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First Trip outside of Best Buy, a real newbie.

I am a commoner; I have never been to a real stereo store until this weekend. The big box of Best Buy was all I ever knew.

I went out with my wife, Music Librarian with a Phd in Music who has been happy with her 1980’s Denon but the CD recently player broke on our system. I talked to a friend who loves audio and wanted something I have never heard of called. . . Magnaplaners?

Me I love beauty and things that last, I brought my Claudio Arrau Beethoven Emperor movement 3 DDD disk to test some stuff with and Clara Nunes a great Brazilian singer.

First we hit a place that had some “Maggies” to see and hear for the first time. We walked in, I told them I have a big bonus check and I want to hear the Magnaplaners against the best other speakers you got. The lined up these huge 6 foot panels against some giant B&W box type speaker and plugged these Mark Levinson power blocks. I stuffed in the Beethoven into a Classes CD player that would probably kill my whole bonus.

The Maggies took up this awesome Piano piece and the speakers just disappeared. It was an airy and transparent sound that was not really powerful but beautiful. We compared the B&W and it sounded boxy in immediate comparison. We played a bunch of stuff, but at the first place I was impressed by the Magnaplaners.

Then we went to another shop that had Kef and Spendor. My wife immediately liked the Spendor S9. It was pretty nice, It had a punchy quality but did not have the clarity of the maggies, but good all around power. Then we heard some Kef 207 / 2. The owner cranked up the volume so I am not sure it was fair, but Beethoven was totally epic with some soaring highs. I told the Kef guy that I also listened to the Maggies. He said the Maggies were too specialized and would not work as an all around solution.

I am going to spend another 2-4 weeks working this out and then spend my bonus on a new system. I think I want a good 2 channel system that I can use with my TV. From the thread it sounds like 5 of 7 channel is not worth it.

So what to get? Where to go from here? What will fit in my space well?

My home is open, modern with lots of glass, but small. Where I will put the new system will be in a long thin room. About 12 feet wide and 30 feet long. It is open to other areas of the house and is both a living room and dining room.

I want something beautiful that will last a long time. I loved the Maggies for being invisible, but I also loved the Spendor and Kefs for being powerful.

My house is small and I plan to use the new system as a stereo and 2 channel home theatre.

Thanks for whatever advice you want to give me,
Scott
128x128scottlanterman

Showing 1 response by programmergeek

programmergeek
322 posts
 
You are where I was a number of years ago. Best advice I can give you.

1) find a good dealer that can teach you what to listen to. you will use him for advice and upgrades and traid in. I buy alot off here but my dealer has been an invaluable teacher he has been over my house 3 times setting up speakers and stuff. If the dealer will not come install or doesn't ask abouthte room they are going in find someone else.

2) learn to listen don't get trapped into that wow it has good base and bright highs. This is nice but hides detail. And besides with all the glass you are discribing highs willnot be your problem.

3) Get what fits the room don't go to big or to small and put them in the room correctly 3' from every wall etc... this is where the dealer helps. I had some great speakers that I listened to at 60% of there pontential for years not realising how much the room had to do with it. For you your lucky avarage size floorstanding will work nice.

I usally avoid giving recomendations and everyone one will recomend everything. However you said transparent. You should really go listen to some Vandersteen they are some of the best value and most transparent speakers I have herd and un like the maggies that are ribben speakers are alot less "speclised". They do excel in the mid range though for vocals and once you buy them vandersteen alwas makes upgrades avaiable, they don't change from year to year and holds there value. and when you want to go 5.1 or 7.1 you can alwas buy toneally matching speakers down the line, all his speakers are voiced the same every year. Hope this helps a bit.
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