Clean, clear, realistic sound. Voices sound like voice, flutes sound like flutes, perfect replication of natural sound.

Open sound exposes weaknesses in recordings and non-audiophile quaity electronics.

Products listed as used were products used in my rather
exhaustive speaker comparison of 1984. My 2c's are 1984
origin and have provided endless preasure since, without
a hickup or buzz. At the time I did my comparison, I
was also fond of the Ohm Walsh-2 (though imaging was
poor and dispersion of sound high) and the Polk Audio
SDA-2's (try the prelude to Fogelberg's "Phoenix" in the
correct position for imagining - wow!). I went with the
Vandersteens because of price x performance. 16 years
later...I'd buy 'em again.

Similar Products Used:

Ohm Walsh-2, Spendor, Polk Audio, B&M, Bose 901

Not the best for Low-Power Single-ended tube amps. Positioning can take a while.

I got these as a gift from my brother when I started my new job at Cary Audio Design. I had listened to them for years at his house. They were originally a set of 2Ce's that he had updated to the 2Ce Signatures for about $350. Being a tube freak, I purchased a set of Cary Audio 2A3MB Mono Block Push-Pull Tube Amplifiers to play on them. It was simply fantastic! My amplifiers were only putting out about 30W! They went completely transparent. It didn't matter what CD I put on. It sounded like whoever I put in was sitting in my living room! It took me about 3 weeks of almost constant tinkering to get them positioned right, but once they were, it was as if the recording studio or the concert was in my living room. I've also listened to them with Cary Audio Design's 300SE Signature Mono Blocks and an AE-25 Push-Pull SuperAmp Signature Stereo Amp. 7W Single-Ended was not enough to make them sound they way they should, but the SuperAmp with a matched quad of Ruby KT-66 tubes sounded great! If you plan to use tubes with them, a single-ended design with at least 15W or a push-pull triode design with 25W or better will sound best. All I can say now is "BUY THEM" and get ready for the ride of your life!

Current Systems:

(1)
Cary Audio Design SLP-50 Tube Pre-Amp
Cary Audio Design CD-303 CD Player
2 Cary Audio Design 2A3MB Mono Block Tube Amps

(2)
AE-3 Tube Pre-Amp with JAN Phillips 6SN7 tubes
AE-25 SuperAmp Signature with Ruby KT-66 tubes
Cary Audio Design CD-303 CD Player

I share the Vandersteen 2Ce Signatures between the two systems.

Similar Products Used:

PSB Stratus Gold i.

Detail, Staging, Cost, Bi-wireable, Control, transparent

None observed.

I bought these to replace my Definitive Tech. BP8's. My tastes moved from home theater to listening to music. The main drivers to getting these speakers were the wide-detailed sound stage and control at all volumes. These speakers handle large dynamic contrasts without flinching.

They must be used with a subwoofer to get a full dynamic range. I believe in seperates so I do not see that as a weakness. These speakers are very clear at their lower end so matching to a good sub is crucial. I had to replace my current subs to have something that is a little more tasteful, transparent, and controlled (went up to a Velodyne F-18 - grunt:grunt).

I like the speakers a lot. Great price (get the sound anchors with them) and great performance. Beware, may have to upgrade your lower quality equipment after you purchase these guys (my case, it was the sub).

Incredible imaging and sound stage. Smooth, accurate sound, flexible, bi-wire inputs

looks, like it or hate it. Big

I listened to many different speakers and everytime I found something I really liked, it was expensive. B&W, Martin Logan, JM labs, but the Vandersteen 2Ce seems like an excellent value. I was planning on buying the 2Ce when I met Richard Vandersteen at a demo day and after talking he said that the upgrade to the Signature is the best value around. New crossover, tweeter make big improvements. So I planned on the 2Ce sig when i came across someone selling a used pair for $750 with the stands. So I grabbed them. After listening for a while at home, playing with speaker position and the tweeter and midrange controls. Also, I have them bi-amped so I ended up dropping the gain on the mid/tweeter amp a little.
Anyway, after a month of playing with them I am extremly pleased. The imaging is awesome, if I close my eyes I can't tell where the speakers are. Sounds come from all over, even beyond the walls of the room. Center located sounds are pinned dead center and everything is perfectly located where it should be. Bass is solid and you could use these without a sub. Voices are very natural and full sounding. The highs are clean, open but not overly bright. I tried M&K 750THX speakers and they are certainly brighter, more open then the 2Ce Sig but they also sounded thin. I kept them for the rear.

