These are wonderful speakers. The sound is laid-back, but detailed. The sound stage is excellent (horizontally). With a reasonable quality reciever (Denon 2800) you hear details in the music that that mass market speakers omit. What is amazing is that this gem is available at the same price point as the junk offered by the big box stores. I stumbled accross these while putting together a home theater system. After becoming dissatisfied with the poor quality of the sales help at the big box stores and the local up scale equivalent to Circuit City(Myer Emco), I started to explore smaller retailers and discovered these. While most of the reviews for this speaker are posted by audiophiles, run of the mill listeners should take advantage of the availability of such a high quality product for $800 (with stands).

Demon-like imaging,wide and deeep soundstage,liquid mid,open sound,forgiving of harsh recordings.

Need a sub for the lowest octaves.

I picked these up used for an unbelievable price. They are replacing Polk RT7's. As good as I thought the 7's were (and still do!) these are in another class entirely!
First off, these speakers throw such an incredibly deeeep soundstage,wide (virtually wraparound) soundstage. The soundstage seems to go through the backwall
out into my yard. Its imaging is in a league with Von Schweikerts VR series, once
properly positioned. I mean these babies image like demons! I'm never fatigued by these speakers,they are forgiving of harsh
recordings,this was not the case with my other speakers. Very good,tight bass, no
mid-bass (60-80hz) humps here, just whats on the recording. A sub is needed for the lowest octaves. This speaker gives a laid back sound. IMHO a music speaker first and
foremost, although it serves HT duty in my
system also. The midrange is liquid,slightly warm yet detailed. The highs are there without any harshness. These speakers make you want to keep listening to more and more music, they take you away. I don't see anything in the price range (except maybe Maggies w/sub) that can compete and draw you into the music.

cohesiveness, full sound, musicality

won't do head banger volume (but close)

i can't believe i'm the 1st one to review these fine speakers. in my 12'x 15' room, using a DNA.05, rega planet cd, creek OBH-12 and flatline cable, these speakers (the latest revision, since 1998), is the best value sonically in all of audio...a real sleeper this one. Richard Vandersteen has nailed it this time with the 1C, better balanced in smaller rooms than most other full range speakers. Yes, this can be considered full range (down -3 db at 38 hz). I found placing them 28" from the back wall (measured from the front of the speaker) gave the right amount of bass balance. DO NOT TOE-IN THESE SPEAKERS...you will lose the magic. Make sure you fill the stands with sand or lead shot. My speakers were ordered with the "off-white" fabric which dissappears in the room, just like the music. I have zero desire to replace these gems unless I move into a mansion....then I'll buy the 2 CE's

Similar Products Used:

pro ac studio 150's - spica tc-50's w/aci subs - totem rokk's

I whole heartedly agree with Mr. Holman's review. Over the last six months I have upgraded all of my electronics from my original modest separates. Coupled with better electronics, in this case about $4,000, these speakers really shine. They are definitely the equal of more costly speakers, and are widely enjoyed, as corroborated by the array of 5-star reviews here.
My components:

Adcom GCD 750
Kimber Kable Silver Streak
Adcom GFP 750
Kimber Kable Silver Streak
Classe CA 100
Kimber Kable 8TC
Vandersteen 1C's
Monster Cable HTS 2000 Power Conditioner
Audioquest Power Cords

The Vandersteen 1c's are truly remarkable speakers. First, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SPEAKERS UNDER $1000, STOP YOUR SEARCH RIGHT HERE. The 1c's have no peer. The Magnepan MMG's at $500 coupled with a HSU research powered sub at $450 for a total of $950 are in the same league sonically (different set of trade-offs --- but same caliber). The Klipsh, Bose, Polk, B&W, NHT, Boston Accustics, Snells, Paradigm, and PSB speakers in the price range do not compete (most of these brands at twice the price do not compete). In fact, the $3000 Alon Centris speakers, and a handful of others in the 2- 3K range do not have the sonic versitality of these speakers.
Simply stated, these speakers are astounding for their price. Drive these with a $300 reciever and a $250 CD player and your system, at $1350 will compete with most systems at twice the price. Audiophile sound? Maybe not, but very - very close --- and at a third the price of beginning legit high end system. Drive the 1c's with good electronics ($1000 amp, $750 preamp, $500 CD player) --- now you have a legimate high end system. Load the 1c's with 3-4K of electronics and WOW! Any of the three situations --- the 1c's run cheap, modest, or loaded --- you will love the speakers.

These speakers in all three setups sound full bodied, smooth, a little dark but almost romanic (liquid), they are yet still quite lively, transparent, and throw a wide and deep soundstage (vertcal staging is somewhat limited). The better the electronics the more favorable each of the speakers characteriscs become.

Again, under a kilobuck, these speakers are the Michael Jordan's of the field --- no one comes close. Trust me, waste no time and effort searching the land for better speakers at this price point --- I've searched in 5 states myself! You likely won't find a better (or comparible --- save the Maggie/Hsu, which, by the way, require a better amp than is mandated for running the Vandersteens and hence more $) system.

Vandersteen should be applauded. These speakers, if marketed at $2000, would be a recommended component. At $800 they are an absolute steal!

Six stars!

