Esoteric MG 10 vs Magnepan 1.7

I had the 1.7's. I know a lot of people like them but I think they are very overrated. My advice would be that if you can't do a really thorough demo, don't even consider them.

Your 2nd response provides a lot more info to work with. Unfortunately, there's no easy way to go about this. For example, when you talk about sparkle in relation to you amp, its hard to focus on exactly what you mean. I kind of get what you are asking, but in reality we both don't think exactly the same way, and my idea as to what sparkle is, to yours, is probably different. And that's just the way it goes. It can't be helped. In my first post, I said how important it is for you to demo equipment. There's nothing wrong with getting advice on a forum like this, but in the end you must make the final decision as to what's right for you.

Keeping the above info in mind, here's what I thought of the 1.7's; they're not transparent. The reason for that is, while you don't have box type colorations as with most dynamic driver speakers, the ribbons themselves, are very colored. That's the main reason I urge you to demo them at length. I had them for a year. Also, don't let me talk you out of them. If you like them, don't hesitate to buy them just because I don't like them. (My reference speakers for comparison were Vandersteen Model 2's and Wilson Cubs. Amps I used were Ayre V5, VAC 30/30, ARC VT100, Rowland 112 and a Cambridge 640v2.)

I can give you a couple more ideas that may help you out. First, think of everything in context of a complete system. When you are listening to a pair of speakers, you are doing so as part of a whole system in a specific room. People forget that. You can't just listen to a speaker. System matching is everything. You'll do much better choosing a speaker if you think about what amp you will pair with it, preamp, CD player, etc.

Last, "The problem is I can't have everything I want in the sound I am looking for without spending more than I can afford.". Nonsense. Take your time, use good judgment, learn as much as you can and you'll be surprised at what you are able to put together. Look at my 2 systems. In my main system, I have a $2000 pair of Model 2's, and in my 2nd system I have a $10,000 pair of Wilsons. Why? Because the Model 2's sound better. (At least I think so.)

Shakeydeal,

"That said, there is no way a pair of Vandersteen 2s could be considered more transparent. I can understand someone preferring the Vandys for one reason or another, but transparency? Nah."

This is fairly new person to audio. The least you could do is be more responsible with your posts. Its OK for you to have a different opinion than me, but having one that's not based on your own experience is really not an opinion. Someone new will probably not pick up on this and may think you actually did the evaluation yourself. If you are going to base your comments on what you've read in magazine reviews and what people in chat rooms have to say, that's fine. Just say so. There's nothing wrong with sharing that type of info.

Please don't come back with some lame story about how your friends have Vandersteens or something, and you have so much experience with them its just like you owned a pair. I've been doing this too long both as a hobby and professionally to fall for that kind of BS.

Shakeydeal. The name says it all. Of course you have all this experience; after the fact. People like you always do.

I'm the one that started it. I apologize if the thread took a bad turn because I worded my post in an aggressive manner. I don't take back the content of what I said. I still feel its true but I should have chosen my words a bit more carefully. I'm very picky when it comes to giving advice and recommendations. Too many new people give up on this hobby because they become frustrated and can't figure it out. I feel its very important to put comments in context. Theres a big difference between owning a speaker, not owning it but hearing it and reading about it. Information like that is valuable and relevant; especially to a beginner.

As far as the Merlins go, I haven't heard them. I can tell you though, a lot of people really like the them. I can't recall any negative comments about them at all. Given that, I think they are worth looking into.

"07-15-13: Jgrossberg
When I auditioned the Maggies I was struck by the 3D sound which my Audes Blues with certain CD's starts to approach. The loss of low end on the Maggies is a concern although I have an M&K subwoofer. I have never been able to integrate this sub that well even with my Celestion monitors. They always sound slightly separate.

No one has mentioned anything about the Esoteric MG 10 speakers, is that because they are rare and not many have heard them? What about using a Primaluna Dialog tube amp with any of these speakers."

Sorry. I lost track of this thread. Mesch's post put it back to where I see it again. Your comment on not liking the bass on the 1.7 caught my attention. I know I said I didn't care for the speaker overall but the one thing I did like was the bass. It didn't have that boomy, theatre type character that many speakers have. It was definitely more musical and defined. I think you would have a difficult time integrating your sub with them. I don't know what kind of bass you prefer, but placement and the amp you use, can have a big effect in this area.

I think you are right about the Esoteric. Not that many people have experience with them. That doesn't make them bad, though. Also, as far as the Prima Luna goes, it may be a little underpowered for the 1.7's. Especially for bass. I didn't find them too difficult to drive, but you will probably want to use a more powerful amp.

Are these the only 2 speakers you are willing to consider? There's a lot of really good choices in your price range, both new and used. If you want to try a panel speaker, have a look at a pair of Martin Logan's. Some of the older models, like the SL-3's, are still great sounding speakers. Their not perfect, of course, but they do a lot right. Another one that comes to mind is Tekton. I haven't had the opportunity listen to them myself, but everyone that has seems to be raving about them. Also, your Prima Luna will easily drive them.