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| Hi, can any one help. I just purchase a NAD T762 receiver from this web sight, I hope I do not get con or end up getting a lesser product that I actually purchase. If any one is interested in looking at their web it is http://www.elegantaudiovideo.com/recnad.htm. Given all that, I have done it, and take it to faith that it was a good move to buy it this way, know that I purchase a receiver that I hope will serve me for many years to come. I am not face with the dilemma, of not knowing what is the right speakers for me, I like opera as well as jazz and Latin music, I also intent to have a nice surround system. I am buying the pieces as my budget will allot me, but I do want a nice system, so I am willing to spend as much as I can. I hope you guys can help me, please do not tell me about speck or describe graphs or tell me about picks and thresh holds, it has little meaning to a beginner like my self. I do not want to do the research to understand what all this graphs means, I leave that your experts who enjoy rereading this sort of things, I know you guys will ask how much are you willing to spend, I thought I will spend a 1,000 for a nice pair. Because my ultimately I will like to end up with a nice MUSIC and HOME ENTERTAIMANT system with the emphasis on MUSIC, can you also advice me on the other speakers I will eventually need to get. Last but not least a DVD player. Help You can email me at fred_jacome@hotmail.con if you like to lend me your expertise, For ever grateful Fred |
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elitefan | Fred, I would recommend the Paradigm Studio 40 for your mains. They are $900 a pair in black, a little more in other finishes and you also may need to have them magnetically shielded which is another $30. They are 22 inch stand mounted speakers and are very smooth and detailed. Exceptional speakers that sound great which lots of different power sources. Good luck. |
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GT | First question you need to ask yourself is do you want bookshelf or floorstanding speakers? How big is your room? The Studio 40 is a large bookshelf speaker so you'll also need to buy stands. From what I've read the Paradigms are very good. If you're looking at towers the Axiom M-60 $(800) would be a good choice. http://axiomaudio.com/m60ti.html. They have free shipping and a 30 day trial period. Customer service at Axiom is very good. Give them a call and one of their experts will walk you thru the product line and make recommendations based on your needs. Call for Free Expert Advice. 1-866-294-6688. There are so many good speakers out there, it's hard to only recommend one. Here is a good article of one guys speaker audition. He tested over 10 different pairs of speakers. Good reading and may offer some insight for you. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=279596&perpage=20&pagenumber=1 |
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| Thank you both Elitefan and GT for your help. At the risk of sounding stupid, does it mater between bookshelf and floor standing speakers, other than personal preference or space? What will be the better of the two if this two restrictions where not in the mix. Thank you again Fred |
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Hawk | Fred: First, congratulations on your choice of the NAD receiver. It is the best receiver, sound wise, I have heard, short of the $4K McIntosh. Whether you get floorstanders or bookshelfs is merely a matter of preference. You cannot say one is better than the other. Given your emphasis on getting a great system for music, I have two recommendations for speakers: First, a good choice for your receiver would be B+W CM2s for your mains, then add the other matching B+Ws to fill out your system later. Superb speaker, very accurate and finished like high grade furniture. The best choice for many people, however, is a Magnepan system. They are a floor standing system consisting of flat panel planar speakers. I have had them and they are the best, most realistic sounding speaker available, IMHO. If you are on a budget, check out the Magnepan website (www.magnepan.com) for their "Offer You Can't Refuse." which is a pair of Magnepan MMGs for $550, which includes shipping. They will give you a sixty (60) day trial period where you try them in your home for 60 days and if you don't like them, ship them back for a full refund. You would be hard pressed to find a pair of speakers that can match the MMGs for less than $3K. They are a perfect match for the 762 and I guarantee you will hear things in your music you never knew was there. If you like them, you can also fill out your system with a center speaker and surrounds at a later date. The thing that distinguishes Magnepans most is the fact that they do not have a box, so the sound is more open and life-like. It is like the performers are in the room with you rather than being reproduced through electronics and speakers. It is really a remarkable product. See this recent review: http://www.goodsound.com/equipment/magnepan_mmg.htm I hope this helps. |
