Vandersteen 2CE Signature II: Is it worth the price of $2700? Why are so many for sale?
I have seen several ads on both AG and Ebay for a "variety" of Vandersteen 2CE's
Question: Is:the "latest version:"of the model worth its $2700 price tag considering the evolution of this design over the last 10 to 12 years
Vandersteen's website shares a few paragraphs about the upgrades made; but, has their really been notable or marked improvements in sound quality and overall performance?.
The amount of 2CE's for sale regardless of what version seems unusual,and even cautionary for buyers looking at a used pair ( taking into consideration age and condition)
Lastly, does this model compete with the performance of other speakers in its price range??
Cool Cats out the bag now my guess is IF you want one of the old ones you get on the phone and call dealers hope they have your wood, etc.... orgerwise wait a few months as many owners will upgrade.....
Tonic likes chasing the cat when it’s let out of the bag. If you ask anyone of us who own the bassEQ, I would bet that 100% would tel you how worth it it is. I’m really looking forward to hearing it with a pair of Quatros lol.
I WANT TO THANK ALL MEMBERS WHO RESPONDED WITH SUCH GENEROUS COMMENTS AND ADVICE.
UNFORTUNATELY, I FELL AND BROKE MY SHOULDER TWO WEEKS AGO SO I MAY HAVE TO CONSIDER A SMALLER AND LIGHTER SPEAKER NOW, I CAN ONLY PUSH A LOAF OF BREAD FROM TE COUNTER TO THE TOASTER.
HOWEVER, I AM GOING TO LAUNCH A NEW THREAD ABOUT A SPEAKER CALLED THE LARSEN 6.2 AND HOPE TO GET SOME FEEDBACK ABOUT THEIR PERFORMANCE THE REVIEWS I HAVE SEEN HAVE BEEN GENERALLY VERY GOOD.
DO YOU GET SOME KIND OF SADISTIC PLEASURE TAUNTING MEMBERS? . SHOULD IT REALLY MATTER TO YOU HOW MANY THREADS I SUBMIT SEARCHING FOR A SPEAKER UPGRADE?? I DID NOT KNOW YOU HAD BEEN ROYALLY APPOINTED BY AUDIOGON AS THE GATEKEEPER OF THREADS.
IF YOU THINK SENDING LINKS OF SPEAKERS THAT ARE OVERWEIGHT AND OVERPRICED, I DON'T FIND IT HELPFUL OR HUMOROUS .....GROW UP
SJ, good luck wiht recovery. Totally sucks. I have heard the small Maggie on many occasions and if set up properly, they rock. Just very good speakers. The small KEF's just need to be uses with very good electronics to sound their best in my humble opinion. if you have the right gear, they could also do the trick nicely. Great recommendations by Tomic as usual.
THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO WISHED ME WELL; I APPRECIATE YOUR KIND WORDS
DON'T FALL WHEN YOU ARE 60 YEARS PLUS. MY OPTIONS AT THS POINT.IS 1) TO KEEP THE SHOULDER IMMOBILIZED TO REST IT IN THE HOPE IT WILL HEAL 2) NEXT, IS SHOULDER REPLACEMENT SURGERY WHICH LASTS 3 HOURS, AND REQUIRES 6 MONTHS IN A SLING WITH A 4 TO 6 MONTH RECOVERY ANY SURGERY HAS ITS RISKS SO I AM GOING TO HANG IN AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS
I own two pair of 2CE (black / tan) and have had the tan ones in dry storage for a bit waiting for the right person to gift them to. They’re the kind of speakers that sound so good that non audiophiles will sit down and suddenly start paying attention and asking questions.
I truly don’t think you get that type of visceral response from non time/phase aligned speakers. It’s just special. If OP gets a pair, make sure to get the matching stands. Pro-Tip: Buy a large “dash pad” off Amazon and cut it into pieces, sandwich the thin rubber pad between the stand and bottom of the speaker, then screw them on.
Actually in speaking with Richard, time and phase correct speakers should never be used with spikes/stands that move at all (ie polymers and rubber). He even makes special spike shoes that have a special felt on the bottom for speakers that are on solid surfaces like hard floors or granite (I use granite on my Quatro CT's).
If you love the sound with the rubber pad that's cool and how you like your ice cream, but I'd typically tell someone who's trying to set them up the way they are designed to try that first. Can always try the rubber pads and see which flavor of the rainbow they like.
Just another thought. All good and love seeing how others set them up.
Been running the Vandersteen 2 Ce Sig II for 5 years with a tube pre and power amp, they sound FANTASTIC in my 200 sq/ft room. Highly recommended for the "budget" audio enthusiast. Placement is important for proper bass response, plus, run 'em on the stands/spikes in a carpeted room..
From what I've read regarding Vandersteens is that to get the full potential out of them they must be bi-wired. No jumpers. No internal bi-wire cables. Two runs of cables from the amplifier. That increases cost. Doesn't say you have to do it but from what I'm told the difference in sound is significant
They also require a certain size spade to fit so if you already have a set of speaker cables you either must have them reterminated, use adaptors or bare wire.
I'm considering auditioning the Treo CT but having to take into consideration the above is definitely a barrier to me doing so
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