quick personal experience to share,had both of them and the sigs were much better for the highs and mids,lows was about the same if you consider an upgrade it would be money well spent,now I own alon II and for the same money used(900) I find them more revealing and dynamics but the vandies seemed to have a little more efficient bass with proper placement.
Thierry. |
They're both extreamly inefficient and like lots of power and current to perform(probably because they have no cabinet?) Series 3 Vand-s have cabinetery for the woofer and tend to be more efficient and revealing i.e. to me making more sence than 2's. Used prices b-n 2's and 3's aren't that much of a difference either. |
the cabinets has nothing to do with efficiency,like the alon II no frame helps sound correctness except that the alon actually needs a little more power because of the sealed boxed woofer,regular 3's have the same design except bigger woofer enclosure.
stereophile reviewer preferred the 2ce sigs over the basic 3,apparently the 3's had more bass presence but the overall presentation was found better for the 2 sigs.
used to run them with a 50watts high current audioprism tube amp and it performed really great especially at the price range.
do a search for the stereophile review don't know the issue number.
aloha! to both. |
I am wondering about folks claiming that the 2c's are so darn hard to drive? I must have just the right size room but a single old Dyna st70 can run mine to fair levels. I also have an old Naim Nait, thing must be all of 12 watts a channel and that even does ok, not great for BIG music but not bad. My amp for the system is a 50 watt tube amp and it's fine by its self, but I do use the Vandy 2wq and that combo will play quite loud. Do you all live in houses with huge rooms? |
My take on it, was the 2Ce was the most musical and best balanced. The Signiture version just did,nt do it for me. I did like the heavy screw terminal barrier strips that the Signiture offered, though. The same hookup was offered in the Great and Scarce Vandersteen model 4 of 1987 vintage. |
I agree completly with maxgain. I owned 2ce's for many years and they are very easy to drive, anything reasonable over 35watts/ch should do it. I've used a dynaco stereo 70(35 watts/ch), conrad-johnson mv-50(45 watts/ch) and audio research classic 60(60 watts/ch) all with excellent results. |
The 2CE Signatures are worth the extra money. If you can swing it, a pair of 3A Signatures are unbelievable and a huge step up in every way. I own the 3A Signatures and have heard my friends 2CE Sigs connected to my system. The difference is enormous and enough to make you want them immediately upon hearing them. As a former musician, I know what sounds genuine and the Vandersteen Signatures get you closer for the money than anything out there I've heard. Having been to CES numerous times and having heard tons of systems, my view has yet to change. Not to mention that the model 3's and above are guaranteed to be upgradable as technology moves forward. |
Make sure that you have a good dealer who can answer all you questions! Don't call the factory! Better yet buy something made by people who will deal with you in a polite fashion like Magnepalanars, they know how to treat their customers,unlike "Dick" Vandersteen! |
Folks! I've owned Vandys 1ce and the more power I've throuwn on to them the the more sound they gave. They like the high current as well since their impedance varies between 2 and 6 ohms. Vandys 2ce have the same load characteristics with extra driver and crossover. I've auditioned them to upgrade my 1ce and in the same setup with Rogue88 1ce sounded more dynamic and open. 2ce had their mids backed up or "hidden" inside their towers. Bass??? He..He... almost none. Now what's wrong in setup: Basis 1600? Benz Ruby2? Phonomena, AE3 or Rogue88?
I can say that 1ce can often sound better in the same setup than 2ce and 2ce sigs all together. |
In responce to Maxgain's negative comments reference Richard Vandersteen and his company, I couldn't disagree more. I've owned different models of his speakers going on 18 years and have had nothing but positive conversations with him, both over the telephone or in person at CES. He and his company are extremely well respected and liked by customers and dealers alike. At CES I saw a sales rep displaying $20,000.00 speakers in his suite talking with Richard at his audio suite about the Vandersteen model speakers the rep owned. Richard is not a snake oil salesman or flash in the pan designer. His products pass the test of time and reproduce music in a natural way that very few other designers can at anywhere near their respective price ranges. Maxgain, I'm sorry to hear you feel so negative about Richard Vandersteen and you did not describe you incident with him but I can asure you that you that he is an excellent designer and family man. |
I second the comments regarding the alleged dificulties of driving 2Cs. My 2Cis go as loud as I could want with a 45 watt CJ tube amp and sound great.
Has anyone had a chance to compare the 2Ce sig in combo with one or two 2WQs against the 3A sig, with no 2WQ? The 2WQ supposedly does a nice job of improving the mid range so I was just wondering as that combo is a bit less than the 3A sig (or a bit more if we are talking the 2ce with 2 2WQs.
I would expect the base to go deeper with the 2 combo and the treble on the 3A sig to still be better of course but what about midbase, midrange, imaging, etc. Has anyone done a comparison? |
I see reference to a Model 1C on the Vandersteen web site. What is a "1ce", exactly? After all, the site specifies a model 2Ce Signature. Why wouldn't they do the same for the "1ce"?
I ask to find out if there is a newer version of the 1C to purchase, and to make sure you actually know what speaker you are talking about.
Thanks. |
...that's right 1ce is a newer model of 1C. |
Marakanetz 2 ohm dip in Vandy's 2 series? I don't think so. I believe their minimum impedance is 4 ohms but they are essentially a quite easy load to drive. This is not to say that they will not benefit by more power but I'm not sure that it is necessary, at least in my experience with them, lived with 2C's for 10 years. Maybe the newer of the 2 series are less efficient?
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FYI, the factory says there is only a 1C as of 2/14/02.
Now, it wasn't Richard, but the woman seemed pretty well checked out on other matters: 350.00 w/return freight to update a Ce greater than serial 77000 to a Signature; 15.00 to run the computer qc on a returned pair, 60.00 per 2 family speaker for a new sock; how to remove the sock to check the tweeter; that 2Ce models were made until 1/2001; and, that the 2Wq does not have the same adjustment system as the 5, only a q control. That's pretty specific information. Try contacting Infinity by email or phone and getting a "coherent" response like that.
She could have been mistaken, but then I ask you again exactly how is a 1Ce different from a 1C and where can I get one? |
