Damned... beat to the punch. Vandersteen 2ce

[myu701]

Vandersteen 2ce on CL, $275 a pair.

Very nice deal. Was posted at night, I sent e-mail the very next morning with phone number. They contacted me the next day by e-mail, saying they were gone. Bummed!! :tears:

 

[MJWPicMan]

Vandersteen Ces on Craigslist, $275

myu701

TOO cheap, WAY TOO cheap. If it seems too good a deal, it probably is. At that price, there has to be something wrong with them, and you're probably lucky you didn't get to buy them. Replacement drivers for Vandersteens are not cheap. I know because I had to replace the 8" in one of my old 2Cis. Just a suggestion for you. I'm a Vandersteen nut. I've had 2s, 2Cis, 2Ces, 3s, 3As and 4s. I think Vandersteens are far and away the best speaker you can buy for the money, so consider waiting until you can find a pair of 2Ce Signatures. The 2CE Signatures, which I listen to now, are a big step up from the 2Ces. You can tell the difference between the two immediately. The 2Ce Sigs are more open, have better definition and separation, better imaging, and, most important, more soul. If you get a chance to audition some go. You'll hear what I mean.

Happy Trails, Martin.

No matter where you go, there you are.

 

[HypnoToad]

When I went to buy my Jolida 801A it was connected to a nice pair of Vandersteen 2C's. The guy had one on each wall at 90 degrees to one another, he wanted $200.00 for them, I would have grabbed them but he had promised them to another buyer on the way. The other buyer offered me $500.00 cash for the Jolida which I just paid $300.00 for. He took the speakers then they seller said he had another pair which he threw in with the Vandies, they were Linn Index in good condition also.

I did very well but if I had called the seller ten minutes before the other guy I would have had the lot.

 

[SoCal Sam]

myu701

TOO cheap, WAY TOO cheap. If it seems too good a deal, it probably is. At that price, there has to be something wrong with them, and you're probably lucky you didn't get to buy them. Replacement drivers for Vandersteens are not cheap. I know because I had to replace the 8" in one of my old 2Cis. Just a suggestion for you. I'm a Vandersteen nut. I've had 2s, 2Cis, 2Ces, 3s, 3As and 4s. I think Vandersteens are far and away the best speaker you can buy for the money, so consider waiting until you can find a pair of 2Ce Signatures. The 2CE Signatures, which I listen to now, are a big step up from the 2Ces. You can tell the difference between the two immediately. The 2Ce Sigs are more open, have better definition and separation, better imaging, and, most important, more soul. If you get a chance to audition some go. You'll hear what I mean.

Happy Trails, Martin.

No matter where you go, there you are.

Welcome Martin from another SoCal Vandersteen 2Ce owner. I've got a pair of 2Ce's with the T-stands. The are sadly not the Signatures but beggars cannot be choosers. What amp are you driving them with?

 

[myu701]

I'm a Vandersteen nut. I've had 2s, 2Cis, 2Ces, 3s, 3As and 4s. I think Vandersteens are far and away the best speaker you can buy for the money, so consider waiting until you can find a pair of 2Ce Signatures. The 2CE Signatures, which I listen to now, are a big step up from the 2Ces. You can tell the difference between the two immediately. The 2Ce Sigs are more open, have better definition and separation, better imaging, and, most important, more soul. If you get a chance to audition some go. You'll hear what I mean.

Thanks for the advice on the Vandersteens, Martin. I auditioned a set once and loved them (they were 2C's), and have been on the hunt for a nice pair for some time. I'd notched myself up to the 2Ce's, but hadn't heard anything about the signatures. I'll definitely keep that in mind!

And I appreciate what you said about driver replacement. It sounds like a chancy thing with bargain priced Vandersteen's on eBay... so, that's why I'm keeping my eyes peeled for local listings. At least those can be auditioned for any problems.

What do you think of the 3 series in comparison?

~Gary

 

[jocko_nc]

If I were to go back to the Vandys, I would buck up and get the Signatures, too. That said, for a couple of hundred bucks any of the 2 series is a lot of speaker for the money.

 

[DonQuixote99]

The ones that get away do leave you with an acute feeling.... All part of the game.

 

[Drifting]

Bummed!! :tears:

May be, but I hope not damned.

 

[MJWPicMan]

Welcome Martin from another SoCal Vandersteen 2Ce owner. I've got a pair of 2Ce's with the T-stands. The are sadly not the Signatures but beggars cannot be choosers. What amp are you driving them with?

