Vandersteen 1ci Speakers and 3 cats

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Seancito, Jul 29, 2015.

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  1. Seancito

    Seancito Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Richmond, Virginia
    I am window shopping for new floorstanding speakers, and I was looking at the Vandersteen 1ci speakers. Can anyone who owns these explain the construction of them, specifically the covers? It looks like it is straight cloth wrapped around them. I have 3 cats, and I can envision them gripping the cloth and climbing to the top.

    Also, I'd be pairing it with a Rogue Audio Sphinx 100 watts at 8ohm and a VPI Scout. Will this match well?
     
    Sailfree likes this.
  2. Humbuster

    Humbuster Staff Emeritus

    I own Vandersteen 2 speakers and they sound fantastic.
    I drive mine with. 200 watt McIntosh Integrated.
    100 watts driving the 1 series should not be a problem.

    However, the presence of Cats may be tempting fate.
    FWIW, my Pugs pay no attention to the speakers.
     
  3. Combination

    Combination Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Orleans
    I've had the 1C's, and sure, you will absolutely enjoy them. But if you have a 100 watt tube amplifier, that will be more than adequate for the 2Ce Signature. They come along secondhand quite often, so I would strongly recommend those.

    As for the cloth, scenting it with something orange keeps the felines at bay. :agree:
     
  4. mdelrossi

    mdelrossi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn nyc
  5. jupiterboy

    jupiterboy Forum Residue

    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    You are right, the lower section is cloth socks with pretty much solid MDF save the slit port at the rear. I've had a pair with many cats over 20 years, and they did get some slight pulls from the cats stretching up against them, but they stayed looking pretty nice. The cloth will fade a bit and get ashy over time. You can get new socks, for $170 or so. They are great speakers, and you gear will be a wonderful match.

    If you want to keep them nice, wrap the bases in foil for the first few months, and put a scratching post in the area. All cats are different. The seven or eight I've had have done a little damage, but nothing major. You have to get pretty close to see any damage.

    [​IMG]
     
    Dino likes this.
  6. Jasonb

    Jasonb Forum Resident

    Yep, I had 2ce's with plenty of pluck marks.
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jul 29, 2015
  7. JCOehler

    JCOehler Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I have the 1Ci's now with McCormack amplification but in the past had heard them with the Rogue Sphinx, what a great match! And they are ever so tempting for kitties with claws but others have given you some good tips. The 1Ci's are great 2-way speakers and easy to drive, especially with the Sphinx.
     
  8. Seancito

    Seancito Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Richmond, Virginia
    Great feedback, everyone. So are the speakers constructed of MDF on all four sides? From the pictures on the website it looks like it is cloth wrapped around a mostly hollow center.
     
  9. jupiterboy

    jupiterboy Forum Residue

    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    Yes and yes. They are MDF with a small port at the bottom/back. This means a cat has to get pretty high up on the speaker to really dig in. The speaker is hollow inside. It is a transmission line, so it takes the back pressure off the mid/woofer and directs that out the back, but it is tuned so it blends with the drivers.
     
  10. 33na3rd

    33na3rd Forum Resident

    Location:
    SW Washington, USA
    The cats trashed the outside of our 2CE's. Even managed to put a nick in one of the front woofer surrounds.

    I now have a dedicated listening room with a door that remains closed unless I am in the room.

    The cabinets are MDF, with wood dowels at the corners to frame the fabric surround.

    Wonderful speakers, but they do seem to be cat magnets!
     
  11. I have Acoustats---another hard to resist speaker for cats! The secret is to get some really good scratching posts that your cats love and prefer to the speakers. Once you have achieved that---no problem with your cats and the Vandersteens.
     
    jupiterboy likes this.
  12. bhazen

    bhazen ANNOYING BEATLES FAN

    Location:
    Deepest suburbia
    The Sphinx and Vandersteens? Brilliant match!! Should really "wake up" the Vandies.
     
