System Upgrade Path

[bbrunswick]

A couple of weeks ago, I started something of a firestorm on this forum by suggesting that I was considering replacing Bose 901's with Magneplanar 1.6s. Based upon the responses form that exchange and other research I have done, I decided to take a phased approach to the problem of system upgrade and have come up with a plan. First, I completed a basement listening room 15x21 with a tile floor with an 8x12 rug. The room is "bright" and needs some work. I then set up my Phase one system. Here is the plan:

Phase 1. Hafler DH101 preamp, Hafler DH 200 amp, Tannoy Mercury M1 speakers, Monster 12ga. cables, standard interconnects. Lots of issues here, but I was impressed by how good this little system sounds. This will due til my 901's come back from having a frozed driver fixed.

Phase 2. Add a subwoofer, either a used REL Storm III or a Dayton 10" kit. Upgrade interconnects.

Phase 3. Replace Tannoy's with the Bose 901's.

Phase 4. Send my Hafler equipment to Musical Concepts for about $1000 worth of upgrades.

Phase 5. Replace the Bose 901's with the Magneplanar 1.6s. Upgrade CD player.

If I am happy at this point, I sit and enjoy for a while. However, I would love to hear how the big Klipschs would sound ( Cornwall, Belle, LaScala, Klipshorn), but given their size, weight, and cost, I am not sure how to go about this or whether it is worth the effort.

I would appreciate any feedback on my plan, including other must-try speakers (B&W, Polk, others) in a reasonable price range, used. Also, any help with my room would be appreciated. Thanks.

[drseid]

The Magnepan sound is going to be very different from what you are used to, and many boxed speakers in general. I would definately recommend listening to several models and brands in the 1.6's price range before purchase.

Other brands that are worth checking out IMO (in no particular order) are Consonance, Von Schweikert, Joseph Audio, Dali, Merlin, Sonus Faber... and for Internet only brands that offer home trials I can recommend ACI, Salk Sound, Selah, and of course Tyler Acoustics (which I own).

All of these brands are very good IMO, and many have completely different sound than either the 1.6s, or the other brands.

---Dave

[bbrunswick]

The Magnepan sound is going to be very different from what you are used to, and many boxed speakers in general. I would definately recommend listening to several models and brands in the 1.6's price range before purchase.

Other brands that are worth checking out IMO (in no particular order) are Consonance, Von Schweikert, Joseph Audio, Dali, Merlin, Sonus Faber... and for Internet only brands that offer home trials I can recommend ACI, Salk Sound, Selah, and of course Tyler Acoustics (which I own).

All of these brands are very good IMO, and many have completely different sound than either the 1.6s, or the other brands.

---Dave

I am starting to think you are right. The reason the Maggies are on the list is the nearly universal acclaim they receive. It is overwhelming. One of the problems I have is finding a place to listen to currently produced speakers (to say nothing about older speakers). These forums are very valuable in this respect. One of the intriguing options I failed to mention earlier is the Paradigm Studio 20 and 40. Thanks for your recommendations.

[Woochifer]

I am starting to think you are right. The reason the Maggies are on the list is the nearly universal acclaim they receive. It is overwhelming. One of the problems I have is finding a place to listen to currently produced speakers (to say nothing about older speakers). These forums are very valuable in this respect. One of the intriguing options I failed to mention earlier is the Paradigm Studio 20 and 40. Thanks for your recommendations.

Magnepan has been around for a very long time, and their popularity was shown on a Stereophile poll from several years ago, and Magnepan turned out to be the most frequently owned speakers among that magazine's subscribers. That should clue you in on how popular they are with that particular audience, and why you hear about them a lot.

As others have mentioned, transitioning from the Bose 901, you're going to get very different sounding speakers no matter where you turn. But, the Maggies will definitely give you one of the bigger deviations from the 901s out there! Try and audition them if you can. Only you can figure out if that's the type of sound for you.

I use the Paradigm Studio 20 and 40 v.2 in my surround rig, and they balance out very well between the multichannel, two-channel, amplified, and acoustic sources that I listen to. The v.3 series is one of the more transparent box speakers that I've heard recently, and generally a very strong contender at its price point. Very well balanced, and well suited to a wide range of sources. The 20s in particular have stellar imaging with a wide soundstage, and excellent off-axis response.

The vintage Klipsch models are also VERY different from the Maggies. A friend of mine used a pair of the K-horns with the Hafler DH200, and it created a massive sound that had obvious frequency deviations. Yet, it had a very listenable and musical quality to it.

Another speaker lineup worth listening to that I personally did not like very much is from Vandersteen. They are exceptional at imaging, and are purportedly among the most time and phase accurate speakers on the market. They also tend to split listeners right down the middle -- people either love them or they hate them. In my listening, they did too many things exceptionally well to dismiss them, but they also had a strange sound that really put me off.

In general, I think you need to get out there and start listening. Only your ears can serve as the arbiter for the sound that's best suited to your particular listening style and preferences. And considering the far flung options you've considered so far, it should be easy to narrow down the field. It's only when you start listening to speakers with more comparable sound properties that the listenings will seem more like splitting hairs.

[paul_pci]

Just a quick comment about the room. Try to place bookshelves or similar furniture on the side walls to diffuse reflections from reaching the listening position.

[Bernd]

A couple of weeks ago, I started something of a firestorm on this forum by suggesting that I was considering replacing Bose 901's with Magneplanar 1.6s. Based upon the responses form that exchange and other research I have done, I decided to take a phased approach to the problem of system upgrade and have come up with a plan. First, I completed a basement listening room 15x21 with a tile floor with an 8x12 rug. The room is "bright" and needs some work. I then set up my Phase one system. Here is the plan:

Phase 1. Hafler DH101 preamp, Hafler DH 200 amp, Tannoy Mercury M1 speakers, Monster 12ga. cables, standard interconnects. Lots of issues here, but I was impressed by how good this little system sounds. This will due til my 901's come back from having a frozed driver fixed.

Phase 2. Add a subwoofer, either a used REL Storm III or a Dayton 10" kit. Upgrade interconnects.

Phase 3. Replace Tannoy's with the Bose 901's.

Phase 4. Send my Hafler equipment to Musical Concepts for about $1000 worth of upgrades.

Phase 5. Replace the Bose 901's with the Magneplanar 1.6s. Upgrade CD player.

If I am happy at this point, I sit and enjoy for a while. However, I would love to hear how the big Klipschs would sound ( Cornwall, Belle, LaScala, Klipshorn), but given their size, weight, and cost, I am not sure how to go about this or whether it is worth the effort.

I would appreciate any feedback on my plan, including other must-try speakers (B&W, Polk, others) in a reasonable price range, used. Also, any help with my room would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hi,

Well done.It's good to have a plan. As mentioned here before by others, speakers are a very personal thing, and only you can decide what's right for you and what will work best with the music you like. Also I am a believer that a speaker should play any genre of music well.
I would hold phase two and would try and get the basics right first before any aftermarket add ons like sub woofer,etc. You might not want (need) them once you all set.

Good luck and have fun

Bernd

[Mr Peabody]

If Elgin is within driving distance of St. Louis, Music For Pleasure carries Dynaudio (which is my all time favorite speaker), Martin Logan (which is an electrostatic speaker and my 2nd all time favorite speaker), they also carry Acoustic Energy. Best Sound carry B&W and you can hear Paradigm at Hi Fi Fo Fum.

If you get into MFP also take a listen at the Arcam CD players, they are one of the best bang for the buck players I've heard.