Overall they are awesome sounding speakers and the price is 1/2 of anything in it's class. The money is saved because there is no real cabinet to make. Actually I choose them over many speakers twice their price, forget that I got them used.

B&K Ref 20
Parasound HCA-855 (2 channels to each 2Ce Sig)
M&K Center750 attached to the 5th HCA-855 channel
M&K 750THX for rear, powered by a parasound HCA750.
M&K MX-350 sub
Carver SDA/490T CD player
Straight Wire Quartet cables. Two runs for each speaker

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm Studio 80 & 100 V2, M&K THX 750

Ditto everything I've read here. Had them for a couple months and love them so far.

Lacks a little of the "punch" you get from a box speaker in HT.

Wonderful sound, fills the gap between box speaker and electrostatic. Great quality and great looks. Not the best I've ever heard, but for the money and sound at that price range I have to give them a 5!

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm Studio 20's & 40's, Magnepans

Fantastic full range sound. Extremely effective on acoustic music and vocals.

None

I have wanted to buy these speakers for 5 years and I am very happy I now have them. I purchased the Vandersteen 1B's at that time and they still sound good, but the 2ce signatures now add the low end that I was missing. It is important to use good quality cables that allow all of the bass that is available to be heard. If you play a well recorded vocal or jazz recording you will swear that the music is live. These are a must to audition. Richard Vandersteen is truly talented and knows how to make a speaker sound good.

Similar Products Used:

Vandersteen 1B

great presentation, very musical, easy on the ears. dollar value

very position sesitive

after a cosidorable breaking in phase these speakers are truly musical. immaging and soundstage are exceptional considering the price of addmission. very well balanced presentaion. they seem to run nicely on quicksilver products (i have heard this from many sorces). present equip: quicksilver linestage pre/quicksiver v4's/rotel rcd 991/kimber pbj interconnects and kimber 8tc bi-wired speaker cables

Similar Products Used:

dosen't matter

I recently purchased a pair of Vandersteen 2Ce Signatures and Sound Anchors and have to say that I am truly impressed. Even friends of mine who were extremely skeptical of audiophile principles were calling me back to listen to them the next day (they were at my house until 2am listening to them the prior day)! At present, I'm having to contend with a compromise amp situation (can't afford the Arcam, and am using an Onkyo or Technics amp). However, the Arcam 8SE HDCD CD player still sounds great, and I'm using Nordost Blue Heaven interconnects and speaker cable. Had I lots of dough, I would own the Aragon Acoustics Argus speakers (truly incredible), but for us mere mortals, the Vandy's are an incredible value and will service me will for years to come. Thanks, btw, to Cindy and Gary at The Audio Gallery for tolerating my hours and hours of auditioning.

Excellent clarity,Midrange and Nice Bass.

A little laid back. (Maybe because they are so new?)

All I can say is "Oh My God" These speakers are so incredible that I already had my
brother purchase a pair... The speakers sound so "Fantastic", That I can't believe my
ears..Vocals come in so clear and accurate that you will start to enjoy your music collection
more then ever....The price/performance ratio of the model 2 sigs is the best value out there...The only negative I can find and it is very slight,is that it "May" sound a little laid back
then other speakers (Example, listening to Rock n Roll or pop music may not seem as
musical...however, this may be because they are only a week old and I have not broken
them in yet?)
To sum it up in a nut shell "Buy the speakers" I recommend going for the Model 2 sigs over
the 2ce...it is defiantly worth the extra $200..

Current System
Krell Kav300i
Yamaha CD Changer
Audioquest Indgo speaker cable
Audioquest Ruby inter

Similar Products Used:

Martin Logan Aerius I, NHT's, Hales Rev 3

open sound, best on acoustic and vocals,very realistic and wonderful sound stage

A LITTLE LAID BACK

I ENJOY THEM SO MUCH
IF I DIDN'T HAVE A LANGUAGE LIMIT , I COULD WRITE TWO PAGES
OF HOW GOOD THEY ARE...
I USE IN MY SYSTEM:
ROKSAN AMP
ROKSAN CD PLAYER
KIMBER SILVER STREAK
KIMBER 8 PR BI WIRED