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Another help me spend money thread or maybe not.... going to AXPONA

How to start this thread. Well I have a full thread here which has taken me a long ways to Maggie planar bliss.
https://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/vt.mpl?f=mug&m=234395
Room size is 11.5w 22.5L 8.5h

The cliff notes version of the above is Maggie 20.7 system with a pair of Vandersteen Sub 3 and HP7 crossovers
Recent additions are: Mac 601 monos, AR Ref6, dSC Bartok + AQ hurricane and dragon power + a lot of room setup.

So the only part of my system not questioned in 5 years has been the 20.7's as I really like planar sound. Of course that gets me thinking why should i stop there... for a $30k budget what can I hear.... this is where AG help is needed!!

The system sounds really good now, the Vandy system has now given me all the bass slam of big boxes to go along with that wall of planar energy. But I have the fever. I want to know how good the system is compared to a bunch of hardware I only read about. So I am going to AXPONA and also looking into my local Atlanta shops. 

Which leads me to: I auditioned two disparate systems today, Wilson Audio Sabrina's ($17k) and Wisdom Audio cost no object in-wall line source system (about $100k) which I have never heard of. I use to have WP7's, to me the newer Sabrina's are much better having lost the hot inverted dome tweeter, good but not superior to what i already have. However the Wisdom mutli line source system was just spectacular which was built around multiple Wisdom Sage L75's. These can be had as a floor stander for about $18k pair and they have them. So we go to that room but it was busy and I did not get a chance to hear them. If they are anywhere close to what I heard these go to the top of my list. 

My list (to hear or have heard as a comparison)
heard: Vandy 7 MKII, really good but too expensive
B&W 802D3 - good but not better

for my budget would like to hear at AXPONA if they are there: 
Vandy 5a Carbons 
Martin Logan ESL15A
Magico
Raidho
ATC
Focal
MBL - just because
KEF
Scaena - just because

But what about YG's or SoundLab and on and on... thanks for your inputs!


  
 

128x128hughp3
mtrot
804 posts
 
Fwiw, I was just told that both the VIMBERG Mino and Tonda speakers will be at Axpona with the new Distributor Wynn Audio.
hughp3's avatar
hughp3 OP
75 posts
 
i just read about these new speakers, will def demo them. thanks for the heads up.
bbarlow690
60 posts
 
Spatial.  I have the X2s, and they're giant-killers.
hughp3's avatar
hughp3 OP
75 posts
 
Listened to an expensive box speaker today, $40k. Maybe its me... the demo was great,  fast dynamic bass, very clear. now the but...  it was more pinpoint imaging which I am not used to.  Voices and instruments on the 20.7 are more lifelike, have demension. seem to have more 3d space. Its hard to explain. So far only the  Martin Logan 15a would cause me to jump.  Anyone else struggle going from planar or ESL’s to box speakers?
pwhinson
158 posts
 
@hughp3 I was just speaking with "the" Vandersteen dealer in ATL the other day and he mentioned how the system you described in your original post sounded "fantastic" ... i.e, he experimented with top end Magnepans rigged with the Vandersteen crossover and Vandersteen’s Sub Nine’s (he’s also a Magnepan dealer). Is that where you got the idea? Would have loved to have heard that system. I think you’re at the level of the best possible expression of various design philosophies and you probably just need to pick one as your "preference" because at this level I’m not sure you’re going to be able to argue definitively that one is objectively is better than the other. I will say what you have, the Magnepans and the Vandersteen crossovers and Nine subs intrigues me more than anything else you're likely to see/hear at Axpona.
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