Vandersteen 2c Paradise

[Reedman]

Over 20 years ago I purchased my Vandersteen 2c loudspeakers from a friend. Each time I upgrade the system with new amplifier and CD player the improvements are noticeable and enjoyable. 
 

As a performing musician in wind ensembles, my ears are trained to recognize realistic recordings.  It is a joy to have a music library that exposes me to the recordings of professional musicians!

[Reedman]

[TomicTime]

Awesome 🙂 Wishing you many years of musical bliss

Jim

[Steve Edwards]

Reedman, those where my first pair as well; circa 1985.   When I changed the stands to the Sound Anchor version, I used the originals (like you have) to put my PSE Studio V mono amps on. 
 

Welcome to the forum; there’s some great folks here. 
 

Play on

Steve

[Holmz]

Welcome @Reedman- what do you play?

(I do find the oboe and bassoon to be particularly like a magnet to my iron ears, and it pulls me right in…  like a cartoon.)

 

Whereabouts are you located?

From that picture… have you tried pulling the speakers out beyond the front edge of that TV cabinet?
They sometimes sound noticeably different when the start sneaking out into the room. 

[Reedman]

Thanks for the welcome!
 

I have played the clarinet for 55 years in many bands, orchestras, and ensembles. Recently retired, I am enjoying the extra time to listen to my sound system and the many cds I have collected. 

I recently purchased a new CD player- onkyo 7030 and have been comparing it to my old Sony 50+1 carousel player. There are significant differences - most for the better on the new player. It does depend on the recording on how much improvement I hear.

My favorite learning from this comparison is on the recording Heartland - Appalachian Anthology with all string instruments. Beyond the obvious of hearing more detail in bass with the  new player I can hear texture of the bows scraping the strings. Also the musician's attacks on notes and crescendos / decrescendos are more apparent, as well as slight tuning issues. The music comes to life and I have a more emotional reaction as if I have witnessed a live performance. 
 

I can see how the quest for audio perfection can be a fascinating hobby. Looking forward to learning more about music reproduction. 

[Reedman]

And Yes I pull the speakers out from the wall typically about 24”.  They are parked against the wall to protect them from the visiting grandsons. This improves the bass in my room as well as the soundstage. 

[ctsooner]

Welcome and have fun here talking music. 

[Reedman]

After 2 weeks auditioning an Onkyo cd player, I returned it as it 
never sounded realistic. Instead I tried a DACmagic 100 and wow what a difference. The optical out from the Sony cdp-cx53 player through the DAC to my NAD amp results in better everything I hear. I tried using my laptop as a music server and the ripped cds in FLAC sound great through the DAC. Not trying streaming yet as my CD collection contains many treasures to be heard in better quality. A big part of music listening for me is finding cds that surprise me with music creativity and beauty. What a fun hobby!

[GdnrBob]

That sounds right, to me.

Using a CD player as a transport only and adding an external DAC is the way to go- especially considering how much DAC technology has improved over the past 10 years.

B

[ctsooner]

With the loss of some of the major chip makers, many digital companies have been forces to totally reengineer their digital sections.  I know a few who have gone to ladder style and also 1 bit which sound best to me most often.

[stratocaster]

2 hours ago, ctsooner said:

With the loss of some of the major chip makers, many digital companies have been forces to totally reengineer their digital sections.  I know a few who have gone to ladder style and also 1 bit which sound best to me most often.

Any recommendations on a sub1k r2r dac? Have heard a lot about them but haven’t heard one. 

[Holmz]

10 hours ago, ctsooner said:

With the loss of some of the major chip makers, many digital companies have been forces to totally reengineer their digital sections.  I know a few who have gone to ladder style and also 1 bit which sound best to me most often.

I am not sure that the DAC layout has much to do with it.
Technically  they can all be shown to measure the same, or close enough, for most other (nom audio) uses… Certainly on the ADC side.

But the stuff following and preceding  the DAC, like filters, can make a difference… so it is hard to decouple the DAC part from the manufacture and their layout.
And also features and looks play into it on a psychological level.

 

I really cannot tell much of a difference between my 90’s 5 disc CD player and my new (used) RME DACs other than I can stream and record through the DAC.
and I cannot see a rational reason that I should consider getting a high end DAC or CD player.

And then when I see a Nagra CD player… I think, “well… maybe I need that CD player”.

On the other hand, much of what I have is on vinyl, and what I listen to the digital I am usually doing something else.
And with LP it is an event, or people are over… so that weighs in as mood.

I can see how your system is based in digital, and also with headphones and higher end speakers, so I‘ve no doubt there is probably a real difference.

 

On 4/6/2023 at 7:16 AM, GdnrBob said:

That sounds right, to me.

Using a CD player as a transport only and adding an external DAC is the way to go- especially considering how much DAC technology has improved over the past 10 years.

B

^which is funny^ when I juxtapose it with the fellow in ‘84 telling me that he though CD technology was too new to consider at the moment… and that I should stick with vinyl.
It is always presented as being technically perfect, or at least better than vinyl… and I cannot get my head around how they keep making improvements.
But I think that maybe they have made progress on the filters… and technically and a lot of that (I believe) is on the minimum phase.

I am sorta wondering if people with more time and phase correct systems might be ahead ?
Or if the people with those systems, whether they be membrane speaker etc, are just the ones that also are self selected as being more sensitive to time and phase… I is just a measurable fact that minimum phase filters are not the same, and they are not the same as each other.

Sorry for the interruption… but I find it intellectually interesting to muse away on technically. And find fascination with wondering how people make decisions on gear. If I knew how I did it, then I would not be as confused.

[Steve Edwards]

On 4/4/2023 at 9:52 PM, Reedman said:

Not trying streaming yet as my CD collection contains many treasures to be heard in better quality.

Reedman, I don't know the scope of your musical tastes, but you might enjoy a band named Sonja Dada from Chicago.  Their four or five albums were released on cd only.  In addition to great recording quality, I'm a big fan of their music.

Play on

[ctsooner]

Randal, I've found HUGE differences in every DAC I've auditioned.  I always hear companies mention how they can't wait for the 'next' chip come out as it can do things that the current one can't etc..  Digital is all about EVERYTHING.  Power and a clean input (optical converters on ethernet work fora reason).  Timing issues and power seem to also be huge.

Implementation is THE most important detail.  When looking for any component, I PERSONALLY (not for everyone) listen for what sounds best in MY system.  I knew what type of DAC I was listening to (r2r or DAC chip) etc.., but I've heard both implementations sound great and poor.  IRT DAC's I may enjoy some by mom and pops companies, but I now stay away as they may not be able to support the DAC in the future, especially if they get out of the business.  

I still LOVE the Ayre Codex for an under 2k DAC.  Ariel just gets digital.  He built that DAC to be a 5k DAC, but made some cuts here and there to keep the cost down.  They used the name Codex by Ayre as it wasn't necessarily just for high end shops.  I think they wanted to sell them everywhere.  I also like the iFi DAC/headphone amp that's in that range. I use it as it was a gift from a friend.  If you are near a dealer with a Codex, you should go listen and see if it's in your short list.