John and Nick at Audio Connection are really terrific. Living in Manhattan, I first started shopping at audio shops there. Without fail, all of them lost patience with me when they found out I wasn’t prepared to spend an ungodly sum. My experience at Audio Connection was night and day in comparison. John Rutan spent hours with me trying to understand what’s important for me in a system, what types of music I plan to play, and then applied his considerable knowledge to conjure up the best system possible. And, most amazing of all, he bent over backwards to make sure what he recommended was within my budget. He suggested a NAD C326BEE amp, C515BEE cd player, a Rega P1 turntable, a NAD phono preamp, and a pair of Vandersteen 2Ce loudspeakers. He gave me a crash course in speaker technology and then let me hear a bunch of different types of speakers in the listening rooms they have around back. He was 100% right – the 2Ce’s blew away everything that was remotely at the same price point.
I’ve had the system for a few months now and I’m still as amazed with it as when I first heard it. The sound is extremely vibrant but in a natural way. Every note sounds and feels like it comes from the actual three-dimensional instrument rather than a pair of wooden boxes, which is how every other speaker I tested sounded. Even my friends who aren’t audiophiles comment on how they can hear the soundstage. And the pairing of the speakers with the other components works extremely well. No matter what type of music I play or the volume I set it to, I’m constantly floored by albums that I grew up with and thought I knew. I can’t recommend this place highly enough!
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