Help me choose a CL special - $200

His budget is 200...fairly unrealistic to find Vandy 1s for that price...typically 4-500 with stands...older paradigms are plentiful and reasonable...as are Athena loudspeakers which would be at or under budget....going used one is at the mercy of the market...good to have options...used Maggies would be over budget as well...

Not long ago I bought a pair of Vandersteen 1Cs in near mint condition with stands and free shipping for $375. If hte Vandersteens on CL are the original 1s, they are pretty old speakers. I would think $200 is high. Things ain't goin for what they used to.

Hi all, thanks again for your comments, I really appreciate them.
The speakers that I am looking at are the original Vandy 1' $200

I have also found a pair of 2c's for $400.
Are the 2c's worth another $200?

IMO-If you can swing $400 go for the 2c. I wouuld give the MET7's serious consideration too. But my first choice would be the 2c. If they come with stands, its an even better deal. You seem to live in an area where the CL ads are good.

Some things to consider:

To my ears the Met 7's are the most interesting choice. They are classics that have some musical qualities that none of the others do; imo. They can sound really really good, and are very sophisticated little speakers. But you will need stands. The subwoofer (if set up well) will relieve the NAD of needing to power lower bass and will add weight to the sound. The Met's are efficient, but the NAD (also a classic) is not exactly a powerhouse. For my tastes, if you don't plan on playing a lot of very loud music, these sound more like music than the others.

The Paradigm's are the most efficient, and would be my second choice if
you want a floor stander and is probably the safer choice all around.

The Vandersteens are also good, but so is a Honda Civic :-)