Well OK then. Allow me to answer this question directly. As I write I am listening to the dealer's floor pair of Vandy 2ce Signatures on overnight loan set up as above with a Jolida 100 CDP, Jolida 9A phono pre, Music Hall MM7. Just finished listening to Peter Murphy's "Deep," (CD) then The The's "Uncertain Smile" from Soul Mining (CD), then Grieg Piano Concerto 1 (vinyl), now Fugazi's 1988 self titled EP (Waiting Room etc)(vinyl).
The speakers are black grill cloth with cherry wood tops and bottoms. The dealer lists them as $1799 for the pair which seems the going price set by Vandersteen.
I had to borrow a biwire set from the dealer, Tara RSC Prime. I have them hooked up to the 4 Ohm taps on the 302B. The high and midrange settings are 0 dB on the rear of the speakers and they are about 8 ft apart and about 9 ft from where I am listening. They are toed in slightly but the inner sides are laser focused on my wall behind where I am listening. With the sound anchor stands I haven't even spiked them in and they are slightly tilted back from the angle imparted by the stance of the stands themselves. Haven't even begun to experiment with the different settings on the back.
Compared to the Kestrels while listening at a healthy volume (about 85-90 dB peaks) the sound is very non- fatiguing, extended and detailed. There is so much music I was missing before it is almost scary. The bass needs no subwoofer, it is so clear and low at times I get this impression that I am listening to my Krell, Thiel system. Vocals take on a clarity of speech and annunciation that is remarkable, for instance when Ian Mackay says "give me the shot, give the pill" you can hear him spitting at the microphone. And the guitar picking sounds very much like when I play my telecaster into a tube amp, full of air and chime. Whoever claimed that Vandy's are not dynamic needs to hear what I am hearing right now; I can feel the kick drum move air and the bass and guitars are felt as much as heard. These things really do disappear and I will hook them up to the Krell later in the main system just for fun. I am becoming a Vandersteen fan but then I'll bet many of you already know what I am just finding out for myself. I have listening to the 5as extensively in a friend's system and always felt they were superior to my CS6 Thiels, but having the 2Ces in this modest Jolisa 302 based system has me scratching my head and wondering where I went wrong in the past trying to achieve what I now hear. Part of the blame lies with a San francisco dealer who shall remain namless and thst would not let me home demo. But the dealer here in Eugene, OR had no problem. Piano floats in mid air and the attack is sweet and detailed and sound very natural, not at all strident but real. Now I have Jah Wobble's "Take Me to God" (CD) on the system and his bass is very dynamic and extended, not wooly at all as I have read elsewhere. All the instruments and the wooden percussion instruments have a nice tactile quality and texture that sound like wood. The attack of instruments is so naturally detailed. They do get out of the way. And the midrange and vocals. Wow!
Needless to say I am going to put the Meadowlarks up for sale.
You're all invited to come over and listen to this set up. Yeah the Vandy's are keepers. I though the Meadowlarks were great, but I am converted. There is no question that these speakers are fully compatible with tube equipment let alone entry level gear like Jolida. Bravo Richard!
Steve
The speakers are black grill cloth with cherry wood tops and bottoms. The dealer lists them as $1799 for the pair which seems the going price set by Vandersteen.
I had to borrow a biwire set from the dealer, Tara RSC Prime. I have them hooked up to the 4 Ohm taps on the 302B. The high and midrange settings are 0 dB on the rear of the speakers and they are about 8 ft apart and about 9 ft from where I am listening. They are toed in slightly but the inner sides are laser focused on my wall behind where I am listening. With the sound anchor stands I haven't even spiked them in and they are slightly tilted back from the angle imparted by the stance of the stands themselves. Haven't even begun to experiment with the different settings on the back.
Compared to the Kestrels while listening at a healthy volume (about 85-90 dB peaks) the sound is very non- fatiguing, extended and detailed. There is so much music I was missing before it is almost scary. The bass needs no subwoofer, it is so clear and low at times I get this impression that I am listening to my Krell, Thiel system. Vocals take on a clarity of speech and annunciation that is remarkable, for instance when Ian Mackay says "give me the shot, give the pill" you can hear him spitting at the microphone. And the guitar picking sounds very much like when I play my telecaster into a tube amp, full of air and chime. Whoever claimed that Vandy's are not dynamic needs to hear what I am hearing right now; I can feel the kick drum move air and the bass and guitars are felt as much as heard. These things really do disappear and I will hook them up to the Krell later in the main system just for fun. I am becoming a Vandersteen fan but then I'll bet many of you already know what I am just finding out for myself. I have listening to the 5as extensively in a friend's system and always felt they were superior to my CS6 Thiels, but having the 2Ces in this modest Jolisa 302 based system has me scratching my head and wondering where I went wrong in the past trying to achieve what I now hear. Part of the blame lies with a San francisco dealer who shall remain namless and thst would not let me home demo. But the dealer here in Eugene, OR had no problem. Piano floats in mid air and the attack is sweet and detailed and sound very natural, not at all strident but real. Now I have Jah Wobble's "Take Me to God" (CD) on the system and his bass is very dynamic and extended, not wooly at all as I have read elsewhere. All the instruments and the wooden percussion instruments have a nice tactile quality and texture that sound like wood. The attack of instruments is so naturally detailed. They do get out of the way. And the midrange and vocals. Wow!
Needless to say I am going to put the Meadowlarks up for sale.
You're all invited to come over and listen to this set up. Yeah the Vandy's are keepers. I though the Meadowlarks were great, but I am converted. There is no question that these speakers are fully compatible with tube equipment let alone entry level gear like Jolida. Bravo Richard!
Steve