When I purchased my 2ces about two years ago, I had already purchased a more powerful amp and seperate tubed pre, but just for fun, I hooked the speakers up to soon to be replaced Cambridge A3i (50 wpc). It worked, but the comparison to the 100 wpc amp w/ tubed pre was pretty much night and day. With the Cambridge driving, things didn't sound horrible, just a little thin, and things like soundstage, timbre, and a sense of "air" were very diminished. So the upshot is that you could use the NAD with the 1c's and save up for a more powerful amp down the road. A quick check of the vandersteen website reveals that the 1c's are fairly efficient (moreso than the 2c's) and that the recommended power requirements are 20 to 100 watts.
Vandersteen model differences/power requirements
I'm a relative novice looking for advice. Are there big differences between the 1b and 1c? What about between the 1 series and 2 series? Are there big differences between the 2c/ci/ce? I see big differences in the 2 series used prices. I'm on a tight budget and my current listening room is about 12 x 13. Also, can the 1 or 2 series be driven by a 40wpc NAD or 28wpc old Fisher tube amp? Thanks for all your knowledge/advice. Dave