[oros]

Hi there this is my first post and I am delighted to find a section devoted to these amazing musical speakers.

Thought I would share my experiences with the 2CE signatures, and how good they sound with valves.
Here in South Africa there are not many of us who have Vandersteen's but those who do stick and swear by them.

After using various amps Rotel, Marantz, Proceed, Musical Fidelity, Valve Audio, Levinson.
Our choices in this part of the world are rather limited compared to the USA.

They have never sounded more musical and magic than now using:
Audio Research SP16 Pre
Opera Consonance Cyber 800 Mono Blocks
Van den Hul "Tea Track" Bi wire speaker cables tried various others these seem to do everything well within a reasonable budget..

I have also had them playing on a 10wpc valve amp with amazing results proving they are a very easy drive.

They do not like Suspended Wooden Floors if you have; put a fair size slab of granite under them and fill the stands with sand put coasters under the spikes, an amazing improvement.

I have never experienced any speaker that is more musically satisfying and one you can listen to for hours on end without any fatigue and responds so well to upgrades.
Every time I chuck some thing better their way they respond in spades.
Have not heard a speaker yet that I can afford that I would change them for they are keepers.

Just wish things were not so expensive here would love to experience more of what Mr. Vandersteen has to offer.

Thanks.

[jeffreybehr]

Welcome to the Vandersteen speaker forum and congrats on your 2CE Sigs.  My 5As are my first VS speakers, and I'm thrilled with their transparency and musicality.  My system can be seen here.  http://www.conradjohnsonowners.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=142

Opera's '78-Watt' spec is at 1KHz and in ultralinear mode, which implies that there's another mode of operation...perhaps triode?  If so, how do they sound in triode?  I've had a couple pairs of tubed monoamps that were switchable between triode and ultralinear; I felt with both amps that they sounded more musically natural, but not as dynamic on the loud end, in triode, which is where I kept them.

[geowak]

Well congratulations on the 2CE SIG II purchase! About this same time last year I was in transit all over Northeast Ohio to all the audio shops still in business. Put about 500 or so miles on the car. I listened to KEF, Klipsch, ML, Magnepan, JBL, B&W, Paradigm, PSB, Totem, Def Tech and some others. I only listened to the Vandersteen speakers once and after a few hours I was hooked. Played all my fav tunes. Just a very musical speaker to me.

First I heard the speakers with a Musical Fidelity M6500i amp that was very powerful. After that it was a Leben preamp and my McCormack DNA-125. Finally on a Line Magnetic Audio tube integrated. They sounded great on all three. Settled on the LM Audio amp and I have been very happy.

I think they get a little tighter in the bass with more power, like SS power. But tubes really sound sweet with them for sure. 78 watts of tube power should work fine if the room is not too big. I don't rock mine out. Just Jazz, blues and instrumental music...

BTW Mr. Behr... your setup is CRAZY good. I bet those modded McCormacks make those 5a's sing!

[oros]

Thanks for the welcome guys to answer a few questions.
They are not the II's they are are the last of the run of the previous signatures got them new in unopened boxes with stands in 08 from the agents for $1,000.
(all dollar values a direct conversion from our currency)

For a speaker to remain in production for this long in its basic form and it only gets better over the years says something for the brilliance of Mr. Vandersteen
 
The Cyber 800's are the older models and only run in ultra linear the newer models have the option of triode.
They have NOS tubes in the input stage and run EH6ca7's on the output stage. Paid $1,000 for the pair, amps go cheap here second hand.
For example Levinson 531H's for sale as new boxed at the moment @ $3,600 each

Did try a Manley Sting Ray for a while but found it a bit disappointing overall did not rock my boat and was not much different to the little 10w mini 6P.
Am running on the 4ohm tap prefer it.

The listening room is small 12ft x 18ft so don't need lots of power also live in a complex lots of neighbors close by to annoy got to keep it down. It is at the top of an A frame mixture of solid and dry wall with a sloping celling on the long edges and a Bay window at the one end seems very sound friendly one problem does not like low volume has a volume point where it all opens up and sings does this with all the speakers I have tried in there. The neighbors are all out during the day and being retired can have lots of fun.

Listened to lots of speakers when I got tired of the B&W 805's they did not sound good off axis at all after I moved from a small apartment. The Vandies sound good all over the house important to me. When I heard these at a show I was sold something about them no bull honest music did not hesitate to buy them then and there.
Did the B&W, Monitor Audio and most of the others things over the years and they all sound like boxes.
Tried Sound Labs, Acoustats, Maggies all to fussy, Martin Logan's something missing cant put my finger on it, liked the Quads cant afford them and the problems did take a fancy to JBL's second choice but to expensive. The 2's are the best comprise and punch way way above their price.

Line magnetic have heard only good things one came up in December at a good price hesitated and lost out.
There is a pair of Antique Sound Lab Monsoon Mk2's up for sale at about $1,400 for the pair in your money they only run pentode/triode I have a feeling that with all the valves they run they are trouble looking for a place to happen. The Operas have been dog reliable.
There is also a modified Jadis Orchestra for sale at about $1,000 am tempted, any thoughts on these amps. (Side ways move?)
Who knows if a Solid state amp comes up that I prefer will change no problem the only ones I have heard that I took to were Levinson 33h's but way out of my price range.

I love these speakers for their overall musicality and as I listen to all sorts of music from 1950's mono  Lp's to heaven forbid MP3's and cassettes more interested in the music and overall musical performance and find the sound that most Audiophiles lust for (the inner detail dudes) a bit irritating, limited to decent sources and disappointing.
Had a guy come and listen the other day who has Vivid V1.5's that cost him some seven times more than I got the 2's for new, think I ruined his day.

Mr. Behr love your system great stuff just up my street well done.
There is only one fellow I know of who has 5a's in this country the High End guys keep a very low profile in these parts we have a rather nasty crime situation here.

I drive a 26 year old rust bucket and dress like a tramp if it ain't the Cops squeezing you for money if you look like you have something it is the criminals holding you up at gun point. So it pays to keep a low profile.

Scored a new pair of Wharfedale 10.1's for $80 (distributor over stocked) for my desk top system amazing little fellows compared to B&W 685's nothing much in it. They also had some Wharfedale Crystal floor standers for $80 a pair (three way) and $60 a pair (two way) not to shabby sounding at all pretty good in fact even ignoring the price.
Bought the three ways for the hell of it and he chucked in the the two ways as well for the $80 if I did a review for him on both for the local audio site.
So things are not all bad here if you are awake and quick