Super clean looking set of classic Vande 2Ce's
Have you owned them since new?
Done any service on them (woofer surrounds, refinished, etc?)
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The kit we bought, our current setups
- Thread starter Thomas Savage
- Start date
Have you owned them since new?
Done any service on them (woofer surrounds, refinished, etc?)
olds1959special
Major Contributor
They are 2Ce Sig II's that I found used, but they were in like new condition when I got them and didn't need any work. I filled the bases with sand the other day which improved the sound.
Cogito
Active Member
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2019
- Messages
- 253
- Likes
- 328
Nice choices. I’d love to hear the Philharmonics BMRs in person. Went the other direction with R3s when it comes to directivity. Always left me wondering “what if”
If I ever have another living room or bedroom space I’ll give them a whirl.
Just made some big changes and thought I’d catalog the current state of the main system.
The turntable on the left is a rather hot-rodded Thorens TD-166 II with TP-11 arm and Audio-Technica AT440MLb cartridge. One of the RCA plugs on the Thorens audio cable is flaky, but everything else is just as it should me. I’m currently using a Music Hall Cruise. Control to power the motor, which gives me speed adjustment.
The open-reel deck on the right is a Teac 4300, which I repaired and adjusted in a thread on ASR.
The amp is at the bottom, a Buckeye NC502MP stereo amp driving (not shown) Revel F12 towers. Going into the amp is a balanced converter that uses a THAT 1646 Outsmarts chip.
Here’s the crazy stack, a study in aesthetic chaos.
The Sony XDR-FSD HD tuner has been extensively enhanced. I’m auditioning it as a replacement for the Carver TX-A11a tuner that is below the CD players. Currently, the Sony has a noise problem—the added cooling fan is audible everywhere in the room. It will probably end up in a different system.
The top rack-width component is a dbx signal router Model 400. I’m using it to expand my tape loops. The preamp has two tape loops, and I use one for the computer and the other for this unit. It provides tape loops for the cassette and open-reel tape decks.
Right below that is a Holman preamp, the testing of which is described in its own thread.
Then there are the two CD players. The top one is an old Naim Audio CD-5. I got this because it’s the only quality CD player that does not use a plastic drawer or any belts. This one is tip-top so I’m withdrawing the Cambridge Audio player that I’ve discussed before for use elsewhere. That one is too modern for this system. The Philips VAM1205 laser unit in the Naim isn’t high-end and will eventually die, but most of my CD players fail because of drawer mechanics. I use this for playing whole CDs for plain listening.
The other CD player is a Marantz PMD-331, which provides every control feature known to man. It’s the opposite of the Naim, but the drawer is already a little flaky, so I use it if I need something like an A-B loop, like for playing along on the tuba.
Below the Carver tuner is a Yamaha YDP2006 digital parametric equalizer for room-correction EQ. It connects using the preamp’s processor loop.
At the bottom on the lower cabinet shelf is a Nakamichi 480 cassette deck. I like this better in the main system than the very fiddly BX300 I also have.
Not shown are the components that connect to the computer. I’m using a Benchmark ADC-1 USB and a Musical Fidelity V90 DAC. The DAC measures “okay”, but it’s still better than the rest of the system.
For CD playback, the overall SINAD should be about 85 dB, which is very good for a vintage system.
The turntable may be replaced by a Linn Axis given to me by a friend in non-functioning state. I have to fix it first, and then decide if it’s an improvement on the Thorens. It should be, on paper at least, if for no other reason because of the Basik tonearm.
Rick “always in flux” Denney
The turntable on the left is a rather hot-rodded Thorens TD-166 II with TP-11 arm and Audio-Technica AT440MLb cartridge. One of the RCA plugs on the Thorens audio cable is flaky, but everything else is just as it should me. I’m currently using a Music Hall Cruise. Control to power the motor, which gives me speed adjustment.
The open-reel deck on the right is a Teac 4300, which I repaired and adjusted in a thread on ASR.
