It's Magnepan 20.1's or B&W Nautilus 801's

Years ago I had the room for my Magnaplanar Tympani 1Ds. Marraige, kids, and no room, now. Lots of room needed for these babies to scream. If I had the room I would go back in a second to those 20.1s. I don't know about your electronics, but assuming they are matched right, I'd go that way. Maggies are addicting. Lightning fast. Soundstage like no other. I get the tingles thinking about them. Placement, as you've heard, is the whole deal. Very important, problematic, and time consuming, to get right. But when you do. Ah baby...you're there.

B&W will give you more bass punch but in the long run, Maggies will be much more musically satisfying. If I had the room I would have bought the Maggies.

My gut response for your musical tastes (mostly acoustic it seems) would be the Magnepans, but that doesn't mean the B&W's might not actually work better in your room, although you likely won't go far wrong either way. The B&W's could well have some livability advantages however, depending on your situation. Probably the biggest difference between the two will be be the way they interact with and project sound into the room, so in either case, if you are buying them new from the dealer, you be all means at this level should receive professional installation assistance and a home audition period of at least two weeks with return privileges. Enquiring minds want to know - what other contenders did you audition and reject, and did you consider, or at least listen to, the more expensive Signature 800's?

Roy -

First of all, I commend you on actually going out and listening, rather than just reading the latest "recommended components list". You're doing it exactly right!

Tafka Steve is spot on - ultimately, one listens with the heart, because that is where music speaks to us.

Let me toss out the idea that it may not be so much a matter of which speaker does the most things right, but rather which does the fewest things wrong. Little colorations that remind you you're not listening to the real thing are often what spoil the illusion.

Unfortunately, I can't predict whether the little glitches I'm especially sensitive to are the ones you are. I would take the Maggies because they have no boxy colorations, of which I seem to be rather intolerant.

I'd suggest you listen to the exact same piece of music on each speaker at the entire range of volume levels you expect to use at your home. Each of these speakers' tonal balance will change with volume level, so you want to make sure they sound good at the volume levels you expect to use. Also try this - turn the volume level up a bit higher than normal and walk into the next room. From the next room, you are checking the reverberant field response and the dynamic contrast. Note that from the next room, a live piano would still sound like a live piano. Realistic sound from the next room is an excellent predictor of long-term fatigue-free listening.

Best of luck in your quest!

Duke

For what ever it's worth I prefer the Maggies. If it's truly a toss up, perhaps what will work best in your room should decide. Ideally you could find a dealer that carries both.