Vandersteen 2CE vs. Thiel CS3.6?


I own the vandys now, would I have an appreciably better speaker if I upgraded to the CS3.6. Also is the CS7 far superior to the 3.6 for the large amount of money difference in the 2. Please help as I have no Thiel dealer near me to audition. Thank you. Rick
ricklamber17518
I owned the 2CE's and now have 3.6's. Big difference up and down the board in terms of Dynamics and Soundstaging. The speaker is quite a bit more money however. I'm glad I got the Thiels and use the Vandy's in my second system. Good Luck
wow these are totally different beasts. Your going to be completly changing the sound. Thiels are strong, dynamic, fast, detailed and have a great sounstage (the total opposite of vandersteins which are reserved, laid back, slow, and warm) I would recommend the 2.3's instead of the 3.6's. The 2.3's are smaller but are newer and many feel are better. If you only like classical you may not like the thiels though and it's a pain in the butt to match gear with. They can be bright also if you don't watch what your pairing them with. This will be a drastic change I really recommend you listen to them first. If your looking for a great soundstage and imaging you can jump into and totally immerse you than thiel is the way to go. If you like that syrupy fix it sound than go with some bigger vandies.
I can only respond to the sound qualities of the Thiels. I own a pair of 22's which was replaced by the 2.3's. As people have stated, Thiels are very revealing. You will need a great source and tons of power. I originally ran my 22's with 200 wpc into 4 ohms. Granted it was with a Hafler amp, and the sound was not bad. Not harsh in any until you really open it up at high volume levels. Most people say Thiels do not play at high volume levels well. I made a small upgrade and am now using a Parasound amp rated at 400wpc into 4 ohms. What a night and day difference. I now have incredible bass. Bass that you hear even at very low listening levels. The biggest improvement is when I play my music rather loud. Absolutly no harshness. The sound is still sweet and smooth. Also noted, that I have my speakers in a room that does not have a concrete floor like most homes. My Thiels were spiked and sounded very nice. I added Vibapods under them and the improvement was amazing.