Imaging,soundstage,transparency. More open and detailed than
most.

None considering the price. May benefit from a fast sub.

I bought this pair in 1990, and have it mated to a vintage
NAD receiver(25 w/ch w/6dB headroom, with an equally out-of-date Onkyo CD player and cassette deck. Before you turn your nose too far up, keep in mind I also have a Linn LP12 sitting on its Arrici stand. That makes (2) 1B owners
who still kept their speakes when plinking down for a Linn.
I am using Tributary solid silver cables, and modest connects. The cable ran $ 5.50/ft, but their $4/ft silver/copper cable also sounded good, if slightly weaker
in the bass. Both seriously improved the sound over .40/ft
flat wire. Please do not ever let any fool tell you that you
can't hear the difference. At least on the 1B's, it was day
and night to both of us, and we are both classicaly trained
musicians.
While I have, like all audiophiles, considered an upgrade,
most speakers anywhere near these sound sterile by comparison. I have gone from zip cord to Straight Wire
Blue Sapphires(whcih cost more than the speakers!) back to
flat wire and finally to the Tributaries. One sure way to tell when your speakers are in the"audiophile class" is how sensitive they are to both placement and cables. When I switched out cables, trying several combinations, the sound
was changed and I don't mean subtly. As others have noted you must also play with the toe-in, etc. to get the most out
of them. In fact, if they do not sound good, it is probably
the source, speaker setup,room, or your wire - not the 1Bs!
When I bought them originaly I A-B'd them with Tracy Chapman's first CD and they won me over against a pair of
B& W's with their superior clarity and detail.And the B&W's
didn't exactly suck. (A slight edge on brass reproduction over the 1B's was erased by merely pushing in the loudness
button on the NAD. NAD has the only loudness contour that actually improves the sound at low levels on certain music. Go figure.) The tweeter level control on the back of the 1B's is almost too subtle, and you are better served adjusting everything else first. Hint - they MUST "see"
each other. Hint2: Optimum positioning is highly room dependent. If they are not throwing a clear image and great
soundstage, keep playing with them.

I have heard the Vandersteen 2's, 2ce's, 3A's, etc. and still like these better than anything but the 5's for what they do best, which is convey a sense of immediacy that is
almost unmatched by even big dollar systems. A
When they are set up correctly, nothing in their price range comes close.
I am considering throwing the Carver True sub Jr. with them,
but they are quite enjoyable as is.

Oh, I have a killer home theatre system, separates and all,
elsewhere in the house and I STILL prefer my humble Vandersteens for stereo reproduction due to their combination of liveliness, warmth and transparency. Great people, too if you need to call them! If there is any audio
justice they will get more dealers.

Similar Products Used:

There is nothing really similar.
and audio fan for almost 30 years.

I think I'm in love.
I've been listening to a bunch of ~$1K speakers lately. Favorites have included the NHT 1.5 with sub and the Platinum Studio 1 (those things are *amazing* for their size), but it's the Vandy's that keep preying on my mind. They create a velvety wall of sound. The bass is rather attenuated, but the rest of the sound is a glimpse of audio heaven.

Got more to say, but gotta run. Try to audition these. I think I want them, but my wife may force me to opt for the more space efficient Platinums (for $200 more)...

Will advise if I decide to take the plunge. There is magic in these boxes.

Smooth,clean, and great imaging

Could have a bit more low end, but for the money I found nothing that does.

Great product for the price. I have had these for 10 years and still haven't found a better sounding speaker for the money.

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Paradigm

Finesse, openess, clarity. loooks and price.

Their only weakness might be they don't work too well in home theater applications.

Simply the best buy for momey.
An even better buy if you get them used. Compare them to other speakers in the $300 to $500 dollar range and there is no comparision.
These speakers sound even better with a good power amp.
They can be easily driven with regular receivers but really shine with better amplification.
I.e. I was running a pair of 1bs in my bedroon using a 100 watt Harman Kardon recevier and they souned pretty good.
I upgraded my receiver to an old Carver receiver ( thats a funny way to upgrade but the only way to go in todays market)and they took off. The bass on these babies came alive. It sounds like an orchestra is in my bedroom.
What I found is that no extra sub necesary if properly amplified.
They sound very good with all types of music.

