Anything better than Magnepan 1.6?



So, its been out for something like 9 years, but it still seems to be absolute top of the line. I also see the Dali Ikon 6 which seems to have amazing pinpoint staging accuracy. The same recording of a female Jazz singer has a mouht the size of a woman on the Ikon 6 and maybe 5 feet wide, maybe 4, on the Magnepan. Which is a positive thing for much music, that 'wall of sound' thing they do. And it has a much, much better sense of 'air' with the combo ribbon tweeter and dome than most box speakers.

Anything else I should consider? Even up to 3k? In that range, after having Maggies since 1988, speakers like the appropriate B&W and similar don't seem to compare in my opinion at all - I guess its a planar thing. The sound is so obviously coming from a little box! Just can't do it. I love Thiel in general, but in this price range I don't get enough volume.

What about Innersound Isis? I might be able to get a used pair? Tight sweetspot annoying to me, I often have people over to listen to music with me.

Oh - and I don't care about Bass below 80 Hz and possibly a bit higher, but 120, absolute top of 160 might be okay if everything else is outstanding. I already have a VTF-3 HO Hsu subwoofer with turbo.

I listen to almost everything, so that is of no help. If I had to chosoe one to focus on, I'd choose classical, but I listen to a lot of Shostakovitch for example, which is basically heavy metal in classical, so an accurate speaker that doesn't punch you a little won't work.
lightminer
Your original budget was 3K, but I see you mention up to 4K in your last post. If you can stretch it to that you can get a brand new pair of Montana SP3s. I once owned xover modified 1.6s and replaced them with the SP2 and was very happy. Since then I have owned 3.5s and two more Montana speakers. To my ears, the Montanas do most of what a planar does (open, boxless sound), but better it at dynamics, slam, SS depth, and imaging. And they are just much easier to listen to, but don't think Vandersteen type "easy", nothing is farther from the truth there.

Lastly, there is a pair of EPSs right now for 4K on the Gon. That would be my choice out of anything used right now at that price point.

Oz
Yeah, really just saying it takes that much to get into a Von Schweikert speaker - but if something were truly absolutely fundamentally amazing I might consider it at 4 - but I really don't want to go that far. 3 is already my 'I've gone too far' number :). That being said, I'll check out the ones you mention! Sounds interesting! One never knows what the future holds.
I have had the Maggie 1.6 and now own the Maggie MMG, I prefer the MMG better, and I had two pair of MArtin LOgan CLSes and a pair of Apogee Stages. I found that the wall of sound is exactly what I did not like after a while even though it was very accurate. I found two speakers that sounded more natural and have no boundaries at all, they sound closer to real live music. Again a matter of taste. I now favor the Horn Shoppe Horns single driver small floorstanders> $850, and my new absolute reference is my Mark and Daniels Rubys with OmniHramonizsers which total at $2500 new. People believe that my system sounds as good and natural as live music the highest compliment for an Audiophile. Good Luck!!
of course this is all so subjective. i own 1.6s, and i have also owned tympany I B's and quad esls and 63s.

i preferred the original quads--2 pair in stacked mode, to any other speaker system i have heard. yes they are not the most dynamic and they do not play loud. however, the are the least timbrally inaccurate in their presentation.
Hey bbchem, I'll listen to anyone who had Apogee Stages.
Thanks in advance for any comparison of these Rubys you mention to the Stages. The Stages always seemed more live
than anything I ever heard (I owned them once), even though they did not have much detail, and had vocals to die for. All for around $3K! Thanks again for your thoughts.