either. At the shop we used McCormack if one was looking for a SS amp to play on the Thiel’s or larger ARC tube amps. The Aragon amps played well with PSB and some of the ProAcs we/they carried at the time. Your Aragon is a nice amp but I don’t think it will partner well with the Thiel’s. The Vandy’s on the other hand play well with everyone and your amp will do very well to grip the bottom end and the top end should compliment the smoother Vandersteen’s. I owned the Sound Anchor bases and I would strongly suggest finding a set if the pair of 2C’s you are seeking don’t come with. Always best to listen first, but if you can not, the Vandersteen’s are the safer bet IMO. Good luck. |
Still better than no stands and just spikes I’m sure. I wish I would have kept my pair which had the beige socks which I preferred. One of those decisions I regret looking back as I sold them around 2009 and I gave them away. These are the stands I had. The factory ones are two separate legs that run front to back along the outside of the cabinet I recall? https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649083881-sound_anchor_speakers_stands_for_vandersteen_2c_amp_2c... |
| Post removed |
Well, I can't wait to try this as I've replaced some rebuilt Kef Calindas and some Magnepans with a set of Vandersteen 2CI's and I just ordered some Thiels 2.2 in great shape or so the owner tells me. I put the Vandersteens on feet which improved the sound pretty dramatically. I listen primarily to Classical, (opera, piano and lately more symphonic music) and more and more Jazz. About 10% of what I listen to is classic rock. |
@patresi - Funny - I just bought a pair of CS2.2s. Was only able to listen briefly, but in my room/system they were very good - airy and relaxed sounding. Need to wait for the pins and speaker cable from the prior owner; but I like what I heard so far. That said, they won't replace my main speakers (Monitor Audio GX300s) but I'm glad I have them. I used to work in a store that sold Vandersteen and the store owner loved them - I've never warmed up to them. I can hear what people talk about with them, but they leave me flat. Go figure. |
My brother in law has some Spendors which he brought over and hooked up to my system. To both of us they sounded much better than both the Magnepans and the KEF Calindas I have( just a better high end0. That being said, when I go over to his house now after listening to the Vandersteens I bought, his Spendors sound flat and without dimension to me. I can't wait to listen to the Thiels I ordered though to see what they sound like. I think though, I am going to stop buying speakers after this. Perhaps move onto new tube amps/preamps. |