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conundrum

Hello,

I just went to my stereo dealer - ready to purchase the B&W 802d or the Maggie 20.1 (close to same in price).

I've been a Maggie fan all my life - but need to try new things.

And I found the B&W's sounded really great, I was surprised.
And I was also surprised the Maggie's sounded just terrible.
They were at once muffled and too brilliant (hard to get all that wrong).

So I went home and listened to my old Maggies (3.5) and thought they sounded really good, too. And I know in my heart that my moderately priced Maggies cannot really sound better than the big ones.

My electronics are inferior (although not bad) to what I heard in the store (though my room is a lot larger).

So what gives?
Does Magnepan make a great speaker through the 3 series and then they don't know what they're doing?
There was something about the B&W's that didn't thrill me - although they are fine speakers and I can't define what that is.

Why should the 20.1 sound so horrible?

I'd planned to purchase the big Maggies and even had my new amps picked out - but I was horrified with what I heard.

Maybe I'm going crazy. Maybe there is too much stress in my life.
nottop
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
I do not know what could have been going on at the dealer.
Were they as ready to sell you the Maggies as the B&W? Or were they trying to get you to buy the B&Ws.
i am a lttle paranoid about dealers.. The salesman may have a pair of the B&W sitting around, and have to order the Maggies.. Or many other reasons to (possibly)sabotage the Maggie audition.
One way is to bring your own electronics to the store and audition both speakers with your stuff. They certainly should allow that if you ask.
i would go back with my own stuff and try again.
Another thought is how well broken in are the maggies at the store?
And then was the equipment on for a long enough time?
When I auditioned my Maggie 3.6s (at a dealer with the Magnepan and B&W linnes too) I first listened for a few hours. Then another time I brought a power conditioner i use to listen again.. (I was going to buy the Bryston amp they used, so that was the one they had.
drubin
3,240 posts
 
Maybe the dealer's room is poor. Or there was something wrong with his setup. Regardless, can you get a loan or either or both pairs of speakers and do an in-home audition? That's really the only way you'll be able to answer your question satisfactorily.
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
5,112 posts
 
The Maggies are better than the B&W's. ...period. I am suspicious of the dealer, and/or his equipment.
ojgalli
165 posts
 
You can't judge a speaker by the price or the size. In subjective listening tests a good $2k pair can beat a $12k pair. Do yourself a favor. Listen to more speakers without any limits on price or type—listen to what you can't afford and what you might not even consider worth your time. Then, some months from now, let us know your observations.
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