Esoteric MG 10 vs Magnepan 1.7

As with all Maggie's, you will need room behind them and an amp with plenty of current to do them justice. Also, controlling reflections (room treatment) makes an enormous difference.

If you can set up them up properly, your room allows for some treatment and you have a good amp, then they can sound absolutely magical.

The Esoteric's are very different speakers... and much more flexible with placement.

If you like the Merlins, you will probably not like the Vandersteens. Polar opposites sonically.

Shakey

Along the lines of Shakey's post ... Having not owned either the Merlins or Vandys, but hearing several models of both, I must say that I've enjoyed each of the Merlins (two floor stander models and one standmount); and disliked each of the Vandys (2CE, Trio, Quattro wood). Polar opposites in presentation.

The Magnepan 1.7s are flawed in some ways, however, whenever I go out to look for replacements I end up listening to $3k, $4K, $5K and up speakers without being wowed to the point of wanting to make the change. I suspect I will need to go $5K and up to seek out a suitable replacement and in that case, I would very likely purchase the Magnepan 3.7s.

Churchill was quoted as saying "Indeed it has been said that democ­racy is the worst form of Gov­ern­ment except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…" In a weird way, that's the way I feel about the Magnepan 1.7s. They are the worst speakers in many ways. They are flawed speakers - they need to be 4-5 feet from the wall, they have very little bass, and they can sound "thin" and without body unless you have the right electronics to match with them.

Except .... every time I get frustrated in their performance in one way or another, I head out to look for replacement speakers. This usually happens every 5-7 years but end up frustrated that nothing near its price range provides the "realness" you can get with the Magnepans.

I just keep hearing the boxes in most of the speakers I audition and come back to the Magnepans. What they do well is addicting and not easily replaceable in the price range they reside.

All the maggie loudspeakers are leaders in their price range, from the MMG to the 1.7 to the 3.7 to the 20.7, they are all class leaders. Maggies excel in 3D imaging but only if you get the placement right, normally at least 6 feet into the room. The 1.7 is a good loudspeaker but the tweeter is not the sweetest up in the upper registers, it is said that the W4S amp may make that situation worse. Get the maggies if you can accommodate their placement and you like holographic 3D imaging and a slightly warm sound.