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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
ibog1
54 posts
 
Scott,

Might I recommend a tubed integrated with a digital input on the back so you can put an Ipod or external dac to the amp. I would go with the Spendor S9's. Those speakers are very muscical and will fill the bill of long term quality, you should never tire of them and they are built to last. If Spendors are your flavor, and they are for many, I myself have had a pair, then I would give a long look at a pair of Harbeths. These are only stand mounts so you will need a pair of stands for them.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
FWIW, I don't agree at all with Jj468. Music is more often than not, properly played above speaking volume, even when in scale to smaller rooms. Being able to play well at low volumes might be a postive attribute, but, it is most certainly not the ultimate criterion for quality music reproduction.
lithojoe
119 posts
 
Join an audio club ? Also, you will be amazed at the level of value in the equipment designed for studio use in the commercial venue. Lots of wasted time and monies with most lines of equipment.
rockadanny
1,224 posts
 
If it does not sound good at reasonably low volume (you can talk to your wife without raising your voice) then walk away.
Baloney! I don't agree with that myth and am tired of hearing it. You'll be missing out on many wonderful speakers that don't have that attribute.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,197 posts
 
Ironically, some speakers require more efficient amps that deliver more current to sound right at lower volumes. If the amp can do that and can deliver enough current (not same as watts), and the speakers can also handle high volumes without break-up or distortion, then the system can go loud as well.

Get the amp AND speaks right to play at low and high volumes and you are golden.

Amps that double power or at least come close to doubling from 8 to 4 and then from 4 to 2 ohms will in general be able to drive more speakers well at lower volumes.

Examples of affordable amps that can do this are various models from Musical Fidelity over the years and many newer Class D amps.

Examples of speakers that will not sound as good at low volumes without proper amplification (lots of current) are Dynaudio, Totem B&W and OHM.

Triangles and Magnepans do well at low volumes with most any amp in my experience. Maggies are less efficient though and also require lots of power to go loud and clean.

Triangles sound great at low volume with most any good amp and are more efficient and can go loud as well with less power, which makes them them the most versatile I have owned in terms of sounding great all the time, in most any room, with almost any amp.
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