SoCal Sam

I didn't mean to denigrate the 2Ces. They're a great speaker also. All the Vandrsteen 2 series are wonderful speakers. The original 2s still sound great. But every new 2 model has been a big improvement over the previous one. I recently heard the new 2Ce Signature II at Brooks Berdan in Monrovia and it knocked me out. If anyone out there in So Cal is looking for Vandersteens he frequently has used Vandersteens for sale he takes in on trade. And Brooks is the sweetest most low key guy around. He never tries to sell you anything. And Saturday is casual listening day. People just cime buy to BS and listen to new equipment. That's Brooks Berdan in Monrovia, Ca. As for my power I got incredibly lucky and bought a Soundcraftsmen Pro Power 10 for $60 off Craigslist from a guy who didn't realize how valuable it was. The Pro Power 10is one of the amps Soundcraftsmen made that is two completely separate amps in one unit. They're factory speced at 210 wpc@8ohms but tested at 230. So I can not just biwire, but I can biamp from the same unit. And it is a wonderful sounding amp with a warm tube like sound. Maybe because they have 6 Hitachi Mosfets per channel. I can't say enough good things about Soundcraftsmen components. I've put my Pro Power 10 head to head up against amps like McCormick and Hafler, and it thrashed them both. Even held it's own against some MFA 200 tube monoblocks. And the MFAs are killer sounding amps. If you can find Soundcraftsmen used go get it. As far as Vandersteens go remember that Richard Vandersteen recommends pushing 2s with an amp with at least 40 wpc@8ohms. I recommend an amp that will do at least 100. Vandersteens need an amp with a pretty robust power supply. And buy some good speaker wire. It costs, but it's worth it. I like solid core, and Clear Day Cable makes some good solid core wire thats pretty fairly priced. Wire makes a big difference. That clear 12 guage speaker wire crap from Fry's Electronics etc. is just that, crap.

Happy Trails, Martin.

 

[SoCal Sam]

SoCal Sam

I didn't mean to denigrate the 2Ces. They're a great speaker also. All the Vandrsteen 2 series are wonderful speakers. The original 2s still sound great. But every new 2 model has been a big improvement over the previous one. I recently heard the new 2Ce Signature II at Brooks Berdan in Monrovia and it knocked me out. If anyone out there in So Cal is looking for Vandersteens he frequently has used Vandersteens for sale he takes in on trade. And Brooks is the sweetest most low key guy around. He never tries to sell you anything. And Saturday is casual listening day. People just cime buy to BS and listen to new equipment. That's Brooks Berdan in Monrovia, Ca. As for my power I got incredibly lucky and bought a Soundcraftsmen Pro Power 10 for $60 off Craigslist from a guy who didn't realize how valuable it was. The Pro Power 10is one of the amps Soundcraftsmen made that is two completely separate amps in one unit. They're factory speced at 210 wpc@8ohms but tested at 230. So I can not just biwire, but I can biamp from the same unit. And it is a wonderful sounding amp with a warm tube like sound. Maybe because they have 6 Hitachi Mosfets per channel. I can't say enough good things about Soundcraftsmen components. I've put my Pro Power 10 head to head up against amps like McCormick and Hafler, and it thrashed them both. Even held it's own against some MFA 200 tube monoblocks. And the MFAs are killer sounding amps. If you can find Soundcraftsmen used go get it. As far as Vandersteens go remember that Richard Vandersteen recommends pushing 2s with an amp with at least 40 wpc@8ohms. I recommend an amp that will do at least 100. Vandersteens need an amp with a pretty robust power supply. And buy some good speaker wire. It costs, but it's worth it. I like solid core, and Clear Day Cable makes some good solid core wire thats pretty fairly priced. Wire makes a big difference. That clear 12 guage speaker wire crap from Fry's Electronics etc. is just that, crap.

Happy Trails, Martin.

Martin, no "denigration" perceived here. The march of time usually leads to improvements and the fact the 2 is still in production after all these years is a testament to the fundamental goodness of all the various iterations. I've tried my 2Ce's with a Nakamichi PA-7 (200 wpc), Kenwood L-09M (300 wpc), and a Luxman R-117 receiver (160 wpc). Cables are thick Monster integral bi-wire. I found the 2's to be forgiving and easy to listen to. While easy listening can be confused with compressed sound, the 2's are forward enough to hint at the West Coast sound I like. The sound is full with plenty of body that is set off nicely with enough upper mids and highs to satisfy.

 

[MJWPicMan]

Thanks for the advice on the Vandersteens, Martin. I auditioned a set once and loved them (they were 2C's), and have been on the hunt for a nice pair for some time. I'd notched myself up to the 2Ce's, but hadn't heard anything about the signatures. I'll definitely keep that in mind!

And I appreciate what you said about driver replacement. It sounds like a chancy thing with bargain priced Vandersteen's on eBay... so, that's why I'm keeping my eyes peeled for local listings. At least those can be auditioned for any problems.

What do you think of the 3 series in comparison?

~Gary

Gary

This is one of those either or situations. The Model 3 has a bigger presentation, both wider and taller. But the 2s are more focused. The knock on the Model 3 was that they were too vague, and I found that to be true. It may have been placement, although Vandersteens are pretty forgiving placement wise, but I couldn't get the precise imaging that the 2Ces and Ce Sigs will produce. The problem was somewhat cured with the 3As but still bothered me. The 3s have more bass, but the 2s are tighter, particularly in the upper bass. I chose the 2Ces over the 3As in a direct comparison, and I had both for weeks switching back and forth, primarily because the 2Ces were more revealing and detailed, but I do miss the larger presentation. But I liked both. Whenever I'd change the speakers when I was comparing them I'd say "Man, these sound great". If I would've kept the 3As I would have been happy with them. But the 2Ce Sigs are the best of the bunch. And they are a remarkably open speaker. However, I've heard the 3A Signatures, and all the detail and imaging problems have been solved. They go to the head of the class, and when I get the scratch I'm buying a pair. Hope that helps.

Happy Trails, Martin.