Vandie .7 vs Maggie .7


*** I tried to edit the TITLE.,,Sorry   I mean Vandie 1ci    Thanks

Hello to all! I am hoping I will get some opinions on these 2 speakers. I’m 65...a Pro musician with a degree in music. I’ve own of equipment for sure. Nothing in the Mega buck range. I did own a par of Maggie III’s 25 years ago. Vandersteen’s are really a brand I have never owned or stopped at a dealer or known someone who owned them.

I know opinions are GOING to vary. These are kinda 2 different speakers...but a similar approach. Maggie flat panel, and Vandie "no baffe.

I have an NAD 326BEE integrated amp..( very decent)....I’m about to spring for a Schiit Vidar. I have an MF V90,,Schiit Saga... I own Whafdale Diamond 240’s.

I was also set to pop for the Vidar and got into a discussion with someone at Schiit, and he generally said, looking at speakers/ headphones are usually a bigger change. So started my re-evaluation.

These are the 2 I am down too. I have 1400-1500 to spend. True-ness of timbre, soundstage are most important ot me ...because I have listened and played live music since I was 15.

I do very much appreciate your opinions. I want member to BE subjective and give me your take based on personal experience. Thank you very much, Otto

128x128ottoa63
I'm glad I logged back in the forum as I did not get a notice of replies. I'm  thrilled to see all the replies. 
Let me add this... I constantly hear and see that I'm going to have to spend BIG Dollars on an amp or mono's if I'm going to get the Maggie's. There is a dealer 15 Mile's away who sells both!!! 

I so appreciate the comments... For the record, I'm going to replace the NAD 326 integrated. It's a great piece... I got curious about the Saga and its better than the 326 preamp section.. But not by a huge amount... But enough... Soooooo... It's looking like I should seriously consider the 1ci..due to budget and real world considerations. I did not mention I sold high audio in the 90's...best speakers in the store were BW",'s  and Martin Logan... Also sold Klipsh... Paradigm... MK.. All good stuff. Let me also provide to all.. That the room my system is in.. Is terrible... I'm downstairs in an "unfinished" basement. Yes I know all too well.. The room is the ultimate and MOST important factor. Throw 25k of equipment into a crappy room.. Is a self defeating exercise. 

I set up an 8 ft triangle within a h
Big basement.

With the left speaker having a wall to reflect from... Where as the right speaker opens to nothing... The nearest side wall is 30 ft to the right. 

Knowing this I'm sure you might all say Maggie's will never work... I thought i would toe them in.. Tweeters to the inside... I might totally fail... Don't know.  When I audition both.. Who knows I may been so taken with the Vandies that I will be spared the reality that the Maggie are too rich for my blood. 

I love to listen to female vocals... Saxophone.. Jazz.. Najee.. Roy Hargrove... Also like new age.. 

The Whafedales are very good.. But I'm ready to see what these 2 speakers are like. More... I own the higher end HSU crossover and their sub. I have been hi-passing my amps. Doing this. Gives me more amp headroom and relieves my mains from 90hz and below. Many might sneer.. Yuck.. Not a fan.. But to my ears hi passing does add clarity from my mains that I like. 

Ive also taken the route of stand mounted monitors. Physics being what they are... Smaller baffles... Small sound stage. This is why... I'm looking to no baffle with the 1ci and the big panel. 7's.  In closing... Maybe I will never overcome this room and no amount of equipment will make it sound good. 

Today... I even thought.. Maybe I should build a side wall to the right out to equal the distance of the left wall... This being the only solution. 

I very much appreciate all the replies... I'm not a big forum poster... I thought I would give it a go and share my thoughts. 

Thank you very much Otto 



You didn’t mention the size of your room, is it dedicated, do you have acoustic treatment...?
Both speakers you are considering are very good.
Maggies need more space and more watts. A lot more.
Used Vandy model 2s sounds better than new model 1s for the same (or less) money.
Both will only sound their best with considerable investment of time to determine best position in the room.
The Vandies will sound much better at really low volumes, IMO.

Tom
Otto - good for you - thinking it thru...there is a growing cadre of fine dealers who carry both Maggie and Vandy
if you can build that false wall it would help for sure.....
i am a female vocal junkie myself....the 7’s are singing with some sweet Linda R right now......

for grins next time I chat with Richard Vandersteen I will mention renaming the ones to .7
he should get a kick out of it

imo any decent dealer will lend you both....
Otto - good for you - thinking it thru...there is a growing cadre of fine dealers who carry both Maggie and Vandy
if you can build that false wall it would help for sure.....
i am a female vocal junkie myself....the 7’s are singing with some sweet Linda R right now......

for grins next time I chat with Richard Vandersteen I will mention renaming the ones to .7
he should get a kick out of it

imo any decent dealer will lend you both....