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Wanting to get back into the hobby and want to start with the speakers.

Hi everyone. Last year I went to a couple of local Hi-Fi shops and demoed two vastly different types of speakers. The first shop I went to I demoed the JBL L 100 Classic, the second place I demoed two different pairs of Magnepan speakers the MMG and the .7. To my ears both Magnepan’s wiped the floor with the JBL’s. Funny thing is the JBL was being driven by about ten grand worth of McIntosh gear and the Magnepan’s were driven by inexpensive Marantz gear. Now since hearing the Magnepan’s every darn box speaker sounds well......boxy. It’s like they all have this hollowed out muffled midrange. If not for a few reservations I’d probably own a pair of either of the Magnepan’s. From what I’ve read on forums and reviews the consensus seems they require space/careful placement. Though, somewhat of a controversial topic is how much power they require to get up and running. Some say you can never have too much power with them, others say they get by just fine with fifty watts per channel. I guess I won’t know unless I try them.

To switch gears I went a demoed another species of loudspeakers today, two different pairs from the Klipsch Heritage line. The Heresy IV and the Forte III. Both sounded pretty darn good, they sounded similar in the mid’s and high’s, but of course the Forte’s cover about another octave in the low end. Regardless they both still sound like boxes with a bunch of drivers jammed in it( which they are).

Now like any self respecting obsessive audiophile I’m always reading reviews and scouring the internet for other popular speakers to seek out and listen to. A few others I am interested in are Tekton speakers, Harbeths( specifically the p3esr), Vandersteen( either the 1ci or 2ci.), and to throw another curve ball in there a pretty obscure brand called Human speakers. The have a stand mount speaker called the model 81( a sealed two way acoustic suspension, maybe sounds less boxy, dunno). The only ones I would be able to demo in person are the Vandersteen’s, but I’d have to drive about 3-6 hours just demo them.
Anyway, sorry for rambling on, and for overuse of commas. Any suggestions, advise, and or personal experience with any of the above speakers mentioned would be appreciated, thanks.

qxb1998
knotscott
896 posts
 
Welcome back! First off, what you like the sound of is extremely subjective, so it’s imperative to buy what YOU like. Secondly, placement is critical for any good speaker, so don’t worry about it being a concern for the Maggies. Thirdly, the quality of the amp is more important (IMHO) than the rated specs. A good 50 watt hi-fi amp should be capable of driving just about any speaker to reasonable volume, but no harm in going with a similar quality higher powered amp....you’re more likely to cause damage with an underpowered amp.

While you may not have completely ruled out traditional box speakers like the JBL or Klipsch, it sounds to me like you have a preference for the planar speakers or non-traditional enclosures that address the internal contribution of the box, so why not focus your energy on those types.  It's worth noting that the JBL and Klipsch are both capable of ear splitting volumes, in case you like to play very loud, but since you seem to like the Maggies, that may not be a concern.  Some of the names you mentioned are excellent....Harbeth, Vandersteen, Tekton....Totem, Sonus Faber, Focal, Wharfedale, are a few others. Enjoy the journey, and best of luck!
elliottbnewcombjr
5,304 posts
 
From these models, I think your space is not large, correct?

I have never owned flat panels.

From your comments, at this point you are amazed by the Magnepans, and now pre-disposed to the clarity of their midrange primarily, and find that missing from box speakers.

If that remains, it is flat panel for you, so, what other flat panels to consider? Is used flat panel a good idea? I have no idea, others can comment.

I will say, based on their inefficiency, limited bass, and within it's limits, the spec of +/- 3db, which is a swing of 6db, I would not buy them. I certainly would go for more reserve power for any inefficient speaker.

I suggest you make sure you have a return option and listen in your space. Love their sound in your space, keep them, refine the location slowly after that decision.

I have not seen a graph, perhaps others know where to find one, but it is possible +3 is in the mids, and -3 in both highs and lows, thus emphasizing the midrange. Come to find you miss the lows in your space, return them.

btw, 3 to 6 hrs is not easy, but in the long view of things, no biggie considering how long you will own them. You will always wonder .... I always pre-arrange things, re-confirm in the am, things can change suddenly, the most knowledgeable person might have a family emergency.

big_greg
6,620 posts
 
What's your listening space like?  Large, small, medium... lots of space to get the speakers away from the walls/corners or not, what kind of music do you like and how do you like to listen - loud or moderate volumes?  What are you going to be driving the speakers with?  Budget for the speakers?  What do you already have or plan to add in terms of gear?  What's your total system budget?

More information would help you get suggestions more tailored to your tastes and needs and budget.  Otherwise people will just tell you what they like. 

For example, I love my Harbeth P3ESR in my second small computer system.  They are in a small room and the speakers are near the wall and corners and nearfield and they're being driven by a 125 watt per channel integrated.  I have KEF Reference 1 in my main system, but I have a lot more room for those and am driving them with more power (180 watt tubed monoblocks) and a bunch of subwoofers.  The KEFs might not work as good in my computer system and the P3ESRs wouldn't be as good in my main system.  Not to mention the KEFs are almost an order of magnitude more costly than the Harbeths.
steve59's avatar
steve59
1,740 posts
 
I remember looking for replacement tweeters for my epicure speakers and coming across the human speaker website, that was years ago. The great thing about AG and USAM is having access to used products that would be out of reach otherwise. Take your time there's as much fun in the hunt.
qxb1998 OP
2 posts
 
Hi again everyone, I wanted to give you all more information about my room dimensions, current audio gear, and a little back ground of past experience in the hobby.
When I started out in the hobby I was strictly turntable based. I swapped turntable/cartridge combos till my head spinned. I completely neglected the most important part of a system which is the speakers, as I was spending most of my funds on turntable/cartridge upgrades that made little to no improvement to the overall sound. I kick myself because I wasted a lot of money by doing this. Having listened to modestly priced digital sources CD players/streamers I’ve grown indifferent to the whole analogue vs digital thing. I’m just as happy with $300-$500 CD player as I am with a $2,500+ turntable.

On to room dimensions. There are two rooms I would be able to place speakers in. The dimensions (W x H x D) for the first room are 12x8x18(Feet). The second is 10.5x6.5x20. Neither of these rooms are closed off both are adjacent to other rooms/areas of the house. I just measured room boundaries for the sake of simplicity.

One amp I’ve kept in my audiophile journey is an old Adcom GFA-555 with matching Adcom GTP-400. Sure, it’s not the last word in anything, but it will drive any speaker mentioned competently. 

Now I did mention a couple of curve balls in my original post like the Harbeth’s, Tekton’s, and the Human model 81’s. What intrigues me about the Harbeth’s and Human’s are their sealed designs, which may sound less boxy compared to vented/ported designs, plus they are both rather compact. The Tekton’s I’m interested in are all ported designs. But, what entices me are their low cost and unique/questionable design. They seem to use off the shelf pro drivers, have minimal internal damping, and simple crossovers. Reviewers and owners alike seem to love them so there must be something about the overall package.
Anyway, I think with my room dimensions disclosed you fine people may be able to help narrow down this list somewhat. Thanks.
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