Hawk and others please help...down to the 12th hour on speakers
FutureAudiophile
Posted on
Hey guys been doing alot of reading here and I'm ready to pull the trigger. I'm going with the NAD T762/T562 combo. I'm down to my speakers. I've narrowed it down to the following:
PSB 6T main PSB 9C center PSB 10s suround PSB Sub 6
or
Magnepan MMG main CC3 center MGMC1 surround PSB Sub 6
My applications are 50/50 music/HT and my room is 16 x 36 with only half being used for living room, other half is the dining room behind. Would like to get your oppinions as I have come to respect them all. Thanks
FutureAudiophile
Posted on
Oh well...Guess I'll just figure it out on my own, thanks anyway.
Mark
Posted on
Can't help you choose, but I'm also considering the 6T/9C combo. I went to DMC to listen to them, orignally considering the 5T. There's a subtle, but barely noticeable difference in the midrange performance between the 2, with the edge going to the 6T. The 6T was capable of thunderous bass, but I'm not sure how "clean" or "tight" it is. (I used the DTS Eagles Hell Freezes over DVD to test.)
I'm also considering the Paradgim Monitor7/CC370 combo. Price is within about $20 for either set. (The 6T is a cosmetic blem model)
FutureAudiophile
Posted on
Mark, I was also considering the Paradigm setup you mention, but am leaning more toward the PSB because of the Nad/PSB relationship. The only thing I'm wondering in the above setup is if it is overkill. My thought has always been get the most I can, however I wonder when it comes to speakers if bigger is better when I'm not always going real loud, just a thought. Thanks for the reply...
Hawk
Posted on
Future:
I love the PSBs--that is a fine speaker system you have outlined there. But I would kill to get the Magnepan system. The Maggies are without question the best speakers I have ever heard and the MMGs are as good or better than any non-Maggie I have ever heard under $2K (or higher).
I would say you cannot go wrong. I like the Maggies better and recommend them, but if you have a Maggie dealer near you, I recommend you listen to the MG12s to see what you think (they are almost identical to the MMGs). If not, I suggest you get the MMG pair directly from Magnepan on their 60 day trial and see what you think about them, listening to them as a stereo pair. If they aren't your cup of tea, send them back. It doesn't cost that much. If they are what you like, simply order the remaining speakers.
I always recommend you listen before you buy. Either way, I am jealous because you are going to have a real kick-a$$ system either way.
Cheers!
FutureAudiophile
Posted on
Hawk, Thanks for the reply. I unfortunately am not near any dealers of any kind here in this small Florida community of 24000. I therefore against your "listen first" advice have narrowed it down from all the educational threads here. I'm going to have to "wing" it and trust you guys. Again I might ask...is it possible to have an overkill system as far as sound goes? Thanks
John A.
Posted on
FutureAudiophile,
There is no such thing as overkill on good sound, only on how much you spent to get it.
Having followed this forum some months now, if I lived in US, I would not hesitate to take Hawk's advice on the MMG pair. What is there to lose? A home trial is the best trial, anyway. If you still have doubts during those 60 days you can always try something else; you will have a reference system with which to compare.
The NAD combo is excellent. Remember the T762 is about to be replaced with the T763, so you should be able to get a good price, or you may prefer to wait (days, now). the difference is small features, not sound quality.
Mark
Posted on
Future..
What's the cost of the Magnepan CC3 center? From doing a quick search, seems like the center alone goes for $990. Hopefully, that's wrong. The center shouldn't cost nearly double the price of the MMG's. (Or they should have a center that's a closer match to the MMG's price range.)
My concern with the 6T is they may be capable of too much bass. Plus, they're 20" deep, and I'll only be able to get them about 6" away from a rear wall on the right side. The left side's open to the dining room, so it's nowhere near a rear wall. Part of the reason I'm considering new speakers, is my existing Klipsch KG4.5's are boomy, especially w/male voices. I don't want to repeat that problem. That's why I went in to listen to the 5T's, but the store owner showed me the difference in midrange performance between the 5 & 6T.
FutureAudiophile
Posted on
Mark, Actually with what I've learned you also should use a Magneplanar-specific version of Outlaw Audio's Integrated Controlled Bass Manager (ICBM) on the CC3. Magnepan went to Outlaw Audio and had them design it. The total cost for just the center channel is over $1200 when you add the ICBM! It got too costly for me real quick. I spoke with David today at DMC-Electronics. I told him he comes highly recommended from this forum. I even told him that I was speaking with you and told him you had been into his store to demo the 6T's. He said he remembered you. Wow, the internet makes it a small world...huh? Anyway, after much debate and thought I went with the PSB's. By the way for the whole package above, David cut me one hell of a deal. Need to say thanks to you, Hawk and all the others who have brought me this far. If it wasn't for you guys I would've probably been stuck in HTIB hell forever.....LOL
(Guess you can change that username to PresentAudiophile now, huh?)
Cool that you're getting the 6T, let me know what you think of it. Very cool that you mentioned me, and he remembered. Maybe I'll get a better deal too, now that I referred someone. What's your real first name so he'll know who I'm talking about?
Did you order them to be shipped, or are you going to go pick them up? Have you listened to them in person? How about the 5T's, have you listened to them? Please send me email here if you want: markz20002 AT msn.com
Hawk
Posted on
Future:
The Outlaw ICBM was designed for the CC2, not the CC3. The revised CC3 no longer needs the ICBM as the technical problem they had was resolved and the new center speaker no longer needs it.
BTW, the CC3 is designed to go with the bigger Magnepans (the MG12s, 1.6s and 3.6s), not the MMGs. That is why Magnepan is developing a new center speaker and new surround speakers to dovetail, price-wise, with the MMGs. We are told that the new center should run about $300 and also another $300 should get you the new surrounds. It seems the MMGs have been a runaway hit surprising even Magnepan.
