First I have to say thanks for your opinions.
I live in Switzerland. in a small town and it is
not easy for me to compare the speakers.
So I wanted to trade a pair of JM Lab Utopia La Scala
and I was looking for the best deal beetween Avalon,
Magico and Wilson. I traded the JM Lab with Magico V3.
I can say Magico with Spectral are fantastic.The speakers
are transparent,detailed (but you don't get tired) and also the bass is good. Very good speakers.
It took some time but now I'm complitely satisfied.
Sergio |
1-Wilson
2-Avalon a close second\
the others are posers |
..i wouldn't buy any of the above until i heard the tidal 'piano cera'. same $ ballpark..i have heard the sasha and the v3 and the 'piano cera' is much better....imo... |
One of my friends just bought the Wilson Sasha. He came from an Avalon Eidolon Vision. Even out of the box the Sashas smoked the Avalon in every way except 3D sound. The Avalon has a holgraphic sound that the Sasha also has after being played in.
At this price level it comes down to personal taste but to my opinion the Sasha is the best money can buy at this moment in a normal living room. The bass hump that previous Wilson Puppy's had is gone and it is a very musical speaker.
Peter |
I used to work at Avalon, so I'm a bit biased...
1. (...) Neil Patel of Avalon has a scary understanding of crossover design, not to mention the caps in a Wilson barely make the cut for Avalon's entry level speakers. (...) Leopoldauer - just out of curiosity - how do you know what caps does Wilson use in his designs, since all Wilson x-overs are potted ? FYI - I have owned both Avalon (Eidolon Vision) and Wilson (Sophia II, now Sasha) and I think they are all great products. |
>>>"I really need a good power conditioner. Any recommendations? :)"<<<
It's been said Running Springs makes good units. Audience and PS Audio get favorable mention as well--but that has nothing to do with this thread or the OP's question, just a childish retort. Maybe you should try a few. It'll take your mind off Darth Vader, Bowels and masquerading your caustic remarks as levity. Smilie faces or not, you seem to be working with some pretty sharp sticks behind your little monitor.
Regards,
Grant |
I dunno- I'd be suspicious of robots from Utah!
Just having some fun. No doubt all three are great choices if they suit personal taste, and it's all about exploring and seeing what you like.
I really need a good power conditioner. Any recommendations? :)
|
>>>"I used to work at Avalon, so I'm a bit biased..."<<<
Really? Working with Neil and Lucien can bias a person? :o)
>>>"Wilson sounds the best for blasting Dark Side of the Moon at 103 decibels and evoking a much needed bowel movement."<<<
Ha, well as long as you're being fair, open minded and balanced.... Welcome to a new world where not everyone hears things exactly as you do.
No doubt, the Indras are amazing, as are the bigger Avalon models. When Terry Menacker has the Spectral/Avalon system running at Overture I can say that its as impressive a dealer demo room as I've heard along with the one at Goodwins. That said, I like the current generation of Wilsons quite a bit and think that though they may sound very different from Avalon they have earned their praise and place at top dealers and in electronics Manufacturers show and test rooms for sound reasons--bowels notwithstanding.
There is only one good answer to the OP's original question--and that is to expend the time to hear these three great speakers in familiar confines. Overture has 2 of the three models I think, and Wilson's Sashas will likely be at HiFi House in Delaware, right across the street.
Regards,
Grant
Shunyata Research |
I used to work at Avalon, so I'm a bit biased...
But some things I do know:
1. The Indra's crossover design is based on everything learned from the Eidolon, to the Isis- and each improvement (in a controlled environment) is audible. Neil Patel of Avalon has a scary understanding of crossover design, not to mention the caps in a Wilson barely make the cut for Avalon's entry level speakers.
2. Any ceramic based driver takes about 500 hours to break in fully. Once they do, the effect on vocals and "in the room" presence is startling.
3. Room placement and room involvement is critical with any speaker, but to an even greater degree with speakers that can focus like the Avalons. They will sound anemic and lacking bass in a poorly set up configuration (like 3 inches too much this way, or toe-in off by a couple of degrees). Set up just right, they sound like they are twice the size and float images like a 20 foot wide pop-up book.
4. I've heard the Indras in a wide variety of setups, and they require more space than most of us have in our living rooms to really breathe.
I've not heard the Magicos. Considering their positive press, I'm sure they are really fine- but remember, hype through journalism is a weird world that the consumer is not able to see the inner workings of, not to mention that audio reviewers are often 50+ years old and have developed preferences for sound that are so utterly subjective that we as consumers should really only look to the in-magazine photographs for any sense of tangible reality.
