I've owned many of the pretty boxes mentioned here and quite a few others. At the end of the day, trying to get the impossible out of a box design is lunacy. The medium is inherently flawed in contrast to how music is dispersed in real space/time. The Wilsons, Magico's etc...sound like variations on a theme with a genetic error encoded in their AudioDNA. Compared to a Magneplanar for example, they project sound through little cones directly at you, trying to squeeze enormous amounts of acoustical information through a relatively small opening. Music travels as waves in space in all directions directly from a(n) instrument(s). The Maggies resemble this event closest with a larger radiating area and in a more seemless manner. I was just in the market again for speakers to replace my latest ones (Wilson Sophias), and was considering Sophia 2's, Magico V3's and Audio Physic...I've owned WP System 6's and 7's, Dynaudio C4's, B&W 801N's, Dunlavy SC-V's, ML Odyssey's, Totem Winds and Forest's. The Maggie Demo told me something special was going on versus the typical box design, like being able to hear the entire Hall or a Grand Piano with all of it's acoustic energy and acoustic presence intact. All of the music flowed effortlessly with a wholeness and organic nature that sounded just about identical to the real thing! It's hard to describe the Maggie sound except to say that it sounds like your sitting in the presence of musicians with only air between you and them...nothing is masked or lost in the box. In my home, the MG3.6R's are even more enthralling...music lives and breathes and expands and contracts and ebbs and flows just as in the Hall. Many people will change box after box after box in search of the impossible...save yourself alot of money and frustration and at least seriously consider a Magnepan. They may just turn out to be your last speaker:O) Head bangers and technophiles need not apply...sorry:O( |
Let me get this straight, the Sasha was "darker on top" compared to your Sophia 2's and the WP 8's so you bought a pair "on the spot"? |
I just want to hear what I hear in the Hall:O) |
I must perhaps apologize for my enthusiasm, but to the contrary of what some may have experienced with a speaker such as my MG3.6R's, I have found them to be thee easiest speaker to enjoy! It may be with more than just a modicum of luck that I am having a unique experience with my Maggies, but they have been thee easiest speaker for me to position, power and enjoy. Dynamics bloom so freely and quickly that one can completely be immersed in the music at relatively low levels. On the other hand, I played Mahlers Symphony No. 1 and Shostakovich's No. 4 at concert level with absolutely no strain or protest of any kind from the Maggies. In some setups the Magneplanars may exhibit certain percieved limitations to some degree or another...it has definately not been my experience however. That said, I can fully understand the desire for some listeners to fill larger spaces with higher SPL's for that "ear covering effect" one can usually only get in the club setting. In fact, I considered myself one of them type listeners, if only on occasion. Since the MG3.6R's have blessed my home, I have sat transfixed so easliy with full satisfaction at relatively more modest levels of playback. I have always cursed the fact that it seemed necessary to play music excessively loud to become satisfied with the sound. In other words, the excessive capabilities of say a Wilson design is over compensation for the fact that they do not have the effortless dynamic expression at low volume levels as do the Maggies. Simply put, listening through the Maggies connects me with the naked soul of each and every recording I play through them...they truly re-create music on such an exhalted level and in such a refined and natural manner that anything else seems artificial IMHO:O ) |
I can understand the fascination with having a new toy, but for anyone who knows the sound of music, I'm afraid it 'aint coming out of a box. |
Wilson is responding to the Magico V3's price point and success. Leveraging? What a joke that is...and the Alexandria will be selling for $110K instead of $145K next month. |
I don't think my dealer will give me the numbers, but he recently dropped Wilson and picked up Magico. Wilson went across the street to the mid fi store...makes you wonder. |
Good point! I will bow out now as I have some serious listening to do for the Memorial Day weekend:O_ |
Samuel, I have owned several Wilson speakers amongst many other types by various manufacturers. The "Dark on top" comment was not explained fully and would be of great concern to most audiophiles...unless your an Ostrich! |
That's a better answer Fyski. I didn't twist anything..jus wanted clarity. FYI, I've had the $20K cable rigs from Transparent and trust me, they are not Transparent sounding..especially when used as a complete solution. They still have that signature closed in/claustrophobic sound compared to MIT or Cardas etc... The MXR amps also have a slightly dark character up top. so no wonder you experienced a sense of opacity or darkness in the demo system:O_ |
Is this opposite day or are you guys smoking something extra special? I re-read my question and subsequent posts and for the life of me, cannot figure out how I was twisting anyones words. I have owned Wilsons and have enjoyed them immensely, but when someone mentions a characteristic of a speaker in couched language I just may want to understand what the details of the comment are...is that clear class? What a freakin bunch of mindless twits...ugh!! |
Thanks Bflowers for a reasonable answer. I owned WP6's, 7's and Sophias plus an I had the opportunity to hear the Maxx 2's extensively at a friends house. I also recently heard the Maxx 3's at my local dealer with Krell/Transparent gear. For me, whether matched with ARC/BAT or Krell reference gear, as I had used, the WP 6's were my favorite. Recently, the Wilson sound has gone too far toward the relaxed, forgiving or if you will "Dark Side". One of the main reasons I went with Magnepans is because of the enhanced tonal complexity they offer in the upper registers. Another problem exists when mating Wilson speakers with Transparent cabling which uses a Bessel filter approach to noise reduction...their in line filters chop off the frequencies above 20Khz, as do many components. When you combine speakers and equipment that shelve frequencies above 20Khz you get a slightly claustrophobic sound. At first it may sound relaxed and polite vs other systems, but over time you want to reach for the oxygen tank and get a fresh breath of air:O) |
