Vandersteen 2ce upgrade?


It's time to move on from my beloved 2ce's. I'm one of the 10,000 who bought them and now I need to move up. They have been wonderful for the last 10 years but it's time. I'm looking for advice on speakers to consider. My budget is $ 1500 used. I'm using an ARC D-75 but plan to upgrade that later. I listen to Jazz, Opera, Classical at reasonable levels. Anyone out there go through this journey? Any suggestions appreciated.
John
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My thoughts are to go to a more "open" sound. Planars are teasing me as well as a migration to the low watt amps and highly effecient speakers. Remarkable how creative one can be with this!!! I'll audition the Vandersteen 3A and take the next step. John
The type of music you specified doesen't require a lot of slam factor.There are a number of good moniotr speakers like the B&W 805,Joseph 7's,(expensively) the RedRose monitor. which would give you great imaging trading off a big sound stage for it.But if want your cake and to eat it to I would suggest the Magnepan 1.6($1600)A bit bass shy but can fit in the room and aren't as demanding with set up as the 3.5/3.6 which if you can afford price and space are probably the best value speakers out there for the dough.Not wife freindly due to hight and having to bring them out in room.But great imaging if set up in a big enough room properly and sound stage and mid range kings.You would want to pump as much juice into them as possible.All this recomendation from somebody using tweaky sensitive horn loaded speakers.But what they share is mids and highs that beat most piston speakers out there.
Have you listened to the 2CE Signature speakers? They use the same tweeter as in the 3A. The sound of the 2CE SIGS is much better than the 2CE. Much more open and with more depth and detail. I don't feel an upgrade to the 3A is that significant over the 2 CE Sig. The 3A Signature is an improvement however. It uses the tweeter out of the Model 5.
You can have your 2CE's upgraded by Vandersteen to the Signature model. When I upgrade one day, it will be to the 3A Signatures and then adding the subs later.
I am using a pair of McCormack .5 amps in a vertical bi-wire. This configeration was just unbelievable over a single amp bi-wire. Just for information, I went from the B&W 805's to the 2CE Sigs. I've never felt the need to look back. It's hard to get bass out of small speakers and about as hard to get a sub to match properly and I really believe there is something to the time alignment stuff.
Chazzbo:
Have you compared the Mag 1.6 or 3.5 to the ML CLS? They seem to running in a horse race neck to neck. I have a pair of Acoustat 1+1 at work and the openess of the planar sound is remarkable. I must say I'm tempted.
John
Anyone compare audio physic tempo with coincident partial eclipse? They coming down to thr choices.
John