Best amp for Vandersteen 2sig

Hi,

I've really enjoyed the Quicksilver monoblocks on them. People I trust have also liked them with the Audio Research amps. For home theater the Theta Dreadnought is good. Each of these depends mightily on your budget, preferences and if you want home theater though. The best I've heard at any price is the BEL 1001 mk V. No contest. If I had to choose two to make a short list I'd make that list Quicksilver V-4 monoblocks (tube) and the BEL 1001 mk V (SS). They're the same price (around $4k) and are different enough to cover most preferences. I think the BEL will really surprise you though.

As for making the decision...any of these amps will sound great. Go talk to your dealer and see what they recommend. They'll probably be able to demo at least 2 good options.

Good luck!
Michael

PS. Don't hesitate to spend on the amp. It's the heart of the system and will make a huge difference through these speakers. They're incredibly revealing when coupled with the right equipment.

Funny I can't think of a speaker that has people more split.You either see there stramngths anf forgive there faults (or limitation).You either love 'em or hate 'em.There are other speakers out there like Maggie 1.6's (more pure bang for the buck than 3.6 IMHO) and used $2K delights like Revel monitor.But as the old adage says "you can't have too much power".My previous post takes into consderation what others have said and since it was all over the place I would also say you need to listen in a show room.Get tubes running them see if warmth works and then switch to solid state that has at least double the power of the tubes.It's all a matter of tatste and you might like a "cool" soounding amp like the Aragons.They certainly would have more bass control but at cost of porevious (mine and others tube reccomendations.BTW both used Rogue 120's and Quicksilver amps are both great values for the dollar.
Chazz

"You either love 'em or hate 'em"

So true. This seems to be prevelent in my life - I'm a Deadhead and a diehard Raiders fan -- both are either "love'em or hate em" things as well:)

My Vandies 3 signatures sound excellent with a Mcintosh 2102 amp and 2200 preamp. Great speakers.

To my silly solid state but veteran ears, they seem rather uninvolving in my friend's system, with REL Strata III and Jolida 302B sourced by ShengYa CS10 CD/HDCD and Sony SACD changer. Good to excellent IC's, wiring, power and speaker, and tube rolled. But they're better with his Pro-Ject 1.2 Sumiko Oyster.

My uncle's Vandy 1's in his Oahu hideaway also sound like that with a huge Kenwood KR 9600 receiver. I know, old vintage amp. But, there is a kind of house sound.

They seem to need a LOT of power. My 2.5 cents.