Magnepan 20.1

Thanks guys!

My take would be that you'd be initially left impressed with them (a change can be refreshing in many ways..), but which soon wears off after a long while and be missing back those energy behind snaps and plucks of string, as well real heft/power behind bass drives you used to be getting from your dynamic speakers (with maggies you get big full bass but generally lesser impact). And although the soundstage and imaging larger--lifelike in size, scale and presentation, in comparison, they are also slightly vague and diffused--not as pin-point or defined.

Therefore, as it is quite a dramatic change in musical presentation from what you are accustomed to, it is advisable to spend longer hours with them at dealer or friend's first (with your favorite records) to get a better grasp of their sound, and make sure they are right 'for you and your music' prior to taking the plunge.

Bvdiman,

I have to respectfully disagree. Maggies are capable of pinpoint imaging and producing layered and realistic soundstage. I had done extensive audition while I was shopping for speakers a few years ago. If not because of placement limitation of my room and my love of tube amp, I would have bought a pair of 3.6 instead of the Vandy 5; it was that good. But they need high power amp with a lot of current to shine. The more current the better. If you hear diffused soundstage or softness, it usually mean power amp mismatch or placement problem. Due to bass cancellation nature in panel speaker, Maggies don't have very deep bass so you won't get room shocking pipe organ but it should produce very realistic rim shot and kick drum.

I was just listening to a pair of Maggie 20.1s last night at a local high end open house. They were powered by an all Ayre signal chain, including the Ayre 300w monoblock amps. They sounded really good--very engaging--on a wide variety of music, including jazz and classic rock. They played Bowie's "Ch-ch-ch-changes" from an EMI LP anniversary pressing and it sounded pretty spectacular, as did jazz and pretty much anything else. The 20.1s were augmented by a pair of 2x12 JL powered subwoofers, but it was a fairly large room.

The amps certainly weren't struggling to power the 20.1s. They had excellent dynamics. They didn't sound quite as dynamic and transparent as the Wilson MAXX 3's, but those are over twice the price. I liked the Maggies.

I have to disagree as well. My Maggies 3.6r do very well all those things that Bvdiman says they don't do.

One thing the Maggies don't do well at all is boomy bass and diffused imaging. So if one is looking for single bass notes for all the records, then the Maggies are not for you.

Imaging is simply breath-taking with the Maggies. I have not heard this kind of imaging from any other non-planar speakers, regardless of price.

Bring in your little 50 watt integrated and they'll sound thin and constrained. Give them a lot of power and top notch gear, and they'll produce glorious sound. Ultimately, it all depends on the associated gear.

Best,

iSanchez