What are the best speakers for Mahler?

Remarkable question! Several years ago I had PSB Stratus Bronze speakers and an Audio Refinement Complete amp. I was generally satisfied UNTIL I played MAHLER Symphonies and HOLST'S Planets. I felt my system was just that, "a system".

I did extensive shopping and listening to upgrade using music from those very composers and a few more. I also auditioned possible upgrades "In my living room".

When it was all said and done I bought the Magnepan Magneplanar 1.6QR, and the McIntosh amplifier. Now I enjoy my Mahler to a much higher degree of satisfaction. For my ears, and my room, the Maggies work very well indeed.

Happy Listening!

Your question, as the previous poster remarked, is indeed remarkable. The easiest answer is that no speakers – except perhaps the Dali Megalines, reviewed by Robert Green in the current TAS – can ever hope to reproduce the complexity of a Mahler symphony. However, that said, I have many versions of the Mahler symphonies on LP, CD, and SACD, and I enjoy them immensely. Although Mahler’s music has tremendous crescendos, (marked fff, which means they are to be played quite forcefully), many sections are marked “ppp,” that is, they are played very quietly. Thus, your system needs tremendous dynamic range to contend with these contrasts. Also, since Mahler’s music, like most classical music, is densely polyphonic (that is, there are many inner voices), your system must have great resolving power. The trouble is that there is no inexpensive way to do this. I would suggest building a system from front to back: first, get the best source components you can find in your budget range, then proceed to the preamp, then to the amp (although a good integrated amp simplifies that a bit), and then find the speakers that work synergistically with the rest of your components. Alas, you also have to contend with wires and all of the other associated audiophile lunacy. This takes a while, and I doubt if anyone has ever done it without making “mistakes,” but it is fun, and as your system improves, your enjoyment of recorded music will increase apace.

I love my Dynaudio 1.3SE's but alas they're better with the micro (like Mahlers 4th) ..If the day comes that a speaker mfg. can accuratley reproduce Mahlers 8th, we'll have reached the Holy Grail.

Sorry Brendel, I meant to add that you might look at the Dynaudio Evidence :) Seriously though, I would suggest looking at Dynaudio if you're close to a dealer. They have a broad line and in my opinon all classical music sounds good with the Dyns 'cause they're such a neutral sounding speaker..my 2 cents. Good luck

Thanks for the all reply and I totally agree that the live performance is the best and there is no perfect speakers out there.

I have about 70 mahler records(CD, LP, SACD). And the main reason why I ask this question is that I believe that if one speaker can reproduce mahler good enough, then that speaker can do almost any job(^^)

Anyway I will follow the opinion for my next upgrade.

Thanks