I think the most important factors to consider are what your tastes are. You have already listed your musical tastes. Now it's time to consider the "type of sound" you enjoy. Perhaps make a list of the adjectives that you want to hear in your system. Warm, neutral, analytical. Aggressive, dynamic, laid back. Do your tastes lie in the bass and treble response of the speaker, or are you more interested in midrange presentation(the old "boom and sizzle" versus "Boston bland" argument). I do like the two speakers you mentioned, and was even a dealer for PSB. One thing I can tell you, the Gold i's are incredibly demanding loudspeakers. They require a monster amp to come alive. While that makes for dynamic sound, if you are more interested in music other than blues and rock, you may be better served by another choice. I am not sure if your next(or even the current McIntosh) will be tube or solid state, but that is a MAJOR consideration. If you will buy tube, you should definitely look at more easy to drive speakers. A short list for other brands you may want to consider include B&W, Coincident, Monitor, Triangle, and Vandersteen.
Another 2,000 Speaker Question
First off, let me say that I am not an audiophile, but a music lover (which means I need help!). I would like to start building my system by replacing the (mostly junk) I have currently with a quality system. Unfortunately, I am also not near a good high end dealer. The listening room is rectangular, but the speakers would fire across, not down, the room. I listen to blues, rock, acoustic music, some jazz, but little classical. I recently read a review in Stereophile regarding the Magnepan 3.6 speakers; while those are out of my price range, I often see the 3.5's used for about 2,000 or so. What are your thoughts regarding the 3.5's vs. the 1.6 Magnepans? I currently have a McIntosh amp, which will eventually have to be replaced (sooner rather than later if I go with the Maggies due to their power requirements) Does anyone have any thoughts regarding non-electrostatics in this price range, such as the PSB GOlds or Paradigm 100's? Also, have you had success with used components and their value vs. brand new product lines? Any help is appreciated.
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- 37 posts total
- 37 posts total