VANDERSTEEN 1C or 2 Ce for a small room?

I'm thinking of buying a pair of Vandersteen speakers for my small room (18 square meters). They will stand along the narrow wall (the longer walls are "covered" with bookcases). Some folks tell me that 2Ce ($2000 in Moscow) will sound worse in such an environment then 1C's ($750). While I surely understand that 2Ce's must be a big improvement over 1C's I'm in a serious doubt! Urgent help needed as I plan to get 'em on Monday (today we have that October Revolution Day and all the high end dealers must be celebrating! ).

 

For $2000, go for B&W Nautilus 805's. I used to have Vanderstien 2ce's and the 805 is a LOT better AND works fine in a small room.

 

I auditioned the Vandies 1C (not the 2Ce) and I was told by the dealer that all Vandies needed to be out in the room to really open up. So if you need them to hug the back wall you might want to look elsewhere.
I ended up with Tannoy speakers that I thought sounded better (for my needs) at half the cost.

Dan C

 

Strange... My friend has Vandies 1C right against his wall and they sound awesome!

 

I have the 2Ci and the 1B, circa 1991 models. My feeling is the Vandersteen's do not undergo revolutionary changes as I thought the 2Ci sounds somewhat smoother than the latest 2Ce. The updates tend to be evolutionary, although the 2Ci does sound nicer (to me) than the earlier 2C. While I have heard the 2Ce many times, I have not heard the Signature 2Ce.

With that said, I would recommend the 2Ce over the 1C. The Model 2 has more presence, i.e., smoother midrange, than the Model 1. I always thought the Model 1 has a diminished drier sound compared with the Model 2. Symphonic and rock music sounds weaker through a Model 1 versus a Model 2. I would only recommend any Model 1 Vandy if and only if price is the strongest criterion. Otherwise, the Model 2 is the best way to go for any size room.

The Vandy's do sound nice with tubes versus solid state.

 

I actually thought that since 1C's are smaller and lack the deepest bass they must be more suitable for a small room...

 

I actually thought that since 1C's are smaller and lack the deepest bass they must be more suitable for a small room...