I've listened to both at my local dealer. I have sufficient space for either one in my living room (16x21). If you have some ideas/a clear opinion on which one to purchase I would very much appreciate hearing from you..thanks.
newton, though 5ft. or more is optimum for planars (all, not just Maggies), 4ft. can be acceptable if you treat the wall behind the speakers with either absorption or diffusion. Absorption for a smaller, more "direct" sound, diffusion for a bigger, more expansive one.
True dat. I personally like diffusion more than absorption in so many instances. I think all too often folks make their rooms deader than they should be. All to often diffusion will keep the room alive while stopping any problems you may have. I personally love 4-5 foot high plants (I use nice silk ones). There are plenty of ways to do this.
That said, this is one of the reason's I'm loving the Vandersteen's as they are so easy to place out of the way and you get a huge soundstage when that's what is recorded. You end up using a possibly room problem for helping rather than hurting. JMHO. Many ways to skin the cat.
Can't speak for those models but I much prefer Vandersteen's entry-level 1Cis to the Magnepan 1.7i. To my ears, the Vandys have better detail, tone, bass depth, note decay and a wider sweet spot. They also require less volume and power to wake up.
The 1.7s had a slightly deeper soundstage and faster mid-bass.
On a more minor note, I find it much easier to get in contact with Vandersteen than Magnepan if questions arise.
I like both of these manufacturers. But, if positioning is a problem, the Vandy's are the way to go. Even with the 1Ci's and a pair of subs, you'd have a remarkable system. OP, do you have any way to listen to them in your area? Bob
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