Model 1 to Model 2Ce Signature III?

[bkeske]

@Boom Boom I’m interested in your additional reports. I have Sig I’s, and am very curious about the III’s, and what they could offer as a possible  upgrade down the road. Thanks for your reports thus far 👍🏼

Edited August 1, 2021 by bkeske

[Holmz]

On 7/8/2021 at 11:20 AM, Boom Boom said:

Hello

I finally got cables in. The speaker bases aren't sand filled. I have to fill them. So my question:

• How much sand do I need to buy?
• Should 0.5 cu-ft (50 lbs) do it?

Thanks for your help!

In the meantime I will hookup without bases for now to start burn in.

 

I used lead shot in mine years ago… but apparently it has been difficult to get lead the last few years.

[ctsooner]

Sand works great.

[Boom Boom]

On 7/14/2021 at 5:39 AM, ctsooner said:

Great stuff and thanks for sharing.  Happy for you.  Pics when you have them?? 

Hiya

I've been sooo distracted lately, but I finally got around to this. See new post from me in the Owners System Pictures section of the forum. I am still waiting to upgrade my living room DAC, but upgraded from a 1 meter 1st gen XLR to a 2 meter Gen 6 Transparent XLR and moved the DAC to a different location to accommodate the wider dimensions of the Bryston BDA-3, whenever it's manufactured and shipped. I've got approx 86 hours on the new Gen 6 XLR cable. At the rate I'm going, it may be burned in by the time my new DAC arrives Lol!

[Boom Boom]

On 7/31/2021 at 6:57 PM, bkeske said:

@Boom Boom I’m interested in your additional reports. I have Sig I’s, and am very curious about the III’s, and what they could offer as a possible  upgrade down the road. Thanks for your reports thus far 👍🏼

Hi bkeske

It's been too long since I heard the Sig 1's. I think at that time I heard the Ayre gear for the first time. They were running the K5 and V5 at Advanced Audio. The only iteration of the 2s I heard I didn't care for was the 2Ci's. At that time my salesman told me he didn't think they would be a step up more of a step sideways. The Sig 1's were another story. At that time I was looking to move up from high performing audiophile gear to more high end electronics. I was upgrading from a PS Audio 4H pre and Acoustat TNT 120 amp. I came very close to buying Ayre. It was the first time I heard a zero feedback fully balanced design. The second time was the Simaudio Moon gear. I grew hooked on the sound of this design. The favorable US vs Canadian exchange rate had something to do with going with Classe and Moon.

Back on topic, after I broke the 500 hour break in period (mostly for my Transparent Gen 6 Super biwires) I formed some strong impressions for the differences between my 2Cs and the 2CE signature 3's. My electronics staying the same, the significant upgrades were Speakers and cables (power, interconnects, biwire speaker cables), here's what I am convinced upgrading the speakers did:

Base is deeper and more authoritative. The Sig 3 bass system cabinet now extends to the base. That being said, there's more volume in the cabinet to work with in tuning the bass response. If you audition 3's vs. 1's I'd listen to see if you can hear improvements here. I'm a bass freak so this a thrill for me.

Treble is cleaner and smoother. Integration between the tweeter and midrange drivers is more coherent and seamless. Not sure what you will hear here, but I would see if you could hear improvements between the 1's and 3's. My understanding is Vandersteen made improvements in the cross over as well as eliminated the need for the driver gain controls. So there's that.

I believe the Transparent Gen 6 brought out more weight to the instruments and vocals. To me that means that the amp is more accurately controlling the drivers in the Speakers. Also the treble improved and top to bottom the frequency response remains neutral. I was so please with the changes I decided to do the upgrade for the XLR between the DAC and preamp. I no longer own any Gen 1's. I have an MM1 XLR that I moved to my CD Player.

The Shunyata Delta NR V2s lowered the noise floor and improved the treble and also integration of more detail top to bottom. I tried first on my preamp, and decided to take the plunge to upgrade the DAC and power amp. No going back. These are the most expensive power cords I have purchased and owned.

I upgraded vibration control to HRS nimbus pucks and top plates. Replaced the factory spikes and brass coasters on my Simaudio Moon W5. This really helps bring out the amp's best. The power delivery is still authoritative, but the relaxed nature and lower noise floor between instruments and singers and relative placement of each in the soundstage is incredible. This also eliminated some peakiness in some loud treble passages. Ditto for going from Audioquest sorbo feet on the DAC. I believe they helped bring out the benefits of the cable upgrades so the some of the upgrades exceeds each individual one.

