cribeiro
Novice Member
Ok, I went again for audition... And I have some more input about what I like. I have already posted this in the thread of my first audition ("Speaker Audition: impressions"), but it received little attention, so I put it as new to make people realize that there is some extra info (with the consent of Spectre).
Apart from the hi-end shop I visited (there is a related thread), I went on Saturday to a shop were I could listen to some Magnat speakers. I also went to the one that had the Wharfedale Diamod, but they told me some wrong opening hours, so it was closing when I arrived... No chance for the Diamonds!
Anyway, I got something else into the list, and it made me realize that I will need to invest more money than expected...
What I listened to:
B&W 603 (again, but good that I can keep them as reference)
Magnat Vintage 620 (top of Magnat line, capable of sacd freq ranges)
JM Lab Chorus 714
Canton LE 109
Magnat Vector 77
This last two are much cheaper, but they belong to the money bracket I expected to spend in the beginning, so I wanted to see if it wouldn't be enough. It wasn't. But let's take it easy... BTW, they had also some Mordaunt Short I'd like to listen to, but they simply didn't care, like "maybe if you come another day...".
Ok, this time I couldn't get it all plugged to a Yamaha amp and player, so the comparison might not be fair with respect to my first audition... but I can keep the sound of the B&W's as reference for any comparison.
I started with the B&Ws, which I loved once again. This time even more, maybe because the source and amp were better. I was impressed by the amount of detail, enough bass but controlled, good image. What else can I say? I rediscovered the songs I played.
After that came the JM Lab. Almos same price (a little cheaper), but not worth for the difference... Ok, they were not bad, also detailed although lacking a bit of bass... But what really put me off was the very tight stage, no dinamics there, the sound didn't come out (and it was not a problem of loudness!), stayed there, too shy to show something. I don't know the proper words, but I start understanding the way that reviewers describe how speakers sound.
Then came the Magnat, after convincing the dealer (not easy!). The very good points were a very detailed sound, I think I could feel they reach higher in freq than others (I know that a cd cuts at 20 kHz, so it should be a placebo... But I only realized that the Magnats have that feature after I thought "wow, what an extreme detailed sound"). Anyway, it was a little bit "in your face", not yet agressive but jumping to you. Good stage feeling, and plenty of detail. The bad points, apart of the "on your face", was an incredible lack of bass. When you see that tall and proud speaker, you think it will kick your ass... Well, it doesn't. That is funny in a Magnat speaker, since they tend to exagerate bass...
Finally, since I couldn't listen to the Magnat Vintage 120 (first I asked, the guy said "there is no point, it is like compare a Golf with a Ferrari". Then I convinced him that I anyway wanted to do the comparison, and he went... but told me they don't have any unpacked!!! So he couldn't do it for me.)... So, finally, since I couldn't listen that, I asked them if they could plug the Canton's... Ok, it is true, it was a waste of time, but I need to hear it from the speaker, not from the dealer! These canton speakers are very well regarded as medium level hifi, but they were a complete disappointment. The most agressive sound I have ever heard! (of course, compared to the B&W's, because my speakers at home are worse than the Canton's). Just imagine you filter the sound through an equalizer, and make an smile out of it... Now make a laugh out of that smile, peak both ends and you will get this Canton sound. I must say that everything was there, it didn't lack of detail as far as I could hear, but it was thrown to you, almost hurting the ears, while the B&W's were simply exposing the sound in front of me, nicely and relaxed, in a wide and deep image that was both dinamic and pleasant. The bass, more of the same. Boom, boom... It is not that it came completely out of control, but it was too loud and not refined at all.
After this (I had got to listen to the Canton's already as a kind gesture of the dealer), I'd like to listen to the Mordaunt Short, but I didn't have the chance.
The Magnat Vector 77 is another story... They were pluged somewhere else with music, so I went there and try to see what it sounded like. Much relaxed than the Canton, but less detailed.
