Comments on Profile Post by GoldfishX

Huh, interesting. About a week ago I also heard my first Maggies, 1.7 too. I thought they were a bit rolled in the highs, but liked the imaging, and it didn't trigger my tinnitus. Thought bass was "meh" and could benefit from a sub. Liked them overall, though - loved the transients. Crazy how two people can hear things so differently.

I mean, "textured bass" is the polite way of saying "it's fine". For imaging, they lacked depth. The 2D image was good. The classical stuff I played fared better than the rock/jazz material. I know they were getting about 400wpc (into 4ohms...it was a Hegel into a preamp) and a high end Berkeley DAC was doing the conversation, but I had little control over the chain.

I always have a love/hate auditioning planar speakers because I'm almost positive the tizzy raggedness I'm hearing is reflections off the rear/front walls.

I think I heard some Magnepans at the Schitter awhile ago. Didn't like the timbre or the way they sounded.

Demoed at the local dealer in a treated room. I would say they were bright, but definitely lean. Much too lean for my tastes.

I like planar, electrostatic and bipolar dynamic speakers specifically because of the direct/reflected sound signature. You can't just plop them down though, you have to put a lot of thought into placement and even then they are, um, polarizing. Always good to have choices though.

I think "lean" is what I would have been okay with in an apartment, but I don't think the payoff for making them work was there (I think a tube integrated would have been a longshot to improve what I heard). Will probably stick with bookshelves and headphones for now.

I heard the 1.7 at CAF and found them bright and fatiguing; they had a shit room though, long and now, with the speakers facing across the narrow side. I wonder if they'd have sounded better 15' back, not 6' away.

My potential room is long and narrow, but the audition room was wide open. In the middle of a large square (I was right in the sweet spot, maybe 6 feet away). I'm skeptical if their nature changes that much, to overcome the overall meh.

I also want to be clear...I'm a fan of their look and affordability and their business model/longevity. I think people should give them a try. They just didn't cut it for me, sound-wise.