Pre/Amp/Int for Vandersteen 2ce Sig II for +/-$3k

If you can audition it, you may want to consider the Ayre AX-7e.

Lightspeed passive preamp + Music Reference rm10 II = a winning combo with those speakers. You don't state what your room size is but mine is 16x23 and there's no volume or clipping problem. Check out the monster sized Lightspeed thread for details.

McCormack amps have a long tradition with Richard Vandersteen. Richard used to show his speakers at Audiophile events with Steve McCormack's amps on a regular basis. A nice synergy! I have a SMc Audio modified McCormack amp powering my Vandy 3A Sigs to great effect. The high current and top notch parts make for a great match with Richard's speakers.

Why isn't vintage Mac a good idea? If you're ok with the risks of any vintage gear, Mac is a very safe bet. They can fix and tune up pretty much anything they've ever made. It's not free and nor is it cheap, but it's more than most companies can ssy they do.

Mac makes excellent gear that's built very well. It also sounds great to my ears. I'm not saying it's the best stuff out there, but nothing is the absolute best.

If you're interested in Mac gear, give it a go IMO.

I used Unison Unico SE integrated with my 2 Sigs, and it was a great, enjoyable match. Unison replaced the SE version with Unico Secondo, which has less power, but better build quality.

I tried also Luxman L505u with good results, but not as good as Unison for my taste.