Not Thrilled with Vandersteen 2CE Sigs - where is the first place to work on?

@ OP,  just noticed this from Absolute Sound, where your speakers feature :

50 Greatest bargains in high-end audio

 ALL-IN-ONE SYSTEMS

Naim Mu-so 2, $1695
KEF LS50 Wireless, $2199
Bowers & Wilkins Formation Duo, $4000

ENTRY LEVEL

PSB Alpha P5 and T20 loudspeakers, $399/$649
Magnepan LRS loudspeaker, $650
NAD C 328 integrated amplifier, $599
Schiit Audio Mani phonostage, $129
AudioQuest DragonFly Red and Cobalt DACs, $199/$299
Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital DAC/preamplifier, $499 p.180 Bluesound Node 2i streaming DAC, $549
Grado Prestige Black2 phono cartridge, $75

A STEP UP

Polk L100 loudspeaker, $1199
Magnepan MG 1.7i loudspeaker, $2295
JL Audio Dominion D108/D110 subwoofers, $900/$1100
Odyssey Khartago stereo power amplifier, $995
Marantz PM7000N integrated amplifier, $999
Parasound Halo JC 3 Jr. phonostage, $1495
Technics SL-1500C-K direct-drive turntable, $1199
Audio Technica VM540ML and VM760SLC phono cartridges, $249/$649

MID-PRICED

Bowers & Wilkins 705 S2 loudspeaker, $2500
Monitor Audio Silver 300 loudspeaker, $1999
Vandersteen Audio Model 2Ce Signature III loudspeaker, $3279
REL Acoustics T/7i subwoofer, $999
NAD M10 BluOS streaming amplifier, $2749
Schiit Audio Yggdrasil DAC, $2449
MoFi Electronics UltraDeck+ turntable with UltraTracker cartridge, $1999
Hana SL phono cartridge, $750

Wow - thanks to all for the feedback/input. John Rutan was very kind in reaching out to me - we've burned a couple of hours of his personal time on placement changes based on my not-so-perfect space with SIGNIFICANT improvement.  Kudos to John - super helpful, super nice.  We've talked through many details and following through with a needed repair/upgrade on the Apt, cabling improvements, etc. - going to knock off variables and stay the course for a while.  I highly recommend John - he's really helped me in re-learning this hobby after being away from it for many years.  Thanks to John and everyone that has chimed in - hope you all continue to enjoy the journey.

So happy for you. Glad you talked to a pro who uses the. Daily as well as other lines. Set up is so key to any speaker. 

Nothing was done in repositioning that can't be done with any other speaker. It's not the long term solution if you are not liking a speaker. Within a week you will adjust to it and you'll be back at the same place again with criticism.

 There are many thin slice ways to affect speakers. That doesn't resolve the larger issues with them. Just because there was a change doesn't mean a particular speaker is anywhere near the potential ideal. This is one of the biggest mistakes that is made continuously. It does set up a sale for the dealer, and if he has put in the time and effort, he deserves that consideration. You would get superior sound moving up the line, so that is another alternative. But, until you get other speakers in there to compare head to head, you have no idea what you're doing. The dealer will push his line, no surprise. 

So, you will be throwing money at it, with an upgrade, new cables, etc. That is an expensive way to learn, but there are not too many other options when one does not have experience. Try to keep it as fun, not frustration. Vandersteen, especially lower end, is a polite speaker that will not offend. Whether it is involving enough over timer you remains to be seen.   :)

@gjinwi

Fantastic to hear. Johnny is a gem of a gentleman, and knows Vandersteen better than most all.

I have the 2CE Sigs, and can tell you, I feel the disparaging descriptions to be misguided. This is all very subjective; what one feels about a particular piece of equipment can always be countered by another who desires, demands, and expects something else. That doesn’t necessarily equate one of being good or bad, just different. And we all may want different things.

For me, at the price point I picked-up my 2CE Sigs at, I doubt most any other can compare. To me, they just sound ‘right’, great tone and timbre, natural, which for me is most important. In addition to great soundstage and dynamics potential. Positioning and placement is the key for any Vandersteen. But once you get that dialed-in, and you like the overall sonics they can provide, (for many many hours of listening at a sitting), they should make you happy and pleased. And, of course, as you improve your front-end, they sound even better. They please me a great deal, and astound me with their capabilities still.

Enjoy