Tannoy Kensington SE vs Magnepan 20.7

S1nn3r: within the 5 weeks since last post I hear better coherence and further improvement in smoothness. My problem now is that I have a harder time remembering the SE version as the time go by and my hearing get adjusted to the GR.

For me there are two ways of evaluating hifi: firstly, I approach what I hear with my intellect and analytic competence. Secondly, and this is much more important, I try to detect how I listen to music over time; can I relax, do I listen with a lot of volume, do the music engage me emotionally etc. I can say that nothing I loved with Kensington SE is gone. It is as if the fine qualities of SE have just been further refined in the GR version.

Looks like I'm heading the right direction. I ordered one myself. Thanks Musicophile.

You made a great choice. You will feel what the Tannoys are all about: music, listening to and soaking in the music.

Congratulation S1nn3r! What is the rest of your system?

Both great speakers with quite different sound. If you listen at really low levels, the Kensington is probably a better choice. Maggies don't need to be played loudly, but, they do seem to come alive at a higher level than the Kensington.

My "issue" with the Kensington is a upper midrange peak that adds an edge or sibilance that cannot be tamed by use of the controls on the speaker. It may add a sense of presence and speed, but, I would prefer that it not be there. Still, this is a good sounding speaker (I only heard it with tubes).

The Maggies deliver the great transparency and clarity that is characteristic of this whole line of speakers. You get this without a leaned out sounding tonal balance that is characteristic of so many speakers these days. It is rich sounding without being murky. It did sound lacking in bass and undynamic when played very softly, but, otherwise, a great sounding speaker (heard only with solid state).