The Vandersteen 1Ci loudspeakers are not old enough to qualify as vintage audio (give them another 12 years and they will) but these American-made floorstanders are almost 8 years old at this point and still very much in demand. So much so that something new has dropped.
The Vandersteen 1C were available back in 1996 so the earliest versions of the speaker are almost as old as the generation who probably need to listen to them the most. It would appear that the folks at Vandersteen see the opportunity to extend the life of these excellent speakers with the brand new Vandersteen 1Ci+ that were announced today.
What makes the Vandersteen 1Ci so compelling is that you can find it used rather easily if you are prepared to look and you are unlikely to spend more than $900 for them even if they are in excellent condition. A brand new pair costs almost $1,700 so consider that 48% discount to be a huge bargain.
Richard Vandersteen did some creative things with his original designs and that thought process has continued with the 1Ci+ that still don’t have a loudspeaker cabinet; a huge cost savings for both the manufacturer and customer.
The price has also remained the same (almost) at $1,715 which includes the stands.
The new Model 1Ci+ does away with the unused attenuation for treble and features a new modern crossover design to enhance the sound from top to bottom. The results are improved clarity and better midrange-timbre accuracy.
This is the 4th version of this iconic speaker and is still available under $2K with stands included.
The Vandersteen 1Ci+ runs with the same barrier strips for speaker cables and the sensitivity remains at 90dB with an impedance of 6.8 Ohms.
The cabinet, or lack of wood veneer or paint, to be exact, remains in the new offering, as the cabinet is one of the critical elements of the high sonic value. – To touch this timeless cabinet design would result in a much higher price.
Many other designers have wondered, “how does Vandersteen do it at that price?” and the cabinet plays a large part in that value. Combining high-quality drivers into a fabric cabinet means excellent sonics for the price.
The alloy dome tweeter is a dual-chamber design improving range and linearity. It is carefully damped, eliminating the excessive ringing associated with metal dome tweeters. The alloy used for the dome offers superior strength and resistance to break-up. The midrange uses costly cast-metal baskets rather than the more common stamped baskets.
The cast-metal patented open baskets’ inherent rigidity and superior vibration control increase cone movement accuracy and reduce sympathetic resonances for cleaner and more natural sound.
Vandersteen does not rely on listening alone to make claims of sonic excellence. Vandersteen Audio is the first loudspeaker manufacturer to use the Gen-Rad 2512 Fast Fourier Transform Computer Analyzer in research and development and remains a leader for interfacing complex loudspeaker parameters and performance computer analysis with practical design and engineering.
The Model 1Ci+ continues Vandesteen’s quest to couple proven technology with advanced materials, construction, and design for a speaker system that is always true to both science and music at a value price point.
Specifications
| Tweeter | 1” Exclusive Dual-Chamber, Transmission-Line Loaded, Ceramic-Coated Alloy Dome with Ferrofluid Voice-Coil Cooling |
| Woofer | 8” Mineral-Filled Polycone with Die-Cast Basket, 1.5” Dual-Layer Voice Coil with Ventilated Aluminum Former, 40 oz. Focused-Gap Magnet Structure |
| Phase | Positive |
| Recommended Amplification | 20-100 Watts Into 8 Ohms |
| Frequency Response | 38Hz – 22.5kHz +/- 3dB |
| Sensitivity | 90 dB, 1 meter with 2.83 volt input |
| Impedance | 6.8 ohms +/- 2 ohms |
| Crossovers | First order/6dB per octave, 2.8kHz |
| Input Terminals | Barrier strips, 7/16″ max width |
| Dimensions (WHD) | 12” x 36” x 10” |
| Weight | 44 lbs. Net |
| Country of Manufacture | Made in the USA |
For more information: Vandersteen 1Ci+ Loudspeakers
Related reading: Vintage Audio
Greg Hamilton
September 20, 2022 at 6:11 pm
I have the 1B that I bought new in 1990. They still continue to amaze.
The only thing that was ever done to them is to reglue the woofer surrounds and replace the old electrolytics in the crossover. I also added the stands from vandersteen.
Still love them!
Patrick Bolmeyer
October 8, 2023 at 6:52 pm
Just ordered a set of the Vandersteen 1Ci+ units. I was impressed that Vandersteen spends so much research/time with the crossovers. It’s amazing how that can reflect how the end product (sound) comes out. For the price I paid with stands ($1653.00) it’s a remarkable value!