Raidho D1/C1.1 vs Dynaudio C1 vs Magico Q1

Just found out my dealers D1's are out on loan again. Not sure when they are coming back.

Raindog031, I do not see the point(s) you try to make about subwoofers. First, while your friend who played at the Vienna philharmonic may know very well how classical music should sound, he may know very little about how rock (country, pot, metal, etc.) music should sound and/or how to properly integrating a subwoofer with a monitor or floor-stand speakers. If he believes what he has told you, than he has never heard a properly integrated subwoofer. Second, I can not imagine that somebody with common sense will pair the Raidho D1 with entry-level subwoofers. A very good sub, e.g. Velodyne DD+ series, cost only a fraction of the price of the D1s.

I also want to comment about Dynaudio C1 and Vivid speakers. I have extensively listen (in my room) to Dynaudio C1 (mk 1), Focal Utopia Micro Be, Avantgarde UNO and Vivid Giya G3. Compared to the UNOs, the Micro Be and Dynaudio C1 sounded like they were broken, i.e. slow, flat and with poor details (in a word drivers in a box). The situation does not change when going to the Dynaudio C1 (mk2), as when compared to mk1s, the mk2s are a bit smother a bit more detailed and play better at low volume levels. (It is certainly not my intention to bash the Dynaudio C1s. I have liked them very much when I had them, e.g. see my review on them here. I am only sharing what I have heard in my room.)

Regarding, the Vivids, unless played at low volume levels (i.e. 60-65 dBs), they will certainly not sound like drivers in a box. They are fast, dynamic, smooth, detailed and with great bass. Also, contrary to what Raindog031 wrote, their dynamic is not exaggerated and they play rock like there is no tomorrow (on par with my UNOs). IMO the Vivid speakers are worthy competition for the Raidho speakers. I can understand that their look might be a deal breaker for many. However, while having them in my room, their look grew on my big time. That is, after the second day, their friend-but-capable-and-funny-looking-allien face make me smile every time I have enter my music room.

You can read my thoughts on the Raidho D1 speakers here.

Paul

I'm not sure if this adds anything to the discussion, but here goes. At the recent NY Audio show, I thought the Raidho (both the stand mounted monitor and floor stander) were amazing. The floor stander in the Sound by Singer room was for me a clear best of show. Just to get my take on things I thought the Martin Logan room was a contender For best at show until dynamics came in and I could hear compression and almost a bit of distortion on anything dynamic.

I was so taken by the Raidho's that I came back to my system, TAD CR1's and playing the same cuts, tried to reproduce the same air and high frequency content of the Raidho's With Diamond's on the soles of her shoes cut I heard at the show.

I became a bit disillusioned when I couldn't reproduce the same air and realism in the voices and the back and forth section of the trumpets from that track.

Digressing a bit, I had heard the Magico q1 in a very good demo then played the same tracks on my CR1's. The Q1 reproduced some unknown to me Audiophile tracks with outstanding clarity and imaging, but when hearing a few requested standard recordings I knew quite well, the Q1's seemed to fall a bit flat. Those same cuts on my CR1's suddenly sounded like true audiophile grade material with a wealth of inner detail and liveness I hear in unamplified live music.

back to the Raidho's. Not being able to get that outstanding top end sound out of my head, I decided toodds on a pair of Electrostat supertweeters from Enigmacoustic's (permanently charged panels with no power supply). They added the top end air and resolution I was Hearing from the Raidho's ribbon driver. ( and became a dealer for the add-on super tweeter, so take everything I say with that in mind)

Like I said I'm not sure what this really adds to the discussion except that I truly love the Raidho's, and hearing Them made me want to augment my system to get those qualities.

Paul first of all tnx on your good response...integration of subs that i wrote has nothing to do with my friends opinion(he only said that timbre of acoustical instruments like double bass sounds more "real" on good floorstanders rather than low and mid priced subs) but with my observation on many friends who diddnt had succesfull integration...some of them gived up and some of them where forced to buy new subs...so i could guess that sub integration aint piece of cake...not that i never heard properly integrated sub...regarding the dynamics i wrote on B-1s i meant when listening one instrument on louder levels its fine but when 2 or 3 instruments start to play suddenly i feel like to turn volume down no matter the music playing...that could be due to the amp or source but i heard through speakers so im tellin what i heard(btw i believe you are satisfied with rock/metal presentation vivids B-1 have but if you like ill list you atleast 10 speakers in similiar or cheaper price range that i heard and in my opinion does it better than vivids)...but K-1s diddnt had that problems(K-1 heard first with dartzeel integrated which sounded very good but did not had bass control and energy like with goldmund integrated...needles to say he changed dartz for goldmund)...regarding avantgarde speakers...same friend who now has K-1(exeptional and natural sounding speakers) had avantgardes...in my(and his) opinion these speakers have bigger than real sound...midrange was fat...voices and images was bigger than real(with several high end integrateds)...afcourse i dont want to bash avantgardes (also after avantgardes vivids looked beautiful:)...maybe it was due sinergy...dont know...but he changed speakers in less than half year...not everyones cup of tea...i also read few times your c1s review...excellent review i must say... i will read your opinion on D1 right now...and to the OP i reccomend one more bookshelf to consider...Gryphon Mojo...after some of contradiction in our views about that speakers i wish that we all listened same speakers in same room(why do i think even then our opinions would differ:)...regards...

Many thanks for that Emailists. I think it adds significantly to the discussion. Quite a few people have wondered how the Raidho D1 stacks up against the TAD CR1 and the Magico Q1 [these three being natural competitors] and I think your observations will be of interest to many readers.