Wilson sounds the best for blasting Dark Side of the Moon at 103 decibels and evoking a much needed bowel movement. But if evoking the feeling that Darth Vader is singing some Pink Floyd to you is top priority, look no further.
Of course opinions are like (fill in the blank)
It's all just good fun.
-For what it's worth |
Its up to you MAGICO MINI 2 is the BEST V3 pretty good more bass ETC!! |
Mordante, very insightful observation yet I do not feel it would apply to my Tidal loudspeakers which use all ceramic based drivers. I find them eminently musical but probably not the last word in macrodyamics like horn based systems. |
I have heard both Magico and Wilson audio. Maybe the is the more neutral of the two. But I would prefer the Wilson Audio. I'm still very new to the whole audio thing and I don't like to change parts often. But I have found out that speakers that are very neutral also seem less involving to me.
I have a theory on this, I think that in order to get a neutral and flat frequency response you need a complicated filter to iron out all the small and not so small bumbs. But as a result all the emotion is also lost. Just look at Kharma speakers, the ceramic drivers they use can be a bit hard to control, but Kharma found a way to keep them in line and as a result makes lifeless speakers that are neutral.
I don't say you shouldnÂ’t aim for making speakers neutral but it shouldnÂ’t be the ends all.
Sorry for my rant. |
I was going to mention the same thing. If it were the V2, the comment might make sense. |
"The Wilson would be the only true full range speaker out of this group"
Based on measurements, the V3 extend lower than the Sasha (Or the Avalon). What the V3 do not have is extra 8db of output in the midbass, that some may like and confuse with low bass. |
Calloway, as an owner of the Piano Cera I have a few comments on your observation. Firstly, the Cera has a unique bass tuning (coined variogain by Tidal) which allows it to play in a great variety of rooms from as small as 100sf to over 400sf. My room is only 14 x 11 and it works exceptionally well. Yes I would agree that the Sasha would be the speaker of choice (over Tidal) if you want rooms even larger than that, you want very high spl's and you don't care about anything else. Which is not to say that the Wilson is not a great product. It is exceptional although as you have found out, it is simply not a Tidal. |
The Wilson would be the only true full range speaker out of this group. The other need a Sub to get a true full range sound.
With the spectral I would take the magico off that list. |
..after hearing the tidal 'piano cera' speakers last weekend at the axpona show and having heard the magico v3 and wilson sasha ...haven't heard the avalon indra...the piano cera is much better then either of the first 2...imo...i have not heard a speaker that is as emotionally involving as the 'piano cera' and it is almost the exact price as the magico v3...it does everything right..room size is obviously important as the piano cera is not for large rooms... |
>>03-07-10: Kops
Hansen Prince V2 at least one class better.<<
How do you define "class" and apply it amongst a group of different listeners and/or products?
Specifically, what unit of measurement is used?
This could be very useful to the audiophile community.
Thanks in advance. |
Considering the Prince is two times the price of Indras and approx. 30% more than the Sasha one would hope the Prince would be better. But even that's debatable. The Stereophile measurements certainly aren't a slam dunk.
But even if the Prince is "one class better", only Stevie Wonder could appreciate the looks :) |
Hansen Prince V2 at least one class better. |
|
Wow, the OP's question is exactly the question that's been burning in my mind. So my question is answered by the replies.
One further question though - Spectral gear is very fast and neutral so would it be better to partner them with something warmer like the SF Amati Anniversario? |
Am running Avalon Indra in exactly this setup.
Most choice.
Did not care at all for the Magico V3
Both Verity Audio and Rockport's offerings deserve consideration too.
Suffice as already noted speaker choice at this level is very individual. |
Speakers are a very personal choice, you must audition them with your electronics and your music, not demo discs and decide which you like the best. Your electronics are superb and as Bikerduud suggests, MIT is the only way to go with Spectral so as to achieve their maximum performance. Best of luck with your search and trust your own ears as you are the one who has to live with the speakers.Reviews are just a guide. |
Wilson, Spectral, and MIT are always put together for trade show and demo. They are often sold together. So I would think Wilson would be a good start. |
the cheaper out of the three and better if its sounds the best.... |
Which ever one you like best. |
At this level, it should be a matter of personal preference; all the speakers mentioned are phenomenal. If it were my system, the Magico V3 would be at the top of the list. Of course, MIT cabling in this system would be a must. |
