Acoustic Zen Adagio, How Good Are They?

Yesterday, I A/B'd Adagios vs. MBL 116s.

The A/B wasn't for comparative reasons - I'm looking for two pairs of speakers pursuant to a re-organization of my stuff (Don't ask).

Anyway, these speakers have a very similar sound; very dynamic with neutral octave to octave balance (though neither does subterranean bass) and impressive imaging/staging. Both sounded terrific, although, to my ear, there is a certain "presence" or "body" to the MBL that the Adagios don't quite capture. OTOH, I could certainly understand anyone who preferred the Adagio or felt that the comparison was essentially a toss up.

At $22K in rosewood, the MBLs cost 5X as much as the Adagios. On the basis of performance, I imagine it would be hard for most people to justify the price delta relative to the marginal advantage offered by the MBL (for those who ajudge the difference an MBL advantage).

OTO OH, the MBL is a pretty striking looking product. While the Adagio features beautiful cabinetry coupled with an akward grill, I thought the MBL is, visually, a work of art.

The bass limitation I heard was not due to the room or ancillary equipment , it is by design: The 116 is spec'd to 32hz (no tolerance cited). This is certainly extended bass, but not subterranean. What's there is very good indeed, but for full range reproduction, MBL wants $40K+ for their model 101. In between, the MBL 111 splits the difference at app $30K.

By way of comparison, I'm also looking at the Vandy Quatro which offers full range bass at $7500 to $10K (Quatro Wood). The difference in bass impact was clearly evident on a couple of the tracks I've been using for demo purposes.

Despite all of the above, and the fact that the Acoustic Zen Adagio seemed awfully close in performance, I completely understand why a price insensitive buyer would choose the MBL. It is a very seductive product (visually and aurally) and if your choice of material doesn't contain truly deep bass, you may find that the 116 is perfect for you.

I liked it a lot, but, given its limitations and my reluctance to pony up for the 111 or 101, I'll probably go a different way.

Keith,

Last I looked, both Upscale and Katli had the Adagios for audition. If you decide that you're gonna schlep an hour east of LA to listen at Upscale, you might as well hit Katli on the way back (or vice versa) as these dealers are almost due north/south of each other and make for a more efficient auditioning trip. The 2 visits will allow compaison to different competition. If you do Upscale on the return, you'll also pass Brooks Berdan in Monrovia on the way home (he's due west of Upscale). He has Wilson which may allow you to get a fresh feel for the Sophias vs your Adagio auditioning.

Best of luck on the listening and the CFA.

Marty