Position independece, Full range, soft and detailed highs

slow responce if used with amp lower than 65 wpc
ugly looking

hmm...
I've head already three upgrades of my setup and I do not think that I can still find an appropriate speakers that will bring me up one more level in the sence of detailability.
Currently my system is:

-- Rega Planar-25 table (RB - 900, Dynavector Karat)
-- Bryston bp 25mc coupled with Bryston 3b-st
-- I do not pay too much attention to a CD-player -- useless!
-- Vandersteen 1ce speakers hooked up with Kimber 8tc cables.

...Tried to go for PSB status Gold as well as for status Silver and desided to stay with my Vandersteens for now due to an extraneous agressivenes of the highs rather than details on both auditioned. Also they're both positiion depended and choosing one position will always create a compromise in particular freequency range.

...tried to go for KEF Reference 3 -- they're may be good for the small band fans...

I'll try to listen to Totem Forest as they being described as UHF - ultra high fidelity and still I will think about the value of my Vandersteens.

Natural uncolored sound

none at this price

I auditioned speakers for several months before buying the VAndy 1C's. Usually I'd leave the store w/ my ears ringing, and at times a headache, until I listened to the 1C's. I listen primarily to acoustic music, male - female singers and the 1Cs are excellent at playing this type of music. They even work great for playing DVDs. Currently my system consists of Denon 3801, 1Cs and Vandy VCC-1 center speaker. I'm hand wringing over buying the Vandy V2W sub or the 2wq sub. I'll probably go with the 2wq. .

I bought rhe 1Cs in Feb '01 from SoundWorks in Kensington, MD. I highly recommend SoundWorks. It's an audio store with a vast inventory and many different auditioning rooms. Ask for Jay or Scott. Both of these guys are straightforward helpful sales guys.

Similar Products Used:

auditioned Def Tech, B&W, Polk, etc

Just this...Vandersteen Audio 1C - The best Speakers I have heard for 2x is price...
Rega Planar 3 with goldring 1042, Pre-Amp Conrad-johnson Pv10 A, Power-Amps
2 Mono Audioinovations series 1000, OCOS cables, Miles Davis-Kind of Blue, a good Whisky, a good Cigar and the "Kings" VANDERSTEEN 1C...and you're in Heaven.

I have been listening to the Vandy 1C's for about a year and a half now, and I still am totally impressed by the pure musicality of their sound. They exhibit some of the most beautiful mid-range qualities I have heard in any speaker; their top end is smooth and well defined; and their bass, although notthe deepest in town, is natural, clear, and "alive." They present a wide and deep soundstage, and a very accurate presentation of where the instruments are being played and the notes are being sung.

My tastes in music are wide and varied, with the heaviest concentration being in traditional and classic jazz. The 1C's do a phenomenal job with the tunes of Miles, Trane, Ella, Rollins, Brubeck, Ellington, etc., and they also work wonders with The Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Allman Brothers, Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, and Mahler. In other words, I have yet to be disappointed.

My Vandy 1C's are driven by an old Arcam Delta 90 integrated, with a Marantz CD-63SE/Musical Fidelity digital front end, and an NAD 533/Goldring Elektra analogue rig. Interconnects by Transparent Musicord, with Audioquest Type 6 speaker cables. These components create a marvelous synergy with the speakers, and my system, as a whole, has allowed me to "listen in the High End,
without spending money in the High End." I wholeheartedly recommend the Vandersteen 1C's to anyone who truly cares about music and who loves to listen to the natural beauty of good song.

nice sweet natural warm sound, very accurate imaging, wide sound stage, detailed.

not much for the price

can't be beat for the price, especially if you get a nice used pair like i did and pair it with the vandy v2w sub. you can grow into the speakers (in other words they allow you to appreciate upgrades in components), they can be used in some pretty pricey components, before they are outclassed (upwards of $10k or more). one of the best manuals/instructions on placement and setup around. possible ability for future upgrades by sending into the manufacturer in the future is a nice bonus. i think they are the least expensive time coherent speakers available. they put the money into the components, not the cabinets (and i don't think they are ugly)
i liked the bigger brothers to the vandy 1c's, but they were more than good enough for what i needed, and with the vandy v2w to fill in the low end, there wasn't a need to get lower for me. the combination of the two is better than a 2ce for sure (throughout the range). maybe even better or at least close to the 3a's. (at least in bass extension, but probably not in the mids and highs)
the maggie's are very nice, but quite fickle with power and refuse to play really loud. you need a lot of juice to power them up enough, and they are larger, not as dynamic, and more expensive (about 2Xs the cost). plus its not as easy to pair up a sub to fill in the bottom. if i remember right, they don't go low as well. the 3.6's are awesome, but much more expensive.
i haven't heard the new b&w cdm nt series, but as far as the cdm se series, i think the maggie's and vandersteen's are in a different class.
i bought them and haven't regretted the purchase for a second, i expect to enjoy them for many years to come. i even plan on getting the center channel, so i can complete my home theater experience.
i highly recommend giving these speakers a listen if you are looking for something that is of great value and quality. definitely audition them in the under $1k range, and maybe even the under $3k range.

Similar Products Used:

auditioned vandersteens 2ce (sig), 3a (sig), magneplanar 1.6 QR's 3.6's, B&W cdm1se/7se, revel