Vandies or Maggies?


Okay, I have a tough decision coming up. I've been saving some cash for a pair of Vandersteen 1C, but recently heard the Magnepan MG20.1 for the first time ever. I couldn't believe the kind of sound that you can get out of a ribbon. Talk about midrange purity. So now I have a conundrum.

Do I continue to save my money for the Vandies, or do I throw down some cash and try out the Maggie MMGs? I love the overall balance of Vandies, but the clarity of Maggies seems to be very addictive. What do I do?

Either one would be driven by a NAD C320BEE. I listen to a world of different music, from hip-hop to jazz to orchestral to acoustic.

Oh, one last thing-- I'm having my first kid this October. And yes, I'm worried about having Maggies in the house with a little hellion running around.

Okay, so given my situation-- which would you recommend?
themadmilkman

Showing 1 response by themadmilkman

Well, my wife and I have been talking about this (she somehow manages to take a mild interest in my audiophile obsession). I think we're going to end up combining both the stereo and the Home Theater for a while, which changes everything. I think I'm going to stick to my original plan and get the Vandies. I just think that they'll handle the double duty a little bit better. Now, if it involved higher-tier Maggies, and not the MMGs, my decision could be different.

And, as JHold mentioned, I listen to a lot of crappy recordings of music I enjoy, and want to make sure that I can still enjoy them. I've heard bad recordings through Maggies, and he's right-- they'll kill your ears. Yeah, I suppose this doesn't involve the absolute search for truth in audio, or whatever, but hey, I don't get too much time to listen, so I might as well enjoy the time I get.

Thanks for the advice, all.