Now for a guy like me these upgrades were pretty spendy. My experience with these product lines gave me confidence to shell out the bucks. The Bryston will be the exception. I anticipate it should be a significant improvement over my humble PS Audio Nuwave DSD. Some of the upgrades were anticipated to bring out the best from the Bryston. So I am very curious to see the improvements from upgrading the DAC after it burns in.

FWIW

-Boom Boom

[bkeske]

Thanks much, very informative, and really appreciate the info. I figured my next ‘step-up’ would be Treo’s, minimum, but now I’m wondering if the Sig III’s may not be a valid and significant upgrade as well. I’m in no rush (famous last words). My 2CE Sigs do fit nicely in my room, and there is a comfort level (to me) in thinking the new 2 Sig III’s would basically be an easy swap within my existing placement.

I just put a deposit down with Johnny Rutan for a new Belles Aria Signature preamp, so that is my immediate new upgrade, but not too far down the road, I’m sure new Vandy’s, in some form, will be top on my list. Heck, it’s always on my mind, even though I’m still and always amazed by the 2CE Sigs as they are.

[ctsooner]

12 hours ago, bkeske said:

Thanks much, very informative, and really appreciate the info. I figured my next ‘step-up’ would be Treo’s, minimum, but now I’m wondering if the Sig III’s may not be a valid and significant upgrade as well. I’m in no rush (famous last words). My 2CE Sigs do fit nicely in my room, and there is a comfort level (to me) in thinking the new 2 Sig III’s would basically be an easy swap within my existing placement.

I just put a deposit down with Johnny Rutan for a new Belles Aria Signature preamp, so that is my immediate new upgrade, but not too far down the road, I’m sure new Vandy’s, in some form, will be top on my list. Heck, it’s always on my mind, even though I’m still and always amazed by the 2CE Sigs as they are.

I can promise you that going from the Sig 3 to Treo's are more than a significant upgrade.  To my ears it's night and day.  That said, I dont' know of anything else in the price range between the two that sounds better.  I once had the Audio Research electronics in my system with the original Treo's (ceramic coated tweeter) and they just kept scaling.

[bkeske]

28 minutes ago, ctsooner said:

I can promise you that going from the Sig 3 to Treo's are more than a significant upgrade.  To my ears it's night and day.  That said, I dont' know of anything else in the price range between the two that sounds better.  I once had the Audio Research electronics in my system with the original Treo's (ceramic coated tweeter) and they just kept scaling.

Good to know. I’ll keep that in mind. It will be a big decision when made.

[GdnrBob]

@bkeske,

I, too, have a Belles Aria Signature on order with Johnny. I'll be pairing it with my Aria monoblocks (non signature), and VLR's

I owned the 3a sigs before buying @ctsooner's, Treo's. And, I can tell you that the Treo's have a greater 'refinement' in sound quality over the 3a sigs. Plus, they look nicer.

The best part is that you can add subwoofers later, if you want to get close to Quatro's. I finally sold my 2wq's and bought a pair of Sub 3's-which Johnny set up, and I really think I have hit the limit of what I can do with my system.

Bob

[bkeske]

44 minutes ago, GdnrBob said:

@bkeske,

I, too, have a Belles Aria Signature on order with Johnny. I'll be pairing it with my Aria monoblocks (non signature), and VLR's

I owned the 3a sigs before buying @ctsooner's, Treo's. And, I can tell you that the Treo's have a greater 'refinement' in sound quality over the 3a sigs. Plus, they look nicer.

The best part is that you can add subwoofers later, if you want to get close to Quatro's. I finally sold my 2wq's and bought a pair of Sub 3's-which Johnny set up, and I really think I have hit the limit of what I can do with my system.

Bob

Nice Bob, I guess we are keeping David busy 😉

I have and will pair it with an old Belles 400A (basically a dual mono in one box) that Johnny wants for himself if I ever decide to sell it. Good luck with that 😁

Looking forward to the Aria Sig, Johnny is pretty high on it.

 

Edited August 29, 2021 by bkeske

[ctsooner]

All these dealers really do know what pairs best.   I fully trust the ones I know to give fair advise on what to get in the budget that folks have.  I've never been let down when sending folks to buy from any of them.