What are the best speakers for Mahler?

BIG speakers!! :^) Seriously, while any system can play Mahler symphonies and be satisfying in its own way, in my view to get the full emotional impact of Mahler you need full range speakers (nearly flat extension at least into the mid-30s (bass drum fundamental is usually around 40 hz) and which can move a lot of air as well at those frequencies) with big power handling capabilities, and electronics in front of them that can deliver the goods for the huge dynamic swings Mahler's music contains. My speaker system works very well with Mahler symphonies, but it's not really commercially available yet so you can't audition it (unless you come to my house!) and it isn't everyone's cup of tea. Think big Thiels, Dunlavys, Dynaudios, Vandersteens, the big Maggies and Soundlabs perhaps--speakers that can create a large soundstage, give deep bass and move a lot of air. And you'd need a big room to go with them as well! Or try a good pair of headphones??

Vienna Acoustic's Mahler's ought to do the trick. But they might be outside of your budget, which is? How big a room do you have? How loud would you play them? Do you have an amp - is that a consideration or will you be buying an amp to drive your new speakers. Give us some more details and I'm sure you will get some good recommendations.

"Bozak Concert Grands"!

John Marks (Stereophile) says Shainian Obelisks are the "cheapest" speakers that can reproduce classical music with serious bass (e.g. Mahler 6). I have them, and they do--but they need a high current amp (Plinius is his recommendation). There is a pair right now on Audiogon, $2750, I think; about $4000 new.

If you live near N. VA you are welcome to come hear them, if you want,

Good luck,

David

I have a very large living room( an understanding and loving wife) with high ceilings and ability to listen from open second and third level "balconies".My front speakers are german physics Loreleys and side and center speakers by german physics.Mahler recordings sound live fantastics.
In my bedroom,relatively large I have JMlab utopia 5 speaker system does a decent job on Mahler but no comparison with the german physics setup.

any quality direct/reflecting loudspeaker.

Any speaker with burnt out voice coils...IMHO...:(

As transparent and as high in resolution of details your budget can afford. Please be patient with my explanation.

No speaker is best for Mahler's music unless you understand what Mahler was trying to communicate with his music. Start by attending the live performance of a Mahler symphony. If that was not feasible, listen to Mahler's symphonies No. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 conducted by Benjamin Zander on the Telarc label. Each of these CDs contains a separate CD with the conductor discussing the background and orchestration of the symphony to help you understand Mahler's music in case you are not already a Mahlerian scholar.

I am no Mahlerian scholar; however, after doing the above, I realized that the essence of Mahler's symphonies lies not only in the contrast and dynamics but also in the complexity weaved by the different instruments that play different themes. Hearing everything is thus a requirement, at least for me; and to accomplish this, a system (not just speakers) must yield high transparency and detail resolution as a top priority. Transparency and resolution usually brings along other audiophile qualities.

Not knowing your budget and not having heard all the speakers in the world, I can only recommend ones that I have experienced myself. I prefer speakers that have a higher efficiency ie. 91db and above so you do not have to spend too high a price for high power amplification. Needless to say, an great amp with a lot of current also helps push out the details. Also, take advantage of the SACD format.

I recommend a used pair of Wilson Watt Puppy of versions 3.2, 5.1 or above, or the B&W Nautilus 803 and above. All are efficient, but the B&Ws like more power than the Wilsons. Buy these used and save a lot of money.

My system is as follows as an example:
Arcam CD23T (can use a nice SACD player)
Krell KRC-3 preamp
Mark Levinson 331 power amp (can use more power here)
Wilson Watt 3 Puppy 2
Transparent Super XL interconnects and speaker cables

I have attended live performance of Mahler's symphony's no. 2, 3, 6.

Hope I helped. Feel free to contact me outside the forum.

Remarkable question! Several years ago I had PSB Stratus Bronze speakers and an Audio Refinement Complete amp. I was generally satisfied UNTIL I played MAHLER Symphonies and HOLST'S Planets. I felt my system was just that, "a system".

I did extensive shopping and listening to upgrade using music from those very composers and a few more. I also auditioned possible upgrades "In my living room".

When it was all said and done I bought the Magnepan Magneplanar 1.6QR, and the McIntosh amplifier. Now I enjoy my Mahler to a much higher degree of satisfaction. For my ears, and my room, the Maggies work very well indeed.

Happy Listening!

Your question, as the previous poster remarked, is indeed remarkable. The easiest answer is that no speakers – except perhaps the Dali Megalines, reviewed by Robert Green in the current TAS – can ever hope to reproduce the complexity of a Mahler symphony. However, that said, I have many versions of the Mahler symphonies on LP, CD, and SACD, and I enjoy them immensely. Although Mahler’s music has tremendous crescendos, (marked fff, which means they are to be played quite forcefully), many sections are marked “ppp,” that is, they are played very quietly. Thus, your system needs tremendous dynamic range to contend with these contrasts. Also, since Mahler’s music, like most classical music, is densely polyphonic (that is, there are many inner voices), your system must have great resolving power. The trouble is that there is no inexpensive way to do this. I would suggest building a system from front to back: first, get the best source components you can find in your budget range, then proceed to the preamp, then to the amp (although a good integrated amp simplifies that a bit), and then find the speakers that work synergistically with the rest of your components. Alas, you also have to contend with wires and all of the other associated audiophile lunacy. This takes a while, and I doubt if anyone has ever done it without making “mistakes,” but it is fun, and as your system improves, your enjoyment of recorded music will increase apace.

I love my Dynaudio 1.3SE's but alas they're better with the micro (like Mahlers 4th) ..If the day comes that a speaker mfg. can accuratley reproduce Mahlers 8th, we'll have reached the Holy Grail.

Sorry Brendel, I meant to add that you might look at the Dynaudio Evidence :) Seriously though, I would suggest looking at Dynaudio if you're close to a dealer. They have a broad line and in my opinon all classical music sounds good with the Dyns 'cause they're such a neutral sounding speaker..my 2 cents. Good luck

Thanks for the all reply and I totally agree that the live performance is the best and there is no perfect speakers out there.

I have about 70 mahler records(CD, LP, SACD). And the main reason why I ask this question is that I believe that if one speaker can reproduce mahler good enough, then that speaker can do almost any job(^^)

Anyway I will follow the opinion for my next upgrade.

Thanks