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| Thanks Hawk, As always I am great full for you guys help, you mention the B+W, but the you go on to praise the Magnepan system. Does this mean you prefer the Magnepan system over the B+W, is this because price or quality, if it price and quality is the same then I am going to run out and buy the Magnepan system. Would you be able to coment on the other systems recommended by Elitefan "Paradigm Studio 40" and the one by GT "Studio 40" Thank you Fred |
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Hawk | Fred: There is no speaker like the Magnepans. They are simply better than any other speaker I have ever heard on the market. Earlier this year, I compared the Magnepan MG12s, which is almost identical to the MMGs at a dealer nearby, with the Paradigm Monitor 9s (~$1400/pair--the Monitor series has replaced the old Studio series as far as I can tell). By head to head comparison, the Paradigms (a very fine speaker to be sure) sounded like they were in a closet or behind a heavy stage curtain. They sounded "veiled" after hearing the Magnepans. The Magnepans simply blew them away. I went out and bought the MMGs for myself that very day. It is a killer speaker with the NAD receiver (which I wish I had). My electronics are poor compared to your NAD and yet my in-laws, who are professional musicians and who turn their noses up at stereos because to them it doesn't sound as good as the real thing, where so taken by my MMGs that they spent most of their week here listening to my stereo (it had never happend before!). They are the ultimate critics and my father-in-law expressed his pleasure at my speakers and hinted that Christmas isn't that far off! It is not a comparison of price vs. quality because the Magnepans are an entirely different technology. The planar panel vibrates and is bi-directional--as much sound exits the back as the front. That means you don't have any vestiges of the box sound. Instead, it sounds more like the performers are there in the room because the lack of a box means no box coloration. Magnepan has been making these speakers for over 25 years and have a reputation for great quality, so quality is not a concern. So, while I like the B+Ws (CM2s) and Paradigms and have a great deal of respect for their products, I have to say that Magnepans are a whole lot better, and much cheaper, too. The only limitation is they offer very few trims on the MMGs, while MG12s and higher that are offered through dealers have more types of cloth and wood trims (such as a beautiful cherry finish) available. If I had your receiver, I would go with Magnepan MMGs, if only to try them out. The sound is simply fantastic. However, once you hear them, I have no doubt you will be hooked. Enjoy! |
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| Hawk, you are the man, I have spent all weekend reading about the speakers an I am ready to do it. I whet to a web sight where people are selling their speakers and see a lot of what appears to be great deals. Having little to no knowledge on stereo equipment and would not like to be taken advantage do to my naiveté. Should I even consider looking at this option? The web location is http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/srch.pl?magnepan I seen deal like a 1,000 for a pair of 1.6QR. Help, I am ready to do it, this is a curve ball and it is tempting. Fred |
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Hawk | Fred: Obviously, I don't know what kind of condition the used 1.6s are, but they are a great speaker and $1K used sounds pretty reasonable to me for such a fine speaker as the 1.6. So, take a swing. |
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elitefan | FYI, The Paradigm monitor series and the studio series are different lines of Paradigm. The studio series is their upscale line and the monitor is more affordable. The monitors have been "upgraded" this year and seem a bit more bright to me than the older ones. I always liked the monitor 7 better than the 9, but the studio 40 and 60 are really terrific. I have not heard the Magnepans for over 20 years so can not comment on those but I did not care for them way back when. |
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| Hawk, I hope you read this massage, I have purchase the pair of Magnepans 1.6QR speakers. That will go with my new NAD T762 when it comes in. I was at a store yesterday "Audio Advice" and he was familiar with this type of speakers and according to him. I have made a big mistake in purchasing these speakers and to try to mach them with the NAD receiver. According to him, the receiver is a good receiver, but it doesn't have the power to drive this type of speakers (he said I need at least 200). He thought that I will get a poor sound if I try to play them low and I could did not have enough power to drive them high. Another comment he made was on the positioning of the speakers. He said this was a one person speakers that if multiple people (family) wanted to get the experience of listening to quality music that this speakers will not be able to offered this experience. And last, that for low sounds like organ music this speakers can not carry the sound, that I need a mid speakers to do this and because that this speakers where fast I need a really fast mid speaker, and what ever I do, do not buy their mid speaker, that it just doesn't work. This was really disheartening, to listen to someone just tell me in one year I will be looking for a new pair of speakers. Please comment on this Fred |
