Wanting to get back into the hobby and want to start with the speakers.


Hi everyone. Last year I went to a couple of local Hi-Fi shops and demoed two vastly different types of speakers. The first shop I went to I demoed the JBL L 100 Classic, the second place I demoed two different pairs of Magnepan speakers the MMG and the .7. To my ears both Magnepan’s wiped the floor with the JBL’s. Funny thing is the JBL was being driven by about ten grand worth of McIntosh gear and the Magnepan’s were driven by inexpensive Marantz gear. Now since hearing the Magnepan’s every darn box speaker sounds well......boxy. It’s like they all have this hollowed out muffled midrange. If not for a few reservations I’d probably own a pair of either of the Magnepan’s. From what I’ve read on forums and reviews the consensus seems they require space/careful placement. Though, somewhat of a controversial topic is how much power they require to get up and running. Some say you can never have too much power with them, others say they get by just fine with fifty watts per channel. I guess I won’t know unless I try them.

To switch gears I went a demoed another species of loudspeakers today, two different pairs from the Klipsch Heritage line. The Heresy IV and the Forte III. Both sounded pretty darn good, they sounded similar in the mid’s and high’s, but of course the Forte’s cover about another octave in the low end. Regardless they both still sound like boxes with a bunch of drivers jammed in it( which they are).

Now like any self respecting obsessive audiophile I’m always reading reviews and scouring the internet for other popular speakers to seek out and listen to. A few others I am interested in are Tekton speakers, Harbeths( specifically the p3esr), Vandersteen( either the 1ci or 2ci.), and to throw another curve ball in there a pretty obscure brand called Human speakers. The have a stand mount speaker called the model 81( a sealed two way acoustic suspension, maybe sounds less boxy, dunno). The only ones I would be able to demo in person are the Vandersteen’s, but I’d have to drive about 3-6 hours just demo them.
Anyway, sorry for rambling on, and for overuse of commas. Any suggestions, advise, and or personal experience with any of the above speakers mentioned would be appreciated, thanks.

qxb1998
I see you are doing a very extensive series of research to determine the best product for your ears, which leads me to suggest having a look into the Next Level Acoustics brand as the Engineeer John Solecitto of JSE Infinite Slope fame. 
I am not sure where you are located but may be able to help with a demo.
Hey qxb1998, if your really serious about speakers, look no further than the von schweikert vr-44's right here on audiogon, they are the active model so 50 amps will push them just fine. you'll spend some money but it'll be the last speaker you'll ever buy!! 
I bought Magnepan in 1973 - one of the first Tympani 1A's, the first speaker to make Stereophile Class A.

Since then, SMG's, Quad ESL 57, Martin Logan, Quad 2805, Quad 2905. In my experience, these speakers can be hard to place for optimal performance - BUT - a poor planar setup sounds better than anything else.

Thing is, Magnepan and Quad will sound good with cheap amps, but better with better amps. I liked Bryston SST, and I'm told that SST cubed are even better. But now I DIY, and the speakers keep up with every improvement.

I say, go with it! Good luck!