Greetings Timwat -
So you are a musician and have fallen in love with Maggie 3.6's! I'm not surprised. The Maggies do timbre very well, and don't impose any distracting boxiness on the sound.
I'm not a Maggie dealer, but... You asked about the Maggie 1.6. In my opinion, the Maggie 1.6 OWNS its price range. The 3.6 has some competition, as does the 20 (or 20.1), but the Maggie 1.6 has none. It is economically impossible to build a commercial box speaker in that price range that doesn't sound like a box speaker.
Okay if I muddy the waters a wee bit? In the price range of the Maggie 3.6, you can find used Sound Lab speakers. The Sound Labs are full range electrostats that excel at timbre and nuance. I have owned Maggie 3.6's and compared them side-by-side to Sound Labs. Now, I'm a Sound Lab dealer, so take that into consideration.
Let me tell you about three auditions I gave to musicians. One was a harpist, one a drummer, one a concert violinist. The harpist and drummer had taken vows of poverty, and so were not potential customers. When I put on a good recording, the harpist immediately sat forward in her seat and started playing "air harp", while excitedly explaining the technique the artist was using to get a certain sound from the strings. When I put on a drum solo cut for the drummer, she (yes, "she") likewise sat forward and started describing the techniques being used. The concert violinist was a potential customer and brought his own recordings, and he told me that the Sound Labs were the first speakers he's heard convincingly reproduce not only to violin, but also to cello and double bass. He bought a pair. Incidentally his other speakers, which he said were up until then the only ones he's heard reproduce violin correctly, were the original Quad ESL's (the "57's").
My point is, if you have a chance to pick up a pair of used Sound Labs, give them serious consideration. One thing, though - they must be shipped in factory crates. If you find a pair you're interested in, get the serial numbers and run them by me. I'll find out what I can on them for you.
One final anecdote - a few years ago I got to hear a local pianist, Seth Kaufman, in concert on several occasions. When I bought a recording of his and played it over the Sound Labs, I could tell it was made on the same Yamaha grand piano. The next time I saw him I asked, and he confimed that he'd had his Yamaha shipped out to Los Angeles to do the recording.
I have a soft spot in my heart for musicians - you are the reason we're in this hobby. Most of you have taken a vow of poverty. And, frankly, many musicians hold home audio equipment in disdain, never having heard a really good system - but you have seen the light! And so we all enthusiastically welcome you to our little world!
