The Horror


After getting  back home from “The Show” in Costa Mesa, California this past weekend, I walked over to my stereo system and turned it on. And silently wept. I had held out a feint hope that my cross-over modified 1.7i Maggies and mighty Parasound A21+, fed from a Prima Luna 300 tube preamplifier could somehow manage a slight shimmer of resemblance to the robust setups I witnessed at the SHOW. Not—- on— your —-life. Not even close. I slumped into my over-stuffed couch and stared long and hard at the thing I created: an anemic concoction of false hopes and wishful thinking. The horror, the truth: entry into serious audiophile listening begins with purchase of speakers that cost the price of the car I had to finance for 4 years, closely followed with the added expense of beefy sophisticated electronics and wiring, not a gaggle of cheap wanna-be plastic and tweeks. I so wanted to belong, but that’s turned out to be just a fever dream I’ve got to wake up from. Maybe one day, if ever I have the nerve to rob a bank, find Jimmy Hoffa, or survive a head-on collision from a sleepy Amazon driver, I might make it. Maybe. Feel free to play the violin with two fingers.

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Maggie’s are very hard sometimes impossible to get set up optimally in most people’s rooms and without that everything else is bottlenecked. I’d focus on that. I had them for years and ended up punting and going with relatively affordable Ohms.

Also learned the lesson throwing money at a problem alone does not solve it.

The best sound comes from good quality and well matched gear that works well for one in their room. Need not cost like a Tesla at all.

If you like to listen to genres including modern pop and more electronic instrument based music, Maggie’s are really not designed to do that well like most good quality designs with more traditional dynamic drivers.

You have a very nice system, but it seems you are really forcing the Magnepans into that space. Seriously, consider some high quality stand mounts, you can find that bliss. 

@zlone +1.

My suggestion would be a pair of KEF R3 meta on stands. Optionally add matching kef sub tuned in just right for that room and you are in very good shape. 

@erik_squires , lol.

You're probably not far off....

I'm sure we'd all have Dartzeel or Dan A'gostino amps if we could afford them.

But alas.....I'll have to be content with my British convertible sports car and my modest Canadian amp/preamp.

I figure I'll be OK.