If you use zero or a very slight toe in the highs sounded rolled off.Try toeing it inso that you have a stright line from your ear to the tweeter for both speakers and
see if the highs are still rolled off or not.I think you will find that now you have too much highs! The best solution is to experiment with the toe in.In older books on loudspeakers they sometimes suggest a toeing in so that a stright line draw from
the tweeters would cross 2 to 3 feet in front of your listening position.I have my speakers toed in with a 35 degree angle giving me more bass and nice highs!
Vandersteen does not suggest this much toe in and discourages bi-amping with
two different amps.I think this is because it is a business,i.e.they want to keep things simple and easy to follow.I am biamping these speakers with two different amps and have very good results.Don't always trust what reveiwers and manufaturers say.Let your ears be the judge.They never lie to you.

The reason why vantersteen does not reccomend toeing in the model 2 is because it is a phase correct speaker design. Ive owned a pair of 2ci, s for 8 years and can honestly say that perfectly straight ahead is probably the best way to goThe contour controls are there to compensate for any room anamolies negating the need to adjust toe-in to adjust frequency response. These controls are broad, as they should be.Vanderstein values proper phase response more then most designers . it is a quality that time and time again you miss when listening to other systemsThe lengths he goes to achieve this are good evidence of how important he feels it is for achieving a musical presentation. For a good example of this read the review of the Vandersteen 2w sub. in the may 98 issue of wide screen review.Do what Richard says he knows his speaker!!

I own a pair of the 2ci's and have them matched up with a Superphon preamp and a B&K ST-140 amp. I agree with everyone that yes the highs are slightly rolled off. I also found that if you boost the treble just one-half a decibel it gains the crispness back in the high's. The only problem with this is that when you now watch a movie(especially through my DSS receiver)you get a slight grain in the mail voices and a slight siblence in the female voices. But when you listen to music(especially jazz or new age) the upper midrange and high's have the open airiness we all love. I'm listening to new age music as I write this review and the midrange when joined with my B&K amp(which can hold up with any amp at any price in the midrange region) is pure heaven with unrestricted sound. The music just flows out of the speakers.

As an owner of these speakers (and an owner of various others in the past) I find that they are one of the best when it comes to EASY compatability with various amps, which can't be said for other speakers,and look at the money spent on amps and pre's used with them low to high$ stuff for a relative low cost product. A five star speaker if there ever was one!

I have these speakers for about a year. I agree that the highs are rolledoff some. Midrange is good as is the bass, although I wish they were more efficient and had more punch, My amp is only 80wps but I plan to upgrade soon. I think the best thing about these is the soundstage it's great. As far as placement "in my room" straight ahead seems to throw a better soundstage than toeing them in. All in all these are excellent
speakers for the money.

Have you tried toeing the speakers in? Try it and then comment. Speaker design at present is more of an art then a science and no designer has the secret to the holy grail.Each will say that they are right and the next guy is wrong.Trust your ears.Dont get me wrong.I think highly of the Vandy 2Ce .Try toeing it in,it might not work for you but then again it might.What is there to loseWouldn'nt it be nice if you get all the other good qualities and in addition highs that are not rolled off?

The new 2Ce Signatures are great! They have a new tweeter (the one from the 3A) and a updated crossover. I think the new tweeter solved the rolloff problem that some were concerned with in the past. Without getting into too much detail I will say that of all the speakers in this price range these are the most real sounding by far. Some have a little more impact but the Vandys still come out on top. You need to listen to them in your home to really appreciate them. I was using Adcom amplification with fine results but I just purchased a Krell KVA-300i and now, WOW! 5stars and then some!

Having had to deal with Vandersteen, I COMPLETELY agree with O.Z. an Audiophile from Israel, above. The guy is an asshole. All I wanted to do was to replace the oak endcaps with walnut ones (hell, I was willing to have a local cabinet shop make them for me) and I called to ask how to remove the existing ones. He wanted to sell me cartons and to have me ship the damn speakers to California. I don't have the time to go into detail, but he gave me an unbelievably difficult time all around. After much adieu, he ultimately agreed to sell me the outer frames, but at EXCESSIVE cost. By that time I was fed up and just said fuckit and replaced the speakers with some Tannoy dual-concentrics (that sound MUCH better, BTW). Sonically, if you purchase these speakers, you can expect the following:
1. VERY fat bottom end. If you like BOOM, these are for you (see other reviews)!
2. Sweet but not extended top end
3. Midrange OK but a little "edgy" on some vocal recordings
4. Soft, almost blurry image
5. Nice wide soundstage

I will NEVER deal with this company again. If you coose to do so, you have been warned -- twice.

Mr. Oz. I'm sure Dunlavy makes excellent speakers and I have heard their small er system( the sc-1, i believe). Unfortunately if you want a full range system made by them we are talking a minimal $4000 outlay! There are "many" systems in that range that are competitive. Sure, I've heard better full range systems in that price range then my 2ci's,why woud'nt I!. But for $1300 I think they are a great deal, as do many! You apparently got a bad pair and you don't like the guy! Just let it go and enjoy your $4000 speakers. I wish that was my budget!

These are wonderful speakers. Vandersteens are often called "laid back," which some people consider a criticism, but in fact simply means that they are accurate and do not distort one part of the audio spectrum over another to achieve either an artificial brightness or warmness. They are fairly easy to drive, and sound great even with mid-fi components (but need an honest 40 watts, minimum). As you upgrade your components they just keep sounding better. This is a speaker you can stay with for many years while you upgrade everything else, or just enjoy them with what you have. Quality control is excellent. Aesthetically very clean, simple, and appealing-- these are classic, no-nonsense speakers.
It is revealing that when Tony and O.Z. called Vandersteen Audio, they talked to Richard Vandersteen himself. How many audio companies can you say that about? He takes music (and his speakers) very seriously. Somehow I think that Richard Vandersteen will manage to muddle through without the likes of Tony and OZ. For the rest of us who just want to listen to music, you cannot do better than Vandersteens.