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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
terry9
2,341 posts
 
I bought Magnepan in 1973 - one of the first Tympani 1A's, the first speaker to make Stereophile Class A.

Since then, SMG's, Quad ESL 57, Martin Logan, Quad 2805, Quad 2905. In my experience, these speakers can be hard to place for optimal performance - BUT - a poor planar setup sounds better than anything else.

Thing is, Magnepan and Quad will sound good with cheap amps, but better with better amps. I liked Bryston SST, and I'm told that SST cubed are even better. But now I DIY, and the speakers keep up with every improvement.

I say, go with it! Good luck!
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,300 posts
 
Definitely give the KEF Ls 50 metas a look.  

Also something completely different:  

https://ohmspeaker.com

If you can find a pair.  Factory has been pretty backed up of late. 
audioguy85's avatar
audioguy85
2,018 posts
 
Buy some Tannoys, like right now!
headphonedreams
527 posts
 
Not sure large Maggie's would work in your room from what I've read about them. Long time since I heard them, except the LRS. It should work but I wasn't that impressed by it at a show. If you like the sound then go for it.

You should listen to some Larsen models, might suit you. At least read the review, it is interesting. Or try Kii Three which adjust to the room a bit and includes amp and dac. Or Dutch&Dutch 8.

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/larsen-model-9-loudspeaker/

For normal box speakers I would recommend Orangutan O/93. If you can go up in budget the smaller MBLs are very special.
markmuse
288 posts
 
Here are a couple of suggestions to consider that have not been mentioned: I had the Maggies 1.7s driven by a Rowland Model 2 and I liked them very much, but they dominated my living room visually. I ended up replacing them with a pair of Totem Forest Signatures. The Forest Signatures sound very much like the Maggies - open and present, with remarkable imaging. They are not the least bit boxy. Dealer only product.
https://totemacoustic.com/product/forest-signature/

The other is a brand you don't hear much about these days. Gallo Acoustics, and specifically the Strada 2 Reference. This is a boxless design that uses a curved planar tweeter. I had a pair of them with their sub, and they are an absolute steal. Use them with the little table top stands, on a wooden platform a few inches off the floor. Just wonderful! But my room, at 25 x 25 x 8 feet is just too big for them. Buy direct, you can try the Strada's in home for 30 days.
https://galloacoustics.com/usa/strada-2/

I like Gallo's approach of boxless, and crossover less design. I also had a pair of their now discontinued Reference 3.2's, and I am still using their subwoofer with my Forest Signatures, even though they don't really need them. 

Good luck!
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