The amp is at the bottom, a Buckeye NC502MP stereo amp driving (not shown) Revel F12 towers. Going into the amp is a balanced converter that uses a THAT 1646 Outsmarts chip.
Here’s the crazy stack, a study in aesthetic chaos.
The Sony XDR-FSD HD tuner has been extensively enhanced. I’m auditioning it as a replacement for the Carver TX-A11a tuner that is below the CD players. Currently, the Sony has a noise problem—the added cooling fan is audible everywhere in the room. It will probably end up in a different system.
The top rack-width component is a dbx signal router Model 400. I’m using it to expand my tape loops. The preamp has two tape loops, and I use one for the computer and the other for this unit. It provides tape loops for the cassette and open-reel tape decks.
Right below that is a Holman preamp, the testing of which is described in its own thread.
Then there are the two CD players. The top one is an old Naim Audio CD-5. I got this because it’s the only quality CD player that does not use a plastic drawer or any belts. This one is tip-top so I’m withdrawing the Cambridge Audio player that I’ve discussed before for use elsewhere. That one is too modern for this system. The Philips VAM1205 laser unit in the Naim isn’t high-end and will eventually die, but most of my CD players fail because of drawer mechanics. I use this for playing whole CDs for plain listening.
The other CD player is a Marantz PMD-331, which provides every control feature known to man. It’s the opposite of the Naim, but the drawer is already a little flaky, so I use it if I need something like an A-B loop, like for playing along on the tuba.
Below the Carver tuner is a Yamaha YDP2006 digital parametric equalizer for room-correction EQ. It connects using the preamp’s processor loop.
At the bottom on the lower cabinet shelf is a Nakamichi 480 cassette deck. I like this better in the main system than the very fiddly BX300 I also have.
Not shown are the components that connect to the computer. I’m using a Benchmark ADC-1 USB and a Musical Fidelity V90 DAC. The DAC measures “okay”, but it’s still better than the rest of the system.
For CD playback, the overall SINAD should be about 85 dB, which is very good for a vintage system.
The turntable may be replaced by a Linn Axis given to me by a friend in non-functioning state. I have to fix it first, and then decide if it’s an improvement on the Thorens. It should be, on paper at least, if for no other reason because of the Basik tonearm.
Rick “always in flux” Denney
Last edited:
Hello @rdenney,
Thank you for sharing your present setup!
You are cordially invited to my hosting thread "Let's share diagrams (and photos) of our total physical audio system and the whole signal path, with a few words and/or links".
Thank you for sharing your present setup!
You are cordially invited to my hosting thread "Let's share diagrams (and photos) of our total physical audio system and the whole signal path, with a few words and/or links".
, all that stuff piled up is setting my “itch” off.
Always changing - for some reason I ended up with two Bang und Olufson TT's - but, I got the original boxes for those, so I can ship, if/when somebody eventually buys one...
Speakers are, amongst others - Edgarhorn Slimlines, two subs... they don't do anything under about 90 well, but the mid-range is fantastic.
Speakers are, amongst others - Edgarhorn Slimlines, two subs... they don't do anything under about 90 well, but the mid-range is fantastic.
Attachments
Edgarhorn's, there a blast from the past.
How about some better photos of them when you have the time
Here’s mine!
Petronius
Member
Nothingness
Member
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2025
- Messages
- 33
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- 30
The setup I’ve been putting together since March 2025 - thanks in large part to what I’ve learned from ASR and ChatGPT. I know, I know… the cables...
WideEyedToad
Active Member
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- Aug 26, 2025
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Have to clean up this weekend. The Q300s are going into storage, along with the nova65se. Carina 150 arrives tomorrow, so im excited about that.
Tv mount also is needed, but got to do some homework on a decent one.
cyclo
Member
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2023
- Messages
- 71
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- 184
Added a Denon DCD 900NE CD Player to my setup so I can continue to play my sizeable collection of music CDs, a few which are shown in the image below. When listening to music, I have the system play in stereo powering only the front LR channels and the subwoofer. For movies, shows I have all speakers powered plus the butt kicker transducers behind my seat.
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