Vandersteen 2ce Sig II or Magnepan 1.7
vinylb -- Mon, 11/01/2010 - 19:44
They about the same price. I know I am not comparing apples to apples but was hoping somebody could give me advice on which one to go for. So far these are the notes I have made:
Van 2ce Sig 2
- long production life
- requires bi wiring cables
- no bad reviews at all
- takes up less floor space
- not much to look out but not a skyscraper either
Magnepan 1.7
- new, but good reviews, but some personal feedback from owners indicate its of a different cloth to the 1.6 and sounds bright
- some owners are concerned that Magnepan is not releasing measurements and could be hdiing something???
- needs lots of floor space to sing
- looks are less appealing
I have had many box speakers and moved on due to brightness or not enough air and detail. Quad 22L was probably my favorite. I also have had Maggie MMG and 1.6, really liked the 1.6 but found it soft in the treble and not as detailed as some box speakers. With the new 1.7 and reports of it being a little brigther than older models has me interested. But this could be because those owners have not broken them in yet. I have Odyssey Audio Stratos mono blocs with a TAD-150 tube preamp. so i dont believe I have any current or damping issues to control any of the 2 speakers. btw I have never heard Vandersteens but all reviews indicate they are detailed and somewhat sweet and lean towards warmth.
I listen to blues, mainly jazz and sometimes classic rock. i don't like a lot of bass either but only when its needed. I also prefer a more recessed presence (behind speakers) than in your face.
So.....Which one of the two is musical, detailed, has great width and soudstage depth and not bright.?
thx in advance
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What flavor do you like? Trust your own ears!
I have never heard the Vandersteens and the closest dealer is about 1.5 hours away and not sure if they have a demo model - would be pretty heavy to cart around.
I know Maggies so i have an idea of what itsounds like but never heard the 1.7.
Call the Vandy dealer, he should have the '2s.
I actually got to hear both of them side-by-side-ish (they were in side by side rooms). I thought the Vandy's had a way more impact in the lows, percusion had more feeling. They also sounded more forward to me than the Maggies. The Maggies had a much deeper soundsatge and really sounded fantastic. The bass "sound" was there but had verry little tactile feel. I did notice the brightness as well but wrote it off as the media... maybe it wasn't. I know the maggies were sourced with a rega cdp but I don't remeber the integrated it was hooked to (but it was an integrated). The vandy's were played with a Nait5i and its matching cd player and were situated on upgraded stands from Vandy (about a foot and a half from rear wall). The volume I was listening at was in the 85 - 90 dB range by the way. The one thing I noticed about the Maggies that was wierd for me (I am not a Maggie fanatic) was that when I stood up the sound was completely gone. It was very wierd. It must be something about the narrow dispersion, but it is definately a speaker for an stationary listener not a busy living space speaker. Both rooms had mild room treatments and this was a high end shop in Cincinnati OH if you're interested. Just my opinion.
I picked up a demo 1.6 at a dealer on the inkling that my 1st 1.6 I picked up elsewhere was damaged to some point and was right. This demo
1.6 was pristine and had treble, was not dull like the 1.6 I picked up way back then. I am not sure what happened to that 1.6 but its def. not the same caliber compared to th eone I picked up today. I will be holidng onto this 1.6 for now.
thx for your input.
I just struggled with the same two pairs and I chose the 1.7s. Here's why... I have a dedicated listening room 18x24 and can put them way out into the room and I believe when you feed them with lots of power they will reward you with some of the best sound money can buy. I also took TAS's advice and bought a pair of PSB 5i subs. The Vandersteens also like to be away from the walls but not as much. Also depends on your budget. You can put together a very musical system for $4000 w/ Vandersteen 2Ce Sig II, NAD C375 BEE and a MusicStreamer II+ DAC or the new Oppo CD player. If you choose the 1.7 be prepared to spend more, higher powered amps and maybe subs. You already have some well respected amps so it's more of a toss up for you. Look at it this way... You can't loose!
Magnepan MG 1.7, Bryston 4B SST2, Wyred4Sound DAC-2, Kimber Kable 12TC and Hero, PS Audio Duets, Shunyata Venom 3, Toshiba laptop with J River 17 and Windows 7