Kalali,, you're right about dealers using the music streaming services. But that's not what I was asking for since I don't use streaming myself, instead mostly vinyl records, some CD's. I don't know what happened to the "customer is always right " axiom.
Calvin j, thank you.
Steve59, Thanks for your suggestions, but the the method you suggest while having a lot of merit is impractical for my location and access to dealers. And I honestly don't want to be buying, shipping and selling used equipment for demo purposes at my home, or to be taking a year to do this. Call me crazy or lazy, but I'm not that ambitious. I'd give you credit if you've gone to that extent. My upgrade path ends here too. My DQ 10's lasted me 40+ years. At that rate. That will make me age 106 before needing new speakers again. After upgrading my amp/preamp, I plan on spending money on source material instead of upgrades, until I hit 106 that is.
Jones4music, If I had PeeWee's bicycle I'd pedal that over to the dealers to complete the picture.
Sounsrealaudio, I would llike to take in The upcoming Washinton DC audio show. It would be nice to audition all eleven of the speakers still extant on my list of possibles, all recommend by you all (or youse, as we say in NY.).
Jafant, I promised you an update when I got back, so here it is a truncated, but still long, version.
After a lot of research, I narrowed down my search, from the eleven possible speakers on my "not so short" list. Some were eliminated due to aesthetics, some to being ported designs less favorable to the close to the wall location my listening room requires, some such as the Spendor D9 and Lawrence Audio not being available anywhere close enough, the Revel F228BE's because they are Chinese-made and I'm too leery of the quality control issues endemic to Chinese products of any sort, and the Magnepan's becaus they wouldn't fit or go well in my listening room. I was also disappointed to eliminate the Aerial Acoustic 7T's and Monitor Audi PL200 II's I had hoped to listen to at Evolution Audio before dealing with the aforementioned problem with that dealer's service yesterday. My new short list became the Vandersteen Treo, Devore Gibbon Super 9 , the Magico A3's, and the ProAc D48r.
The Vandersteens Treo's, first up at Gifted Listener, did best on realistically reproducing female vocals. I brought along Chrissie Hind's "Learning to Crawl" Pretender's album to listen to "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate" which I love, and listened to a live Alison Krauss record they had on hand . Both sound full bodied and beautiful. The Treo's were a little light on the bass response. Gerry Mulligan meets Ben Webster's remaster CD sounded wonderful too on the Treos, but the Cannonball Adderly Rudy von Gelder remastered Something Else CD (with Miles Davis as a sideman) sounded so muddy I thought I brought along a poor CD for auditioning. I have to mention the dealer was gracious and helpful at Gifted Listener.
Next stop was Command Performance to listen to the Magico A3 and Devore Gibbon Super 9. Again dealer service was excellent. The Magico A3 did not do as well as the Vandersteen in reproducing Chrissie Hind's voice. She sounded less full-bodied and real, even so far as feeling further back in the track's mix. On the other hand the Cannonball Adderly was outstanding. The instruments were well defined and articulated. The bass (Sam Jones) was crisp and not boomy, and Milles Davis never sounded better. What a difference. Maybe it had something to do with the amp too. I had also brought along an obscure ECM world music recording, Brazilian Egberto Gismonti's "Sol Do Meio Dia, album because ECM records have their own distinctive open, clean sound. That recording also makes the VU meters on my old Phase Linear amp recording jump around wildly. That recording sounded great on all of the speakers demoed, and a $40,000 Focal they let me listen to for fun.
The Devore's sounded more smooth than the Magico's, somewhere between the Treo and them. I also listened to my all time favorite Rock n' Roll album, the Stone's poorly recorded "Let It Bleed". The Magicos revealed it's every fault. Mick Jagger sounded like he was singing with a garbage can over his head. The album sounded poorly on all speakers. On the other hand Los Lobos remastered "Kiko" album's driving "That Train Don't Stop Here Any More" sounded great on all speakers, but particularly riveting on the the Magico A3's. All instruments were crisp, no boomy bass. The midrange had punch.
All in all, I really liked the Magico best. For instrumental music it had the most detailed, well articulated sound at various volumes with a good soundstage. I listen to a lot of 50's jazz, more than vocal music, no offense Aretha, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald or many others I love to listen to. The Devores had a smoother sound and undoubtedly would lessen listener fatigue. They sounded somewhere between the Magico's and the Vandersteens. The Magico's were so good at revealing each instrument I had to have them.
So I plunked down a check, blew off the ProAc demo in my excitement, and traveled home. Others must like the Magico's too because I've got to wait until February to get them, they are so far back-ordered. Can't wait.
