Harbeth C7ES vs Maggie 1.6 QR

Hififile,

Thanks for a thoughtful response, I know the Maggies are a well rounded speaker and maybe I will learn the hard way. I do like the way the Maggies do not get in the way of the music. I just do not think of them much just whatever is playing, it just always sounds like it is in the next room or somehow lifeless.

Eldartford,

Not a bad idea. Maybe after years with planar speakers, from Quad ESL 57s to my 1.6s, I want more dynamics and just want to experience something different.

Well guys I thought about the Harbeths but saw a good deal on some Reynaud Trentes and replaced my 1.6s with them. I am very happy as they are quite a bit more detailed and have better tone.

I do not even think about the box vs planar thing as these throw an amazing soundstage, quite a bit deeper than the Maggies and with finer placement of instruments etc.

But where these really are better is in the midrange - the tones are beautiful and integrate with the bass and high end really well. The bass is very articulate and again the tone is great. The high end is extremely detailed and has a beautiful 'shimmer' to cymbols etc. I think the Listener review is right about the feeling there is a person in the room playing the music, you forget about the stereo - no kidding these are the real McCoys.

I think the only areas where the Maggies beat the Reynauds are they play louder and the bass goes lower and they have a bigger image.

thaks again to all who responded

Phil

Hi. I too thought the 1.6 lacks dyanmic but that was until I hooked it up to the 200-watts tube Hurricane.

Let me set a few things straight .The maggi 1.6 when set up properly and with a amp that has balls it is far better than what i just read i have had many big names speakers .
1 Get rid of the fuse and jumpers altogether they are holding the maggis back it is more clear and detailed , also i am using probably the best amp not many know of
Dac- Digital Amplifier Co.out of Pa. this is the Cherry + amp I have is technically digital but was voiced with the best of tubes and SS and sound nothing like digital.My freind has a wyred for sound st 500 it was not even close to the Cherry. Stereo times online did a review on it , 10 most wanted for 2010.It has 5 improvemnts since then, Nuforce 18, and the best spectron or Bat and Pass labs this amp trumps them all for totally overall musicalityI hav heard them all .I have a super clean 750wpc into 4 ohms and the maggis soar .The bass is the bass I have ever heard and the one weakness of digital in the past being brittle not any more clear and detailed with a nice rich midrange vacuum tube like .even their entry level model is killer check this amp out.The amplifier makes or break the quality of the maggis sound .I am also running a Velodyne Qed -r sub at 50hz and under.

I just did some research on the Cherry amps. I know this is the speaker forum, but those seem impressive. It is just interesting how an amplifier have such a dramatic impact on the speakers performance. I have experienced this too at times. There have been times where I have made a speaker change when maybe an amp change was more in order. Oh well, hard to tell sometimes. So good for you on the amp find to light up your system.