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Magico A3 vs. Joseph Audio Perspective vs. Spendor D9

Hi All,

I have been doing some research over the past while and am currently in the midst of a search for my next floorstanding speaker that costs around ~$10k. My other thread that I posted in this forum gave me a lot to consider. Rather than post there, I figured a most focused thread would be a good idea. Now, I have distilled my choices to these 3 choices... I think.

Power: I will be powering the speakers with a SET amp (48W per channel).
Sources: Most of my sources are digital (Roon/Tidal). I mostly listen to jazz, classical and female vocals. I would appreciate a speaker that provides that good, snappy bass where I don't need a subwoofer.
Room: Large room (will be in the living room that opens up to the kitchen and then the dining room). Aesthetics do matter here.

I have received a ton of help through the forums already during my search and have now narrowed down my speaker choices to (in no particular order):

  • Magico A3 - No issues driving these speakers with my amp. Tested and they sounded wonderful. Very analytical and super clear details. Tight bass as well but maybe more weighted in the clarity/details than warmth, even with my tube amp.
  • Joseph Audio Perspective - No dealers in WA or OR so no way to test these but have heard wonderful things about these speakers. Sounds like imaging/sound stage is a strong suit along with clarity. I wonder how bass performance is though as these have smaller woofers compared to my other choices.
  • Spendor D9 - Have not heard these speakers yet but am trying to find a local dealer that has them in stock.
Another one that I am still thinking about is the Daedalus Argos but I would like to hear some feedback on the top 3 at this time.

Thanks!
freesole
donquichotte
7 posts
 
   @ twoleftears : Could you please explain a bit why you preferred the Spendor Classic 100 to the D7? How would you describe the sound of the Classic 100? Thanks a lot!   Sorry everyone for the offtopic. I'm highly interested in the above mentioned Spendor Classic 100 and there is very little information online about their sound...
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
1,457 posts
 

@donquichotte  Hmmm, this is always difficult, but to me the Classic 100 gave a more full-bodied sound, right across the spectrum from treble to bass.  There was more there there.  The illusion of being in the same hall with a large group of instruments.  Something that I've started referring to, in my own shorthand, as wave-launch.  The sound hitting you.  I imagine good planars have it too.  In comparison, to my ears on that afternoon in that room and setup, the D7 sounded rather thin and rather tipped up to the treble, more Twiggy than Gina Lollobrigida.

This likely does not help, but the closest sound I've heard to the Classic 100 is the Harbeth 40.2.  As their design and provenance suggests, they are not that far apart--not surprising.  With the major caveat of different systems and different rooms, I'd say the Spendor was a touch more "technicolor", a touch more meaty, and the Harbeth a touch clearer, a touch better at delineating musical lines.  But all that may be down to other factors, and my impossible dream is to hear them side by side, to do a proper comparison.  The place where I heard the Harbeths, I also heard ProAc D30, and my reaction to them was very similar to my reaction to the D7.

I realize that this is not a "majority opinion", but I still think it's a valid one.

donquichotte
7 posts
 
Thank you so much! I've fell in love with a pair of Spendor SP2/3R2 driven by a Densen B175 integrated a few months ago and I'm planning to buy hopefully next year a new setup most likely based on some Classic series Spendors, but listening to them beforehand might prove difficult and I was torn between the Classic 100, Classic 1/2 and perhaps the D9... And yes, a used pair of Harbeth M40.1 was another idea...
freesole OP
146 posts
 
@twoleftears Definitely a valid opinion. Many people love the sound of Harbeth's. I had heard a lot about the musical midrange and I was very excited about listening to them. When I heard the 40.1, I was disappointed. Midrange was there but felt that the top end was lacking in detail and clarity with a bottom end that was not as dynamic or impactful as I would have liked. Goes to show that we do not all have to have the same preferences.
skyscraper
219 posts
 
Freesole, congrats on your purchase of the Spendor D9’s. They were high on my short list to audition before I purchased my Magico A3’s recently.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get their USA distributor to provide me any location to audition the D9's closer than a eighteen hour drive from Roanoke, Virginia. They did have a distributor with the D7’s in Baltimore, which I considered going to, but in the end decided against taking a chance on the D9’s without actually hearing them. Similar issue with auditioning the the Joseph Audio Perspectives prof likes, their closest dealer being no nearer than somewhere in Pennsylvania.

I’ll be very interested in reading your impression of the Spendor D9’s once you have them set up, and how they compare to the Magico A3’s you listened to.

Also if you feel they have a warmer sound that the A3’s could you explain what that means to you. The concept of warmth is lost on me. I’ve been many live performances and concerts and none of them had any sound I’d describe or understand as being warm, so I don’t understand what that means in terms of sound reproduction. Maybe I’m just dense. I’ve listened to a few very expensive speakers like some $35,000 Focals, that maybe were warm sounding, if I understood what that quality was. I just thought they didn’t have enough clarity. Maybe I’m warm deaf, because I just don’t hear it.

To use an analogy, what I do hear is the difference between looking at a crystal clear aquarium, and actual snorkeling and swimming with fish in clear Carribbean waters. To use an audio analogy, maybe analog music is warmer than digital. I don’t know, but I need a reference of some sort to make the concept understandable.

Maybe the Devore, Focal, Vandersteen and other speakers I listened to were warmer than the Magico’s, (I have no idea) but all I could hear was their being more like a beautiful aquarium than the Magicos, which removed some indescribable clear glass barrier. That’s one of the man reasons I liked the Magico A3’s so much. I still would of loved to audition the D9’s and Perspectives though. Maybe they would have revealed to me what musical warmth is.

Mike
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