Before I order the Magnepan 1.7s...


Hi. My wife and I finally agreed to put a proper stereo in the big room (700 sqft or thereabouts) and I bought a massive Krell amp in preparation for the eventual Magnepan purchase because we decided that the aesthetics of those speakers (with white socks) were tolerable. 

Before I pull that trigger, though, are there any "beautiful" speakers, respected by the audiophile community, that I should consider? I've looked over SFs and Focals, and they're indeed beautiful, but not so beautiful as to sway us. 

(as an aside, really, would it kill some of these manufacturers to offer a few more finishes-- with high-resolution photos taken from modern homes? They are literally throwing money out the window with these Geocities-quality websites. I'm surely not the only suburbanite looking for an audiophile-approved speaker with nice aesthetics)

Thank you.
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Showing 1 response by verdantaudio

Very difficult to say something is "stunning".  So many speakers are "love/hate" designs and few deliver the sort of value that Maggie's do.  At $2K, there is not a lot of competition beyond rectangular boxes.

Looking at the Jadis speakers you mention, there are other designs that might work.

Others have mentioned Vandersteen but the Treo or Treo CT could work.  Very warm sound profile and you would use similar amplification for them and the Maggies.  These used to be $7K-$9K.

Verity Finn - this is a much easier to drive speaker that is also a bit more forward.  You would want to go with slightly warmer amplification.  These used to be like $7K.  

If you willing to consider non-wood designs, the Vivid Kaya 25 is a very modern speaker and not crazy at $10K.  Big sound and they behave very differently than most speakers because they are made for a fiberglass sandwich material.  

Obviously, there are brands like YG, Magico, Wilson, Stereokonzept, etc... that have very different looks but they start at higher price points.  The YG Carmel is interesting looking or the bauhaus styled Stereokonzept Model 2 can stand out in a good way but they are like $24K. 

Regardless...there are many unique products on the market.  It just comes down to if you find them appealing AND can justify the spend.