Thank you all so much for your guidance and education on buying these expensive speakers. I could not have done this without all your help and the knowledge you've shared. I had not even heard of most of the speaker's brand names before. You're the best.
Mike
Calvin j, thank you.
Steve59, Thanks for your suggestions, but the the method you suggest while having a lot of merit is impractical for my location and access to dealers. And I honestly don't want to be buying, shipping and selling used equipment for demo purposes at my home, or to be taking a year to do this. Call me crazy or lazy, but I'm not that ambitious. I'd give you credit if you've gone to that extent. My upgrade path ends here too. My DQ 10's lasted me 40+ years. At that rate. That will make me age 106 before needing new speakers again. After upgrading my amp/preamp, I plan on spending money on source material instead of upgrades, until I hit 106 that is.
Jones4music, If I had PeeWee's bicycle I'd pedal that over to the dealers to complete the picture.
Sounsrealaudio, I would llike to take in The upcoming Washinton DC audio show. It would be nice to audition all eleven of the speakers still extant on my list of possibles, all recommend by you all (or youse, as we say in NY.).
Jafant, I promised you an update when I got back, so here it is a truncated, but still long, version.
After a lot of research, I narrowed down my search, from the eleven possible speakers on my "not so short" list. Some were eliminated due to aesthetics, some to being ported designs less favorable to the close to the wall location my listening room requires, some such as the Spendor D9 and Lawrence Audio not being available anywhere close enough, the Revel F228BE's because they are Chinese-made and I'm too leery of the quality control issues endemic to Chinese products of any sort, and the Magnepan's becaus they wouldn't fit or go well in my listening room. I was also disappointed to eliminate the Aerial Acoustic 7T's and Monitor Audi PL200 II's I had hoped to listen to at Evolution Audio before dealing with the aforementioned problem with that dealer's service yesterday. My new short list became the Vandersteen Treo, Devore Gibbon Super 9 , the Magico A3's, and the ProAc D48r.
The Vandersteens Treo's, first up at Gifted Listener, did best on realistically reproducing female vocals. I brought along Chrissie Hind's "Learning to Crawl" Pretender's album to listen to "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate" which I love, and listened to a live Alison Krauss record they had on hand . Both sound full bodied and beautiful. The Treo's were a little light on the bass response. Gerry Mulligan meets Ben Webster's remaster CD sounded wonderful too on the Treos, but the Cannonball Adderly Rudy von Gelder remastered Something Else CD (with Miles Davis as a sideman) sounded so muddy I thought I brought along a poor CD for auditioning. I have to mention the dealer was gracious and helpful at Gifted Listener.
Next stop was Command Performance to listen to the Magico A3 and Devore Gibbon Super 9. Again dealer service was excellent. The Magico A3 did not do as well as the Vandersteen in reproducing Chrissie Hind's voice. She sounded less full-bodied and real, even so far as feeling further back in the track's mix. On the other hand the Cannonball Adderly was outstanding. The instruments were well defined and articulated. The bass (Sam Jones) was crisp and not boomy, and Milles Davis never sounded better. What a difference. Maybe it had something to do with the amp too. I had also brought along an obscure ECM world music recording, Brazilian Egberto Gismonti's "Sol Do Meio Dia, album because ECM records have their own distinctive open, clean sound. That recording also makes the VU meters on my old Phase Linear amp recording jump around wildly. That recording sounded great on all of the speakers demoed, and a $40,000 Focal they let me listen to for fun.
The Devore's sounded more smooth than the Magico's, somewhere between the Treo and them. I also listened to my all time favorite Rock n' Roll album, the Stone's poorly recorded "Let It Bleed". The Magicos revealed it's every fault. Mick Jagger sounded like he was singing with a garbage can over his head. The album sounded poorly on all speakers. On the other hand Los Lobos remastered "Kiko" album's driving "That Train Don't Stop Here Any More" sounded great on all speakers, but particularly riveting on the the Magico A3's. All instruments were crisp, no boomy bass. The midrange had punch.
All in all, I really liked the Magico best. For instrumental music it had the most detailed, well articulated sound at various volumes with a good soundstage. I listen to a lot of 50's jazz, more than vocal music, no offense Aretha, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald or many others I love to listen to. The Devores had a smoother sound and undoubtedly would lessen listener fatigue. They sounded somewhere between the Magico's and the Vandersteens. The Magico's were so good at revealing each instrument I had to have them.
So I plunked down a check, blew off the ProAc demo in my excitement, and traveled home. Others must like the Magico's too because I've got to wait until February to get them, they are so far back-ordered. Can't wait.
Thank you all so much for your guidance and education on buying these expensive speakers. I could not have done this without all your help and the knowledge you've shared. I had not even heard of most of the speaker's brand names before. You're the best.
Mike