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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
128x128timball
timball's avatar
timball OP
5 posts
 
The brightness really scare me. I owned numerous Thiel's and all had some excellent attributes but I could never get past the brightness. This was regardless of associated equipment. I used ARC and c-j.
timball's avatar
timball OP
5 posts
 
Yeah, many rock recordings do suck. I have extensive vinyl and that helps a bit but it's such a apin to use. The best system performance I get is with later recordings. I do listen to a lot of jazz and find they offer far greater results.
timball's avatar
timball OP
5 posts
 
I'll check them out
radrog
157 posts
 
I own Martin Logan Oddassy and am thinking of going with the 5a's. My question is. Will they sound good with my all Krell gear?
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.
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