  13. timind

    timind phorum rezident

    From my memory, the bottom 2/3s of the speakers is like a solid box with poles extending up to the top plate. They look like the 3A but are a two way.
    [​IMG]
     
  14. padreken

    padreken Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego
    I've got Vandersteen 2ce sig. II's and 2 cats living with me. The eldest one is nearly 20 and has been with us for nearly 18 years-she's never touched them, and one we lost several years ago never did, either. The new rascal is a different story-my wife ended up making some fabric covers with a rear zipper that I keep them covered with when not listening (I've dubbed them Vandersocks), we provide various scratching posts and keep liberally applying catnip on them, and I still catch him clawing the fabric covered speakers (he finds the top of the speakers an irresistible perch, too).

    It's just impossible to predict the behavior of a cat.
     
    Sailfree and Dino like this.
  15. timind

    timind phorum rezident

    Found what I was looking for! I thought about removing the cloth and refinishing my Vandy 1Cs years ago and found this guys. I can't find the original, detailed description, but here's a pic of his finished product as well as a deconstructed 1C.
    He added some molding to the box.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    Dino likes this.
  16. 33na3rd

    33na3rd Forum Resident

    Location:
    SW Washington, USA
    As much as I like cats, and dogs too, I might look at speakers that don't have a grill cloth that goes all the way down to the floor.

    I like floor standers, but I like stand mounts & subs too. A downward firing sub should be safe, as long as they don't lose a cat nip mouse under the sub!

    You've got a lot of choices in the Vandy 1ci range these days. Have you looked at the Omega floor standers? If I was doing it all over, (as they say), these would be something I'd look at.

    http://omegaloudspeakers.com/home.html

    BTW, my cats never looked at our Vandersteen's until we went on vacation & had my Mom stay at our place to house sit! Thanks Mom! :)

    Yes, I know what you're thinking--"OMG, he's blaming his mum!"
    Well, when you put it that way, it sounds pretty sad!
     
  17. Jack Flannery

    Jack Flannery Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Get a squirt gun. When the beasts get within five feet, just give me a blast. It is great fun.
     
    TerryB likes this.
  18. Seancito

    Seancito Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Richmond, Virginia
    I have looked at the Omega's online and I am intrigued as well. Has anyone checked out the Super 7XRS Mk2's? Or the cheaper model below? This could be an option. I have a very small listening room now, and I am looking to eventually upgrade the Rega R1's I have on stand mounts with a sub, but I am not sure if I am capable of making the upgrade now due to size of speaker. I've considered also upgrading to cheaper floorstanders (less than $900) for the meantime, but I don't know if this would be a wise move. The Regas are not bad, but I think I could do better for my TT and Sphinx.
     
  19. Raider4life

    Raider4life Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wenatchee, WA
    I had my cat de-clawed when I saw him climbing my speakers :yikes: He is both an indoor and outdoor cat and has had no ill effects of being de-clawed and is now 19 years old.
     
  20. gingerly

    gingerly Change Returns Success

    If you have 4 cats, I'd look elsewhere, despite the 'steen's positive qualities. I'm running a pair of Nola Contenders with the grills off - nothing for our single cat to get a purchase on.
    [​IMG]

    ...LOVE them.
     
  21. jupiterboy

    jupiterboy Forum Residue

    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    They look wonderful, but a cat could very well get a claw in the surround of the lower woofer.
     
  22. MonkeyMan

    MonkeyMan A man who dreams he is a butterfly?



     
  23. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US
    Poor guy doesn't have a lot of room to work with, does he?
     
    timind likes this.
  24. ThorensSme

    ThorensSme Forum Resident

    Location:
    Spokane
    Can the grill cloth be removed entirely on these? They look pretty cool without!
     
  25. Warren Jarrett

    Warren Jarrett Audio Note (UK) dealer in SoCal/LA-OC In Memoriam

    Location:
    Fullerton, CA
    Oh boy, the cats are gonna love those Vandersteens. I would highly recommend removimg the grill cloth completely. Then they can just tear into your woofer cone, which they will probably have less imterest in actually doing.
     
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