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Whenever I think of cone speaker systems, I think of three brand names: Snell, Thiel, and Vandersteen. There are many good loudspeakers and many good designers and manufacturers, but it is these three who, in my opinion, consistently produce the best cone loudspeaker systems. All three companies produce full-range systems, transparent systems, and systems which mate well with a wide range of equipment. Their systems can be owned and enjoyed for years. Long after some fad or special feature has given a competing designer brief notoriety, these are the products you turn back to for music.
The Vandersteen 2C has a slightly warmer balance and timbre than the Snells and Thiels, although you can come close to the latter by boosting the 2C's treble adjustment. (Calibrated rear controls adjust treble and midrange levels.) The extreme highs are a real delight. Electrostatics and ribbons may be faster, but no electrostatic or ribbon I have ever heard is as smooth and coherent in radiation and overall integration.
As mentioned before, the bass is exceptional: extended and very well controlled over the entire bass spectrum, though the relatively small cabinet size means that bass…
John Atkinson wrote about the Vandersteen 2ci in May 1989 (Vol.12 No.5):
Following my reports on 13 mainly inexpensive loudspeakers that have appeared in the last four issues of Stereophile, I thought I would give myself a treat this month by reviewing the latest incarnations of two models that have stood the test of time: Vandersteen's 2Ci and Celestion's SL600Si. An interesting pair, I'm sure you will agree, as they represent to a T the prevailing design philosophies in their countries of origin. Both benefit from high-quality speaker stands, in fact both contributed to the development…
The speakers were used bi-wired with Monster M1. Vandersteen recommends that all the speaker cables must be the same length and type, so I resisted the temptation to mix'n'match. I still wasn't ready to do any serious listening, Richard Vandersteen having informed me that the 2Ci needs to be broken in for at least 50 hours. This is primarily, I understand, to bring the surround on the midrange driver to its optimal compliance. I ran pink noise overnight at a moderate level through the speakers for three nights or so, and used them for background music while I cranked out copy for last month'…
Sidebar 1: Measurements
Each speaker was submitted to the following measurement schedule: The voltage sensitivity was assessed with 1/3-octave pink noise centered on 1kHz, while the change of impedance with frequency was measured using spot tones (footnote 1). The nearfield low-frequency response of each speaker was assessed with a sinewave sweep to get an idea of the true bass extension relative to the level at 100Hz.
The frequency response of each speaker in the listening area was measured using pink noise and an Audio Control Industrial SA-3050A 1/3-octave spectrum analyzer.…
Sidebar 2: Specifications
Description: Three-way loudspeaker with sub-bass "Acoustic Coupler." Drive-units: 1" critically damped textile-dome tweeter, 4.5" plastic-cone midrange unit, 8" plastic-cone woofer, 10" paper-cone sub-bass driver. Crossover frequencies: 500Hz, 4.5kHz (6dB/octave slopes); Acoustic Coupler takes over below 35Hz. Frequency response: 32Hz-17.025Hz ±1.5dB, 28Hz-20.125Hz ±3dB. Dispersion: ±3dB, 29Hz-16.125kHz, 90 degrees off-axis. Sensitivity: 88dB/W/m (pink noise). Nominal impedance: 7.8 ±1 ohms 100Hz-20.125kHz. Amplifier requirements: 40-160Wpc.
Dimensions: 36.5…
Sam Tellig wrote about the Vandersteen 2Ci in January 1990 (Vol.13 No.1):
"Speakers are difficult," says my friend Lars.
Indeed.
Since the ESB speakers are no longer imported—"Your loss," says Lars—I shall turn my attention to others instead, starting with the Vandersteen 2Ci.
At $1195/pair (sans stands), this speaker is unquestionably a good buy. The bass, in particular, is deep, tight, taut—controlled. What's more, bass notes are richly differentiated—you don't get just a one-note boom or thud. In short, everything you've heard about the Vandersteens' bass…
First I should clear up what may be an ambiguity in the driver-lineup spec for these speakers. In each system, three 8" cone units serve as woofers. Two of these crossover from the midrange drivers at 100Hz. Crossover to the third 8-incher, the subwoofer, is at 40Hz. Thus, two woofers are active from 100Hz down to 40Hz, and all three are active below 40. In other words, the third woofer does not come into play until the frequency drops to the point where the radiating area of two 8-inchers starts to become inadequate for moving air, at which point the additional area of the third speaker is…
Gordon Holt returned to the Watkins in January 1984 (Vol.7 No.1):
The more these speakers stay around my listening room, the more I like them. Their flaws—the ill-defined deep bass and the slightly laid-back quality—are easily excused in view of the sheer musical pleasure they provide, and their "slightly soft" high end seems to be just right for the best CDs (Telarcs, M&K Digital Masterpiece series, to date), producing an amazingly convincing representation of the sweet but detailed high end in live musical sound. I find that these speakers "wear" better than any I have lived with…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: Four-way loudspeaker system. Drive-units: three 8" cone woofers (one used as a subwoofer), two 5" cone midrange units, 1.25" soft-dome tweeter. Crossover frequencies: 40Hz, 100Hz, 2.5kHz. Nominal impedance 8 ohms. Sensitivity 89dB/W/m. Minimum power 30 watts. Power capacity 200 watts unclipped.
Dimensions: 53.375" H by 31.875" W by 12.5". Weight 129 lbs each.
Price: $2990/pair (1983); no longer available (2005).
Manufacturer: Watkins Engineering, 1019 East Center Street, Kingsport, TN 37660. Tel: (423) 246-3701. Web: www.watkinsstereo.com.