Similar Products Used:

Speakers from technics, sony, bose, PSB, Dahlquist, Optimus
Mirage, Klispch, Mission, Acoustic research , Pioneer and Bose

I have had the 2ce speaker for a year now and love them. I replaced an old set of Boston Acoustics with them. I researched for a year before my purchase and found the 1000 dollar market to be pretty competitive. I will never regret my decision to go with such a nice speaker which seems to do nothing wrong. I am using a Cal Mk for my cd player with mit cable. I listen to every kind of music possible and cant wait to upgrade all my components except for my speaks which I know will grow with my system.

The Vanderesteen 1C really does have a sound that could be characterized as sweet.They sounded smooth and absorbing with jazz and vocal music.The dynamic range with orchestral music was better than anything else in the price range.However, it's not a huge sound and I think they could get lost in a very large room.They might also work well as budget home theater fronts in an apartment or small living room, although I believe the're not sheilded.They are truely an amazingly good speaker.Good luck finding a dealer though, as their web site only lists dealers outside the US.

Vandersteen 1B's. Have had them for about 4 years and without a doubt are the most audibly pleasing pair of speakers I've have heard in the $700 to $1200 price range. My electronics are not State-of-the-golden-ear-art as I'm currently using a pair of 20 year old mono-block power amps (Southwest Technical products - Tigers) that my best friend and I built in college. They're paired with an old NAD 1020 preamp (primitive but functional) and a SONY ES CD player. Bottom line - small bucks, very competitive sound. It puts my neighbor's $9000 dollar system to shame!! What I've also found is that the Vandys are incredibly sensitive to speaker placement. If they're a foot or two misplaced, like after vacuming the floor, then the imaging goes to hell. When it's right though it's sweet. Female vocals, jazz, classical, rock.... everything sounds really nice. I'm considering adding a subwoofer as they're now performing double duty in a audio/video setup. I want to feel the footsteps of Godzilla not just see them. Overall great sound for the money, moderately hard to set up, not overlly sensitive to electronics as I'v borrowed some "high-end" stuff and not realized "value-added" improvement. Highly recommended...................

What I find amazing about the 1B's is how fine they sound with less expensive electronics up stream. Introduced a friend to an audio salon who incidentally is a choral director at a local university. He audtioned for two days and moched every speaker he auditioned until the consultant brought out the 1B's that were below his budget. Within twenty minutes we were out of the store with the 1B's. He loves them so much that when he moved years later to Manilla he sold all eletronics and moved the Vandersteens. After extensive listening in his home, I too bought a pair for home theater and music listening in my second system. From Yama,kenwood,h+k,jvc etc...they consistantly sound refind. The 1 B's are the biggest bang for the buck I have ever invested in home audio and I have been an enthusiast for thirty six years. While the Absolute Sound maintain you've got to hear them with tubes I was disappointed when the 1 B's were hooked up to Conrad J's MV-100. They sound as good when driven by consumer recievers..............As I Hear It. Tom

I've owned my 1Bs since 1988 and still love them. However, they are extremely position sensitive. If you don't position them just right piano sounds horrible. Get it right and the speakers just disappear leaving only the music. Horns and strings always sound magical. The highs are a little rolled and the absolute lows are just not there. Upper bass is emphasized a little but I would not say it is "tubby" or "lumpy".
These speakers sound great from soft to moderately loud levels, having pretty good dynamics, but don't push them too hard. They go from very pleasing to harsh in a hurry.

I highly recommend good speaker stands which mostly add a solidity to the bass output. Bass probably isn't any deeper but sounds just "right". My stands are Sound Anchors (but I don't know if they are still available).

The 1B's were great for the money (about $650 in 1988).

I was glad to read one less than glowing review of these speakers. I worked hard reviewing a number of speakers in this price range (I don't come buy $ easily). I took my favorite discs with me to many a store. While listening to Rickie Lee Jones I was initially impressed with the "Pretty" sound until she began singing. It sounded like she was singing from the back room. I never heard this disc sound like this. I was fortunate enough to find a used set of hybrid Acoustats for the same price. They are hellishly ugly but sounded SOOO much better than the 1B's. PLEASE listen to everything you can.