Further input I got in the hi-end shop, but I didn't go there and listen relaxed, up to now I could only get a first impression with some Triangle speakers (sorry, I can't tell the model, but the bookshef speakers were 400 euro the pair, to give you a hint). I went there really late, and it was impossible to make an audition. I actually didn't expect to listen to anything, I went there just to take a look... But it turned out that they were really nice (you can read the related thread, sorry, it is as long as usual..., my PhD advisor also tells me I must learn to be concise), and they invited me for a long session listening to their products, finding out my likings and offering me the most suited speakers. Ok, now the fast impression I got with these Triangle's... It is not a fair comparison, because I am lacking of my reference (oh, my beloved B&W's...), but this is what I felt: very rich and detailed sound, never agressive, good stage, good dynamics. I only felt it was lacking bass... but it was a concert of the Corrs (I only know their two first studio albums), so I can't assure that. And it must also be said that the subwoofer was turned off (maybe in the mixing they sent everything to the sub, who knows). I will tell you more as soon as I go there again, hopefully this weekend.
If I sum all this up with my first audition, I end up with the following ranking (for further model names, read the thread
):
1. Klipsch (rf series)
2. B&W (any)
3. Triangle
4. Magnat (Vintage 620)
5. JM Lab (Chorus)
6. Kef
7. Infinity
8. Canton (LE series)
9. Magnat (Vector 77)
(last two in a different price bracket, though)
Pity that I cannot include the Diamonds there, and also the Mordaunt Short...
As a closing remark in this attemp of review, I would like to say that there seem to be some tendency depending on the country (that means, on the people living in the country
): EEUU makes Klipsch, which are very energic, dynamic but not agressive; UK makes B&W, Kef... , these are relaxed, exposing the sound in front of you so you can let it come easily to your ears; Germany makes MAgnat and Canton, which are agressive and throw the sound to you. Of course I'd need to listen to many, many more speakers to make this kind of statement, but the tendency is that.
So after this I realized that my ears are too bad... for my pocket! I wish I couldn't feel the difference between the B&W's and the Vectors... I'd be going home happy after spending 250 euro for a pair!! But I think that almost anybody can tell you the difference, and even make the same ranking I did. The point is most people can live with a radiocassette, while I can't.
PS: I really dislike the way they treated me. You know, they didn't pay much attention, it was a pain for them that I wanted to listen to more than what they recommended (B&W and JM Lab). And in the end, they asked me which ones I liked more. I said the B&W's, and their answer "ok, you take them now or you pay them only and pick them up another day?". So they expected I'd buy already! I mean, they almost were forcing me to do it, like "hey, I must get paid for that audition". I won't go there again...
Apart from the hi-end shop I visited (there is a related thread), I went on Saturday to a shop were I could listen to some Magnat speakers. I also went to the one that had the Wharfedale Diamod, but they told me some wrong opening hours, so it was closing when I arrived... No chance for the Diamonds!
Anyway, I got something else into the list, and it made me realize that I will need to invest more money than expected...
What I listened to:
B&W 603 (again, but good that I can keep them as reference)
Magnat Vintage 620 (top of Magnat line, capable of sacd freq ranges)
JM Lab Chorus 714
Canton LE 109
Magnat Vector 77
This last two are much cheaper, but they belong to the money bracket I expected to spend in the beginning, so I wanted to see if it wouldn't be enough. It wasn't. But let's take it easy... BTW, they had also some Mordaunt Short I'd like to listen to, but they simply didn't care, like "maybe if you come another day...".
Ok, this time I couldn't get it all plugged to a Yamaha amp and player, so the comparison might not be fair with respect to my first audition... but I can keep the sound of the B&W's as reference for any comparison.
I started with the B&Ws, which I loved once again. This time even more, maybe because the source and amp were better. I was impressed by the amount of detail, enough bass but controlled, good image. What else can I say? I rediscovered the songs I played.
After that came the JM Lab. Almos same price (a little cheaper), but not worth for the difference... Ok, they were not bad, also detailed although lacking a bit of bass... But what really put me off was the very tight stage, no dinamics there, the sound didn't come out (and it was not a problem of loudness!), stayed there, too shy to show something. I don't know the proper words, but I start understanding the way that reviewers describe how speakers sound.
