Video Interview with peter Qvortrup of Audio Note...

[E-Stat]

I have heard the 20.1 several times and have been roundly wholly unimpressed.

What was the setup in the best arrangement? While I prefer my stats, I confess the 20.1s I heard in Harry's Room 2 two channel system (before they were moved to Room 1 as MC/HT) sounded pretty darn impressive! He used a Burmester 001 CD front end through a CJ ART with Joule Electra Rite-of-Passage amps and Valhalla throughout (naturally).

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[RGA]

Both Set-ups the room was not an issue on a third you might make the case because Soundhounds main listening room is big and filled with other gear - though it sounded good enough to get the gist.

The three set-ups were using top of the line Krell/Levinson and Class and Sim Audio. I've heard the 3.6 with McIntosh and Bryston and the 1.6 with Audio Note M3 preamp and Rotel power amp.

I have heard Quad 2905 positioned with a couch between them and in a worse room and they still sounded much better in the midrange.

The 20.1 for me is tonally off. Soundhounds' poor room also had the other speakers suffer the same issues. I would take the SF Cremona, AN E or J(not in corners) and the Quad 2905 in a second. The 20.1 for me didn't win in a single sonic area. I just don't buy the supposed advantages - the AN E J and Sonus Faber and to a degree even the Meridian's and B&W Diamond speakers were to one degree or another faster on transients - actually have decay - a better treble band, deeper more textured differentiated bass, dynamics, impact, speed inner resolution - the 20.1 the ear is continuously drawnt to issues - treble, head in a vice, lack of clarity, dynamics, screwing around with the positioning. They're a headache and the sound isn't good enough IMO to put up with all of that. I think I get their appeal but at the price I don't really see anyone listening to the 2905 and walking away more impressed with the 20.1 (except for the cool looks and being that most audiophiles are males that coule be an issue - people are seduced by conversation points and massive amplifiers and sheer weight. The 20.1 to me is not a very good loudspeaker for $14k.

When I auditioned the Jackson Browne Acoustic Volume 2 album - which is quite well recorded I looked over at the sales guy - who used to own Magnepan's top of the line speakers in the mid 1970s and he just looked at me and smiled and said "We Know." The initial wow factor I first had with panels - the ML Odyssy and Prodigy with the holographic imaging and left to right and up and down stage is the one big trick in the stable and it's a wholly impressive one to be sure. But after that, for me there is little else left and IMO anyway, some great boxes and HE horn designs match the speed well enough and bring a lot more to the table. You can't please all of the people all of the time - and Magnepan pleases enough people not to worry about the odd dissenter.