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
vandies aren't so stable that a one-year old (estimate) can't knock them down. So, buy them, listen to them for 18 months, sell them on audiogon and buy a nice big plastic boom box that you can give to your kid a couple years after that. (Then go buy what you can afford--oh, with the kid you won't be affording any stereo equipment for a while). Good Luck!!! Tom.
I compared Vandy 2C signature with Maggie 1.6 on the same system and bought the Maggies. Clearly less colored and more open, though I liked the Vandy it just sounded like a box in comparison.
the vandies are going to spound better on a wider variety of non audiophile recordings. the slight upper bass bloom(or slight boxiness)is small compromise for the weight of drums and piano. the transparency of the maggies is intoxicating, but poorly recorded material(some of the best performances are)is painful to listen to.
Can any Vandy experts tell me if the Vandersteen crossovers are parallel or series?

I prefer panel speakers but have nothing bad to say about the Vandys I've heard.
Since you're keeping the NAD, I'd recommend you go with the Vandies. I don't think the NAD can drive the Maggies properly.