2. speakers
  3. 1199728746

Vandersteen 5a vs. B&W 802D vs. Maggie 3.6 vs.?

I've had this addiction for over thirty years and am ready to purchase my "last" set of speakers. I currently have Vandersteen 3A sig's. with v2q (pair) driven my Mac c2200 and mc402. I'm looking for the best MUSICAL speaker I can find. I've owned a ton of stuff over thte years and know that I want to stay away from anything bright or even remotely tilted in the high end. I listen to mostly rock although I don't like to listen at terribly loud levels.

I know my choices seem diverse in cost as the 3.6's are signifigantly lower but I would retain the Vandersteen subs with these.

I'm looking for advise from fellow A'goners as I believe I can trust your opinions far better than any dealer. I have heard from way too many dealers a promise of musicality only too find a product that may be rated highly but sounds like sand paper to my ears.......Thiel 3.6's!

Unfortunatley, the only high end dealer near me sells only B&W. I must travel three to four hours to find any other brand.

I'd love to hear others thoughts and input and I thank you one and all in advance!

Tim
timball

Showing 2 responses by emailists

emailists
923 posts
 
I just heard the 5A's this week in a great setup. They were very musical and I believe would yield alot of enjoyment across a wide range of music and recordings. I liked the biamp concept where you put ahigh pass line filter in to ease up the burdon on your amps. It seems liek the 11 bans EQ should really be set up and voiced by a dealer with the right tools and experience to tune them to your room.

Though I dont have much experience with them, I have never heard a B&W that I liked, though the diamond tweeter seems to shine well but is discontinuous with the rest of the spectrum.

If you are serious about finding your "last" speaker - then I think a 3-4 hour trip each way is worthwhile. Maybe make it an overnight thing - this is a big financial commitment.
emailists
923 posts
 
Telescope -

If you have the PS Audio gaincell preamp, and you like it (please comment on it)- you should consider geting the external power supply if you can find one (its discontinued) Or better yet have Rick Cullen mod the power supply and put rebuilt premium gain cells in your unit - It will be substantialy better. I have always liked PS's gain cells transparency - but thier preamp didn't seem to become popular.
More to discover