VANDERSTEENS vs. THIELS

Is your room treated correctly with acoustic traps? If you haven't damped first reflection points, you won't be hearing what your speakers sound like, NO MATTER WHAT SPEAKER YOU CHOOSE. As for Thiels/Vandersteens, audition each in your home before you buy. And get a couple of ASC "Frescoes" before you do that...

I have lived with the Vandersteen 10 years from 1988-1998 and I loved them until I moved and I could never get them to sound right in my new room. I have heard the Thiels and they are certainly less forgiving than the Vandy's.Great detail 3-D imaging. The Steens reproduce music accurately but really don't provide all the detail that the Thiels reveal. Another excellent speaker in this price range that in my estimation is a MUST audition is the NHT 2.5i. These speakers will reveal what is on the recording and with excellent electronics is a competitor with any of the 3 on your list. I currently own these speakers (2 years now) and I am absolutely thrilled with their sound. They are accurate, they have excellent base response and most importantly for me is that they are balanced across the board as are the Vandy's. I hate to through you this curve but add them to the list otherwise if you want to stick with your 3 choices I would go with the VANDERSTEEN. I ultimately picked the Vandy's over Magnapan 2.6 speakers after long deliberation and was never sorry for the choice.

Bennett As stated above in some of the other responses there is no substitution to listening in your own room with your current electronics. If that is not possible, try to bring your electronics to the stores where you can then audition in a familiar system. Good luck and enjoy the journey!

Sounds like you are getting more advice than any one man should to confuse you even more. Save a little more money and buy a used pair of Thiel 3.6 (2300 or less). These will definitely beat all the ones you were considering. So will the Legacy classics, the Martin Logan SL3/REquests ..... sorry.

If you wish to keep your midrange electronics, I think you should buy the vandersteens. Check out the 2ce signatures. Until recently, I used a high quality denon dra-1025 receiver with my vandersteen 2c's. Surprisingly good. One nice thing I have noticed about the vandersteens is their cosmetic durability. There is no cabinet to scratch nor drivers to puncture. After 10 years, and probably 12 moves, they still look close to new. If you have to mail order, I recommend a dealer we have in Lake Oswego OR called The Audio Gallery. Gary and Cindi Kerr run it. Very nice people who really know their audio. I personally find the sound of theil's very annoying. They are way too bright for my tastes. They are more accurate, but I just don't care for them. I thought the mg 1.6's were excellent speakers, however I have heard they require tremendous power to sound good. If you want great accuracy, but with less bass, they would be the way to go. I would not try to drive them with a receiver. BTW, the 2ce signatures are quite a bargain upgrade. They are only 1620.