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Am I the only one who thinks B&W is mid-fi?

I know that title sounds pretencious. By all means, everyones taste is different and I can grasp that. However, I find B&W loudspeakers to sound extremely Mid-fi ish, designed with sort of a boom and sizzle quality making it not much better than retail quality brands. At price point there is always something better than it, something musical, where the goals of preserving the naturalness and tonal balance of sound is understood. I am getting tired of people buying for the name, not the sound. I find it is letting the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. In these times of dying 2 channel, and the ability to buy a complete stereo/home theater at your local blockbuster, all of the brands that should make it don't. Most Hi-fi starts with a retail system and with that type of over-processed, boom and sizzle sound (Boom meaning a spike at 80Hz and sizzle meaning a spike at 10,000Hz). That gives these rising enthuists a false impression of what hi-fi is about. Thus, the people who cater to that falseified sound, those who design audio, forgetting the passion involved with listening, putting aside all love for music just to put a nickle in the pig...Well are doing a good job. Honestly, it is just wrong. Thanks for the read...I feel better. Prehaps I just needed to vent, but I doubt it. Music is a passion of mine, and I don't want to have to battle in 20 yrs to get equipment that sounds like music. Any comments?
mikez
kalan
185 posts
 
What did the Linn Keilidhs cost new? Let's compare retail-to-retail prices--even though the Keilidhs are now discontinued (right?).

Otherwise, we should be comparing used Joseph prices to used Linn prices.
neubilder
129 posts
 
The Keilidhs were 1500$ USD.
ohlala
1,243 posts
 
"Ohlala what would you recommend to someone with my tastes that would outperform the Linns for a similar price."

That was my point. If your taste is Linn and alike, then it easy to say they are The best speaker. I bought Hales instad of Ninkas, but not because of your version of my preconceptions. Although they have their drawbacks, the Revelations use a smaller stamp. In a small room, however, the Ninkas probably have an advantage. Also, if you get a chance, listen to a pair of Magnepans. And BTW - ProAc floorstanders are also quite high on my to-buy-when-I-start-making-real-money list.
neubilder
129 posts
 

Maggies are an astonishing speaker but there is something about electrostats that....okay, perhaps I should practice what I preach and get used to them before I say they aren't my cup of tea. When I heard them I was truly amazed and they were on my list, but I felt there was something missing with electrostats vs. conventional driver speakers - something to do with impact maybe.
nearsota
46 posts
 
I have read many opinions on these speaker's and was able to hear them using my test CD's.

There system:
Rotel Reciever($1600)
Tranparent Cable($2600)
CDM 1 & 7's(?) NT($1100)

My System:
B&K ST-202 Modifed($850)
Rotel Pre-Amp RC-960
Phillips CD-80
NEAR M15's-AQ Blue Inigo Cable
Monster Ref.30 CD-Pre Cable
AQ Ruby

Could not produce some of the sounds that were true to real lifelike

To bad they do not make NEAR's anymore!Remarkable speaker still for the money!I have since updated the Woofer\Midrange Driver's with a test Metal type and they extend far deeper in the Bass with Pinpoint Accuracy through the soundstage.Either speaker contends for less $$ than the B&W Line to the $2000 speaker range easy!The M50's are next to come to compare with.Wilsons,Hales in the used sector I would venture with.
In newer speaker's there are some I have auditioned and would like to audition!Revel,JMR,ProAc's,Meadowlarks.Von Schweikert's,ACI's to name a few!
JMHO
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