Speaker Recommendations

What improvements are you looking for over what you have now, and what sound characteristics are most important to you?

I enjoy how the maggies sound, but sometimes I feel they are too revealing.  An example would be constantly hearing graininess in jazz recordings. I would say I prefer a warm sound. Since I put my system together, I have only had the MMGs hooked up.  I know this vague, but just want try something different. 

@terrapin77 

You have great components. Your taste in music is much like mine. With the size of your room I believe I’d check out the Polk Reserve R700 or Klipsch RP-8000f ll. Good luck with your search.

Cheers,

Scott

Check out Fritz Speakers. I own a pair of his Carbon 7s MK2 which I switch out with my Maggie LSR+ speakers. I use an Aric Audio 6SN7 preamp in rotation with a Pass XA25  (for Maggies) or Aric's Transcend PP tube amplifier (for the Fritz).

I believe you will appreciate the contrast between the presentations provided.

I can’t believe I am saying this but, have you considered the Tekton speakers?  A good friend of mine who is an audio reviewer (Myles Astor) holds them in high regard. I haven’t heard their new line but Myles and I are on the same page as to likes and dislikes.  

https://atc.audio/hi-fi/loudspeakers/entry-series/scm11/

The ATC 11 monitor comes in new at $3,249 and would be rockin’ with your components and stated musical tastes.
 

Gotta give Monitor Audio Silver 300 or 500 7G a listen. I also own a pair of MMGs, and love them, but they are very demanding of amp, room and placement. The MA 500s need to be out in the room a bit farther, and go a bit lower and louder than the 300s but from 100Hz up, identical. Very important for a Maggie owner, they are not boxy or thick sounding like most cone speakers (Polks, otherwise fine tend towards that), something you learn about and become sensitive to owning any Magnepan. They also have effortless dynamics, like a good JBL or Klipsch, but without the quack and honk of the horns. Finally, right in your budget.

I just sent back some Focal Aria 836 and as much as I loved the speakers, they could not fill my 19x19 room like my 2017 JBL 4312SE. They are being run by a Technics SU-G700 and they sound good with rock, jazz, electronic music and funk.

P.S. JBL 4312G are still being sold and pretty close to the 4312SE.

Good luck finding your perfect speaker for your room.

Fritz and Joseph audio (I've heard neither) are always praised here.

I've been eyeballing Salk and Zu audio varieties ... 

https://www.salksound.com/

https://www.zuaudio.com/loudspeakers

ATC 11/19

If you are hearing graininess it's probably a mismatch with the amp.

I have 3.7i and heard the same until I upgraded amps. Jazz and all music now sound like the players are in the room. I know in the past Magnepan discouraged the use of class D amps.

@johnto ,

 I was just looking at a pair of 3.7i’s.  What amp are you using with yours?

Thanks.

I was lucky enough to find 3.7i at a reasonable price used then read how those paired with a Pass 250.8 had won a best of show so I kept my eyes peeled for  the Pass and found one within driving distance of Boston.

I've owned this combo for over 3 years now and have no desire to change. My room is only 12 x 15 but everything sounds fantastic.

@johnto I did some troubleshooting yesterday and the graininess isn't from my system.  It was the recording.  On the 2020 remaster of John Coltrane's Giant Steps on Naima when the note of saxophone starts to trail off, there is noticeable sound of graininess.  I played the song on my headphone system and my office system and it was present on both of them. Since I'm hearing it on three separate systems, it has to be the recording..

If you can possibly swing it, my suggestion is to go to an audio show and get a sense of what is available. It's great fun and you will come away with a much better idea of which direction you want to head. It looks like your amp will handle difficult loads so you have a lot of flexibility of what speakers you can use. It might be time to go with a pair of conventional box speakers.

BTW, I sometimes hear graininess on my Thiel CS6's (Krell KRC-2 & KSA 300S) and I have done the same thing by checking with headphones. It's always in the recording. The sax sound you describe may be the instrument being portrayed accurately. A trailing sax note does sound grainy by nature due to the reed vibrations becoming more noticeable at lower volumes.

BTW #2, I also have a Tubadour IV. Great DAC.

LS3/5A.Good luck

@8th-note i will definitely check out the next audio show that is in the Atlanta area. I love my Tubadour IV.  Vlad has released version 5, but it's out of my price range.

Don Sachs has Spatial Audio X-series speakers and I have the former M4 Triode Masters.  Both are wonderful speakers.  

@whitestix Don has recommended those to me, but they are out of my price range. 

Understood, but I might suggest finding a pair of used Spatials that will fit your budget.  My buddy is acquiring a pair of used X4's for $4K tomorrow.  I wish I had found that deal!  

I was listening to my Spatial M4 Triode Masters yesterday and feel in love with them all over again.  I prefer my Cube Audio Jazzon speakers, but they cost multiples the price of what you can find a pair of used Triode Masters for.  The Spatial's are about the least sensitive speakers I have found for easy room placement.   

Dunlavy SC-4(s) Be selective and find a mint pair. You'll be amazed.

Fyne Audio 501SP (used), Zu Audio (Soul 6, DW6 Dirty Weekend, Union Supreme), Fritz, Rogers/Falcon/Spendor LS3/5A.....all easy to drive

If you are open to a bookshelf, Revival Atalante3 would work well for what you are looking for. 

https://revivalaudio.fr/atalante-3/

@goldprintaudio The Revival speakers look very nice. 

They are surprisingly good!  (especially at the fairly modest price point)

Can't go wrong with the Atalante 3 monitors. I have them and will never part with them unless I get a bigger space. Then I'll go for the Atalante 5 model. 

All the best,
Nonoise

I have a similar set up with Audio Mirror Toubadour IV SE (only bested by the T+A 200) Audio-Gd Tube pre and Peachtree Gan 400. My LRS+ speakers sing. Also the Atalante 5's would be a great match...Mission 770's and the KLH model 5's...

If you have the space, then I'd recommend Martin Logan Spires:

• Electrostatic Panel with Powered 10" Cone Woofer (200 Watt Amplifier)
•  29 Hz – 23 kHz ± 3 dB
• 91 dB/2.3 Volts/M
• 59″ H x 12.5″ W x 17.8″ D
• 58 Pounds/Each

Thanks everyone for the recommendations.  I've spent the past few days playing around with speaker placement for the maggies and I finally think I have it dialed in.  I've always heard the further from the wall the better.  Moving them 1 ft closer and increasing the space between them has made a world of difference.  I'm going to use the money I had earmarked for different speakers to instead upgrade my subs.  Currently using a pair of JBL 4646