Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Vandersteen Audio 1C Speakers by Nexus 6

I've owned a lot of gear over the years, and spent some time in the retail end of the business, which only encouraged my gear-churning habits. A couple of eyars ago, I flushed all of my high end gear due to cash problems, and lived for a while with a series of older, used stuff just to keep the tunes playing. Not too long ago, I realized i was missing better sound, and embarked on a new hifi journey. My requirements were: Great soundfor the $$, something that would fit in a modest apartment, and provide long term listening satisfaction. With my extensive playing/listening experience, I had agood idea what was available, and started on a very short list. That list vanished during my first audition.

I had heard Vandersteen speakers in the past, and liked them. The 1 series always seemed a heck of a bargain, so I went to audition a pair. They were in a relatively small space, powered by a Krell KAV300i (not my cuppa), and a Rega Planet CD player. The salesman knew me as a fellow salesman, and left me to my own devices. I placed the speakers myself, and went to it.

Two hours later, I took them home.

This speaker plays music the way I want to hear it, and fulfills my living requirements. The sound is very coherent - there is no hint of separate drivers at work, just a palpable wavefront. Dynaimcs are very good, though speakers like the larger JMLab Cobalt models are more lively. The top end is open, clean, and non-fatiguing to my ears. The midrange is full bodied, and passes the "male vocal" test with ease. The bottom end is very respectable - the notes are all there, nicely articulated, with enough heft to keep me happy. I did audition a pair of 2Ce Sigs, and while I was highly impressed, knew they would fall down in my living room - too much low end for the neighbors, and too close to the listening position for the extra driver to integrate properly.

I listen to rock, jazz, "alternative," some unclassifiable stuff, and am now entering the world of recorded classical. Thus far, the Vandy 1C seems at home with whatever music I choose to play.

A few tips: This speaker will not do well in a large room at high volumes. Pay close attention to both the tilt of the speaker on its stands, and the amount of toe in. The manual provides some good information on how to experiment with these two placement aspects, as well as general information on loudspeaker placement in typical listening environments. Choice of electronics is not crucial - I first ran them with an ancient Amber 50B integrated and was happy, but upgraded to a Forte 44/Coda-Continuum Stage+, and all of the speaker's attributes were improved.

All in all, for $800 bucks, you cannot do much better.

REVIEW: Vandersteen Audio 1C Speakers Review by Nexus 6 at Audio Asylum