driving Vandersteen Model 2Ci

Bob in WI
Bob in WI Posts: 155
edited May 2013 in Speakers
Just picked up a pair of these off CL to replace my Monitor 70s. I got the guys Adcom GFA5200 amp & Cambridge C50 pre also. The Adcom puts out 50wpc - seems a little light as the 2Ci are not terribly efficient. I've been powering them with a NAD receiver that puts out 100wpc. That drives them louder than comfortable. I've not had an Adcom amp. Maybe they are rated way conservative. I'll experiment when I have time. Just looking for some thoughts.....
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,513
    edited May 2013
    Congrats on your new speakers! IIRC they are ~88dB efficiency. I have a friend that had a pair. He ran them with 100WPC Monarchy mono blocks. Sounded pretty good. Loudest I heard them played was around ~85-90dB on a rat shack meter.
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  • boston1450
    boston1450 Posts: 7,668
    edited May 2013
    ? So overall. How do you like the sounds of those VANDY's ? NAD should power them nicely.i had some a few years back and they sounded pretty good with a NADc350 or something like that. and i loved the looks of them....randy
    ..
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  • Bob in WI
    Bob in WI Posts: 155
    edited May 2013
    The answer is complicated. The 2Ci are bi wire only. I upgraded to banana plugs & ran the tweeters & mid range from the "A" speaker output & the Woofer from the "B". Vandersteens sounded great. Then I took out the connector & did the same with the Polks. WOW what a difference in them - I was floored. The 2Ci certainly dig deeper & are more flat across all frequencies (no holes in the sound) but the Polks are punchier & crisper. I can't keep both & the 2Ci are certainly a better speaker (at 2.5 times the price new) but I'm not happy having to sell the Polks. Seems there may be some merit to the bi wire thing. The Vandersteens are easier to listen too, there are no holes in the sound & they have a fuller richer bass. The Polks sound better for a disc, but you can listen to the Vandersteens all night. The Polks are way more efficient, the amp gets hot pushing the 2Ci's. My room is not big enough for both.
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  • hoosier21
    hoosier21 Posts: 4,413
    edited May 2013
    I think you found your answer:

    The Vandersteens are easier to listen too, there are no holes in the sound & they have a fuller richer bass. The Polks sound better for a disc, but you can listen to the Vandersteens all night.
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  • Bob in WI
    Bob in WI Posts: 155
    edited May 2013
    For a few hours, I was setting up the speakers & listening to the Polks & Vandies side by side on different albums & discs & generally confusing the h3ll out of myself. My wife came home from work & gave a listen & in 2 seconds said (referring to the 2Ci) " I could listen to those all night". We cracked a bottle of wine & didn't have dinner until almost midnight. She was right - you can listen to them all night.
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  • leftwinger57
    leftwinger57 Posts: 2,917
    edited May 2013
    Just curious for $100 which I never even seen 1s go for what kind of shape were these in ,Socks ect.
    2chl- Adcom GFA- 555-Onkyo P-3150v pre/amp- JVC-QL-A200 tt- Denon 1940 ci cdp- Adcom GFS-6 -Modded '87 SDA 2Bs - Dynamat Ext.- BH-5- X-Overs VR-3, RDO-194 tweeters, Larry's Rings, Speakon/Neutrik I/C- Cherry stain tops Advent Maestros,Ohm model E

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  • Bob in WI
    Bob in WI Posts: 155
    edited May 2013
    The pair were $350 with stands. I oiled the wood part of the cabinet & scissored off some pulls in the socks - they are in living room presentable condition now - quite nice. Sonically, the woofers sound fine, I may have a blown tweeter; not sure - it could be the amp (15 - 20 years old & never been opened up) or it may be the source material. I think the speakers deserve a better amp than the NAD 7400 receiver. Any suggestions as to what is a good match? I like my music on the brighter side (too many years in manufacturing has affected my hearing).
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  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,321
    edited May 2013
    When I had vandies I ran them off a adcom 555. At the time I had the adcom and a mcintosh 2105 and on the vandies the adcom 555 sounded like a better matchup.

    The McIntosh was better on my sda.

    I would say look for a 555.
    Klipsch The Nines, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.
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  • Bob in WI
    Bob in WI Posts: 155
    edited May 2013
    Thanks for the advise. The 50wpc Adcom sounded nice & clear & crisp; just weak in the bottom end. The horsepower of the 555 would prolly cure that.
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