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Hawk | Fred: Everyone has an opinion, but it sounds to me like this dealer did not sell either NAD or Maggies , and really doesn't know either product. I am sure he is intending to plant a seed of doubt in yur mind so that you will come back for replacement speakers from him. I have seen this done quite a few times and I am always amazed at how often it works. Well, I don't think you made a mistake--I am actually very envious. The Maggies (per their website) recommends 50-250 wpc to drive them. Your NAD is rated at 100 wpc when driving 6 speakers. It is rated at 120 wpc when in stereo. But also recognize that is into 8 ohms. The Maggies are a 4 ohm speaker (and that is a real 4 ohm load, too, not a minimum!) which means your power is essentially doubled (due to the lower impedence). Its dynamic power (power for musical transients) into 4 ohms is 300 wpc. Believe me, that is more than enough power! So, while it is true that the Maggies are power hungry (witness the 50 wpc minimum recommended power), the NAD has the juice to drive them. I also know this combo works because my local Maggie dealer sells them with only two receivers: NAD and McIntosh. Since the McIntosh costs $4K, he sells a lot of Maggies with NADs--especially the 762. NAD and Maggies are a sweet combo. Rest assured, Fred, this combo works. I think you will see what I mean when you get it hooked up. BTW, get some good speaker wire to hook them up together. Now, as to his comments on the sound, he is wrong, but there is a kernal of truth. Let me explain. On the older model Maggies, there was a strong focus in the center of the soundstage, which is referred to as the sweet spot. This was true of my MMGs which are based upon the older technology planar panels. But it isn't that the sound is bad or poor, anywhere else, the sound is just more focused in the middle of the soundfield--more so than with other speakers. However, the 1.6s are based on newer technology and the soundfield for the 1.6s is actually very large-- it will sound great everywhere. What the salesman didn't tell you is that all high quality speakers have a sweet spot, some more pronounced than others (you will find people referring to it all the time in magazines such as Stereophile). Now, with my MMGs, the sound is great everywhere, but is incredible when sitting in the sweet spot. I had my MMGs about 15' apart and the sweet spot was the width of my couch (76"). But also understand that the MMGs are the older technology Maggies. The 1.6s are the newer ones and the sweet spot is much larger, although I have never tried to determine how much greater. I have read a number of reviews of the 1.6s where the reviewer noted how much larger the sweet spot of the soundfield was. They are less directional than the MMGs. My in-laws, the musicians, who never cared for stereo music because it never compared to live music, spent a week here and most of the time they just listened to my MMGs--and they never sat in the sweet spot. Yet, they marvelled at how good it sounded. So don't believe that just because you aren't in the sweet spot, it won't be good. It goes from great, to even better when in the sweet spot. So please relax. I can understand your fears, but I know this system and I think you will find it is better than you could have imagined. But you won't know this until you have set the system up and have moved the speakers around to get the sound the way you want it. The following is the summary of the review of the Maggie HT system using the 1.6s as the front mains. I think this will ease your mind: " I can only try to sum up this Magneplanar system as the most revealing, the most emotionally evocative, and the most reasonably priced system that I've ever reviewed for Home Theater & Sound. Adding to this system's wonder is that you don't have to break the bank on electronics to experience this level of reproduction either. This system is so utterly clean, detailed and transparent that those forced to use ultra-polite levels (such as apartment dwellers) will not miss a trick. And while bass performance was very good on its own, it will require a good subwoofer to plumb the depths of deep bass, just as do most systems comprised of even more expensive speakers." "But this Magneplanar speaker system does everything else so exceedingly well that I can only urge you to go listen for yourself and determine if it raises the bar of performance for you -- as it has done for me." --John Potis, Home Theater & Sound, January 2002 |
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John Allen | I support Hawk completely and have posted under "receivers": https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-audio/4251.html Fred, ignore that salesman he doesn't know what he is talking about. |