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Help: Searching for Vandersteen-like speakers...

I have been searching hi and lo for the right speakers until I found the Vandersteen 2Ce and I thought my search was done. Ok, so, after hearing a few amps, I think I am really in love with SET tube amps of one kind or another. The thing about SET amps that I have seen is they have very low wattage(one had 3 watts and another had 18 watts) and this leaves the Vandersteens out in the cold with an 86db sensitivity. I can see why Vandersteens go well with SS amps. Plus, besides the sensitivty, Vandersteen 2Ce also have a recommended amplification of 40 to 160 watts. This sort of leaves SET amps right out of the question.

My thing here is that I would like to find something like the Vandersteen 2Ce in the $1500 dollar range or else forget about an SET; however, if all else fails, I will go back to my original idea of mating the 2Ce with an ARC 100 watt amp.

Any ideas?
matchstikman
eurodespot
5 posts
 
Disclaimer- I am selling my Sonus Faber Grand Piano Homes....
With that stated, the benign load of 6 ohms and 90 db sensitivity
would work with your more powerful set and give you a very romantic sound... with a sense of dynamics that you are probably missing.... if I am not mistaken, the Vandys are biampable and are
recommended as such .... Meadowlark, Audio Physic, Horns of various types could be other speaker options, although sonus, meadowlark and audio physic will be more in tune with what you like about the Vandys.... I am currently using a 35 watt set (deHavilland) and have all the richness and dynamics I could ask for with single ended midrange magic...
Chuck
bigtee
803 posts
 
I agree with the idea of a tube pre and solid state amp. I use an Audible Illusions with a Theta. Too much of the tube thing can be bad with the 2Ce. They will become a little over warm. If you like that sound---then so be it. Also, SS tightens up the bass.
I wouldn't drive the Vandersteens with anything less than 60+ watts depending on your room and levels.
The only speaker that sounds like a Vandersteen is a Vandersteen!
Also, if you go with Vandersteen's 2 series, I would go with the Signature. It IS a better sounding speaker. More detailed and open.
The Audible Illusions(or any good tubed pre) and the McCormack amps are good with Vandersteen's.
bigtee
803 posts
 
One other thing I forgot to mention. Of all the tube amps, The ARC tube amps to me sound best with Vandersteen's. Vandersteen told me once that Quicksilvers were good also.
matchstikman OP
205 posts
 
Bigtee, I have a pretty good tube pre-amp that I really like already, so what would you consider a good SS amp to go with the tube pre-amp?

For clarifications sake, the Vandersteen is not the end-all of choices for me, but it was my reference point. Some of the specs that I was looking for included: 90db or better, goes down at least to 35hz and can handle at least 10watts, with a MSRP of around 1500.

Thanks
swampwalker's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
swampwalker
5,132 posts
 
I would give a McCormack DNA 0.5 a try. Deluxe version should cost you around $6-700, Rev B upgrade about $200 more. Better sounding than the DNA-1. You can add another to bi-amp later if you want; OR try adding the 2WQ as an upgrade step. I used one with 2cis and a BAT VK3i very successfully before stepping up to bi-amped 3ASigs.
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