Vandersteen 2Ce and bass performance

I've owned a pair of 2Cs for 12 years now. It is really hard to beat these speakers for the money. I used a Hafler 220, then an Adcom 545, and for the last 9 years a Counterpoint SA-12. I love the bass. It is clean, tight, and deep. As deep as you can get for $1250 a pair. Loading them into a corner will most likely give you big car audio like bass but will suffer in imaging and soundstage. Try it and let us know how it comes out. I've also found that toe-in collapses the soundstage on mine. Good luck.

i've had the 2c's for 12 yrs and love them but until i added a vany sub i never realized how much low bass i was missing. i have a home theatre setup so i used the v2w sub but in an audio only setup the 2wq is probobly a better way to go

Get down and listen to the rear firing woofers to see if your speakers are in fact funtioning at the low end. Sounds simple, but check polarity if someone else has had a chance to get at your system. My 2Ce's are just 15-18 inches from the wall due to the moderate size of my room. They do not boom, but have sufficient bass that shows up when the program material calls for it. I also have a Sunfire sub. that cuts in below 40 Hz. but the level is set pretty low as it can get obnoxious with some material, and most material doesn't even seem to activate it. You might get bigger bass in a big room from model 3's. Plus that model can be upgraded by mfr., as the 2's cannot be. Try someones elses electronics with it, if possible, if only one at a time. I get all the nice bass I need with Hafler stuff. And a modified SONY higher price player.

having the 2ce go flat to 30 in more than one system, il cant understand why more of you havent advised getting different electronics. the 545 probably doesnt have the oomph in the bottom. arc sp9/classic 60 combo would be awesone but expen$ive. a hafler 500 is hard to find but i assure yu the bass would be visceral. do NOT put these fine sounding spks in corners or near walls. if they sound too spacey, toe them in toward the sweet spot. im not potshotting you medford, just offering the solution it took in the dealer showroom whre they were a bit too close to a reflective wall. theyre spacious enough without depending wall reflections. these speakers need to have space on all sides to take advantage of their near boxless design. they look goofy without the grill but thats the way id want to hear them all the time. kimber 8tc works well with this system also. ive never messed with biwiring but would if i owned these spks.

You might want to try a different CD player. I know when I bought a higher end CD player the bass response of my system went up noticeably. If you don't want to spend money try the following: 1. Spike the speakers. 2. Put lead shot or sand in the speaker stands. 3. Verify the speakers are firmly connected to their stands. 4. Put the speakers a little closer to the wall. You will pay a little in imaging. 5. Biwire the speakers. I did this with mine and noticed a sound improvement. 6. Shorten your speaker cables as much as possible & keep them off the ground. 7. Clean all of your connectors. 8. Sit further from your speakers. Low bass makes very large standing waves that you cannot hear up close. If you do want to spend money you can 1. Buy a cheap solid state amp for the low end. Pick up an old adcom, rotel, denon etc. Put your lower quality amp on the bottom. 2. Buy a used Vandersteen sub. I have heard the old 10 vintage 2w, and thought it added a lot to the vandersteen 2's.