2. speakers
  3. 160569-151741

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
kennyc
1,515 posts
 
@qxb1998,
Speaker preference is subjective.  Best is to listen/demo for yourself.  But the caveat is that speakers reflect the audio chain driving them, so can sound heavenly in one system, not so much in others.  Also room modes can play significant issues in the sound.

You didn’t mention your preference for bookshelf, floor, or indifferent.  Also, you didn’t mention your preference for bass - how deep.  

You didn’t mention what type of music you listen to, which may have a bearing on your bandwidth requirements.  Requirements for listening to Jazz quartet is quite different than hard rock or orchestra for instance.  

Magnepan is a great sounding speaker midrange through treble.  But because it uses a vibrating flat panel, it’s not able to push enough bass air like cone drivers.  Adding a subwoofer can help, but because the flat panel is much faster technology than cone, the timing is mismatched.  Whether this timing mismatch is relevant is subjective.  “Magnepan for Condos” is a new concept/product Magnepan is probably (not confirmed) working on to fix this timing mismatch issue.

You didn’t mention a budget, so it’s hard to pin down options.  Because you mentioned Tekton, I’m guessing ~$5k.  

You also didn’t mention your preference of buying used vs new.  Your $ would go farther if you’re willing to buy used, ~30-50% savings.

For new wide bandwidth floorstanding speakers with a great price/performance, Tektons or Goldenear Tritons are very safe choices and are hard to beat.

terry9
2,341 posts
 
Not if your priority is audio, Mr. Chip.
ajax007
5 posts
 
Put these on your demo list

Kef LS50 Meta
Wharfedale Elysium 2 (or if you want to push the boat out the 4's)

wester17
70 posts
 

I currently own Magnepan 1.7i and LRS speakers, as well as a pair of Tektons and a pair of Spatial Audio open baffle speakers. I also had a pair of 1977 vintage Klipschorns, and like you, I have an Adcom GFA 555 as well, so I’ve already plowed a lot of the ground you’re looking at. From this list of speakers, the pair that has won out as my favorites are the Maggies, but there are some caveats that I’ll mention in a minute.

I came to the Maggies by accident. A one-year-old pair was being sold locally for $1,000 off the new price. I couldn’t resist trying them, but I a bought them with the idea I would sell them in a few months for the same price. I was certain the Tektons would beat them. In the beginning that was true. But the seller also sold me a pair of silver jumpers and gold plated fuses (the total price for all is well less than $100). When I added these tweaks, as well as better cable, the Maggies really opened up. Maggies aren’t a plug ‘n play speaker. You have to work with them in terms of placement and gear to get the best out of them. But when you do, they are pretty special.

The place where the 1.7i’s rise above the others is in the quality, richness, and naturalness of the tone – as well as the holography and spacious sound stage. They just sound more “real” and lifelike than the other speakers in my stable.

Now the caveats: In addition to the right placement (mine are 8.5 feet into the room), they need an amp that delivers a lot of current. Notice, I didn’t say power. I said current. I’m driving mine with a Primaluna Prologue One tube amplifier, which puts out about 45 wpc. But it has huge transformers that can deliver tons of current. A Maggie sales rep I talked to told me he uses the same amp. This amp drives the Maggies with ease. I’m very partial to tubes, and with the 1.7i’s, I get a sound stage and holographic imaging that is unbeatable. The Adcom 555 will also drive them just fine, as you would expect, but it’s just not as refined as newer amplifiers – with any of my speakers. It can be a very good place to start, however.

You will also need some good, quick subs with the Maggies. The Maggies deliver surprisingly good bass. It’s very good, in fact. But the bass doesn’t extend into the low registers, and it lacks the slam of a full-range box speaker. I use a pair of subs, and cross them over at a very low point – 45 -50 hz – so most of the tone and texture of the bass is carried by the Maggies, but the extension and slam are provided by the subs. This makes for a very satisfying, very exciting listening experience.

So if you’re willing to put some effort into bringing out the best of the Maggies, you won’t regret it. You might even enjoy the process. I did.

As for the other speakers, the Tektons sound quite similar to the Maggies in many ways, and you won’t go wrong with them. I love my Tektons and really didn’t think the Maggies would win out in my room. The tonal quality was the ultimate deciding factor for me, and that, of course, is very subjective.

I can also highly recommend the Spatials. Mine are an early model, and aren’t as good as the newer or upgraded models. I like open baffle speakers. I am very interested to hear the latest offering from Spatial – the M3 and M4 Saphhires. I wouldn’t be surprised if they would beat out the Maggies.

I hope this helps. I wish you the best. It sounds like your tastes are very similar to mine, and based on what you’re looking at, you won’t go wrong. Good luck, and enjoy the journey!


Ag insider logo xs@2x
jayh
63 posts
 
I like Maggie’s, Klipsch, & Harbeth, so much I couldn’t decide.
I love the “sounds like you’re there it’s live w Maggie 3.6’s, the “in your face!!!!” W Klipsch K-horns, & “warmth, small jazz club” w Harbeth- 30’s.
Each bought used, 2 outta 3 from Agon members, in different rooms, off same system-
Works for me.
More to discover