Then came the Magnat, after convincing the dealer (not easy!). The very good points were a very detailed sound, I think I could feel they reach higher in freq than others (I know that a cd cuts at 20 kHz, so it should be a placebo... But I only realized that the Magnats have that feature after I thought "wow, what an extreme detailed sound"). Anyway, it was a little bit "in your face", not yet agressive but jumping to you. Good stage feeling, and plenty of detail. The bad points, apart of the "on your face", was an incredible lack of bass. When you see that tall and proud speaker, you think it will kick your ass... Well, it doesn't. That is funny in a Magnat speaker, since they tend to exagerate bass...
Finally, since I couldn't listen to the Magnat Vintage 120 (first I asked, the guy said "there is no point, it is like compare a Golf with a Ferrari". Then I convinced him that I anyway wanted to do the comparison, and he went... but told me they don't have any unpacked!!! So he couldn't do it for me.)... So, finally, since I couldn't listen that, I asked them if they could plug the Canton's... Ok, it is true, it was a waste of time, but I need to hear it from the speaker, not from the dealer! These canton speakers are very well regarded as medium level hifi, but they were a complete disappointment. The most agressive sound I have ever heard! (of course, compared to the B&W's, because my speakers at home are worse than the Canton's). Just imagine you filter the sound through an equalizer, and make an smile out of it... Now make a laugh out of that smile, peak both ends and you will get this Canton sound. I must say that everything was there, it didn't lack of detail as far as I could hear, but it was thrown to you, almost hurting the ears, while the B&W's were simply exposing the sound in front of me, nicely and relaxed, in a wide and deep image that was both dinamic and pleasant. The bass, more of the same. Boom, boom... It is not that it came completely out of control, but it was too loud and not refined at all.
After this (I had got to listen to the Canton's already as a kind gesture of the dealer), I'd like to listen to the Mordaunt Short, but I didn't have the chance.
The Magnat Vector 77 is another story... They were pluged somewhere else with music, so I went there and try to see what it sounded like. Much relaxed than the Canton, but less detailed.
Further input I got in the hi-end shop, but I didn't go there and listen relaxed, up to now I could only get a first impression with some Triangle speakers (sorry, I can't tell the model, but the bookshef speakers were 400 euro the pair, to give you a hint). I went there really late, and it was impossible to make an audition. I actually didn't expect to listen to anything, I went there just to take a look... But it turned out that they were really nice (you can read the related thread, sorry, it is as long as usual..., my PhD advisor also tells me I must learn to be concise), and they invited me for a long session listening to their products, finding out my likings and offering me the most suited speakers. Ok, now the fast impression I got with these Triangle's... It is not a fair comparison, because I am lacking of my reference (oh, my beloved B&W's...), but this is what I felt: very rich and detailed sound, never agressive, good stage, good dynamics. I only felt it was lacking bass... but it was a concert of the Corrs (I only know their two first studio albums), so I can't assure that. And it must also be said that the subwoofer was turned off (maybe in the mixing they sent everything to the sub, who knows). I will tell you more as soon as I go there again, hopefully this weekend.
If I sum all this up with my first audition, I end up with the following ranking (for further model names, read the thread
1. Klipsch (rf series)
2. B&W (any)
3. Triangle
4. Magnat (Vintage 620)
5. JM Lab (Chorus)
6. Kef
7. Infinity
8. Canton (LE series)
9. Magnat (Vector 77)
(last two in a different price bracket, though)
Pity that I cannot include the Diamonds there, and also the Mordaunt Short...
As a closing remark in this attemp of review, I would like to say that there seem to be some tendency depending on the country (that means, on the people living in the country
So after this I realized that my ears are too bad... for my pocket! I wish I couldn't feel the difference between the B&W's and the Vectors... I'd be going home happy after spending 250 euro for a pair!! But I think that almost anybody can tell you the difference, and even make the same ranking I did. The point is most people can live with a radiocassette, while I can't.
PS: I really dislike the way they treated me. You know, they didn't pay much attention, it was a pain for them that I wanted to listen to more than what they recommended (B&W and JM Lab). And in the end, they asked me which ones I liked more. I said the B&W's, and their answer "ok, you take them now or you pay them only and pick them up another day?". So they expected I'd buy already! I mean, they almost were forcing me to do it, like "hey, I must get paid for that audition". I won't go there again...