Vandersteen 5 vs Model 2c/2wq Combo

Hmmmm, that is an interesting response. I am starting to think that I might as well buck up and save my pennies for a year or two and get the model 5. Ya think? I just have this fear that I am going to blow my ears out with all that volume and power. I wonder if Vandersteen dealers offer a financing plan!

Thanks for all the feedback. I have alot to think about. Ok, I understand how the source and amp make a big difference. Right now I have two 60 watt, tube, monoblocks, no-name and hand built, and I am interested in getting something by Audio Research in the future.

Anyway, here is another question; what kind of amp matches well with the Vandy 5a? With the 2Ce? What are Vandy-ites using?

This has been a big eye opener when it comes to what I want, what I need and what I should get. After reading all the specs on the Vandersteen site and reading what other who own them have to say, I now feel that the Model 5A may be a little more than I need; however, I am now leaning toward a model 3A/2Wq combo. In reality, I only want them for music. I do not need them to go down so low I can only feel it and not hear it. I am thinking of getting the 3As sometime next year after I have a chance to try out a pair at my home. It may turn out that they produce all the bass that I need. Right now I am using B&W DM602s as my mains and an Infinity subwoofer that has had some tweaking done to it that gives it a little more push than it use to get(please, no laughing). As you can see, any Vandy might thrill me to death as it is.

Garfish, my room is small, I mean very small. It is about 12x12 on a good day, but it is practically empty except for the system and I have some homemade room treatments in there. I have done my amateur best to get a nice sound in the room.

After reading my original post, I may have made a mistake in my question. Obviously, the 5a are light years passed the 2ce. It is like comparing a Honda Civic to a BMW. Maybe my question should have been; will Vandy 2CEs and a Vandy 2wq be equal in sound to a pair of Vandy 3As?

I thought I would add how I listen to music. My listening room has a walkin closet and inside this closet is my PC on a desk. I can close the door to the closet and no one will know that a PC is even there. I do alot of work on my PC and I enjoy playing music at a comfortable volume. I sort of consider the music as the soundtrack to my work. The music inspires me. The thing is, I love it when the music sounds good. I am looking for a quality of sound as opposed to the loudness of it. The music rarely gets so loud that I can have a conversation over it. In fact, I thought that all I need was to turn on some music on my PC, but that just didn't cut it. The music from my PC sucked and never inspired me to do a good job.

In the end, I would like a setup that I can live with for years with little modification. I am on a trip to upgrade and I would like to get good things and then be happy.