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RE: Totally agree...if I love the sound of one of my components...

Posted by RGA (R) on August 3, 2011 at 10:37:06

In Reply to: Totally agree...if I love the sound of one of my components... posted by Steve Parry on August 1, 2011 at 13:01:09:

Well blind tests have a host of problems - My speakers and the big brother to my speakers have been involved in several level matched blind tests and they have won every single one of them. You can gripe the tests were not as strict - but the main factors being that no one knew what the speakers were and that they were level matched means that if you test 10 speakers and 15 people are tested and they choose the same number 7 or what have you illustrates that it "sounded" better and was not the product of name brand recognition or price or looks. Something the speakers would lose on on most counts so I am happy to have my speakers in a blind test - they're pretty ugly.

Speakers have certain traits I like - I actually like the sound of the 1.7 I just don't think it's for me as an all rounder. Virtually everyone I know and speaking to them on forums - you can pretty much tell that most of the planar guys listen to very narrow genres of music - which is fine - but they're not for anyone who listens to trance or rock or metal. If you're like me - you listen to a wide variety of music and thus you need it to play it all well and at a relatively high listening level - not that I always play loud, rarely in fact, but when I feel the need I want the system to be able to do it.

I would sooner buy the Cerwin Vega CSL215 at $1k a pair over a Magnepan 20.1 at $15k. The Cerwin Vega has some problems - but playing rock trance top 40 isn't one of them - it is for the 20.1 IMO - my dealer here carries both and I have heard both in the same room with gear that has more than enough power.

I kind of get the blind tests - the 20.1 looks so awesome and is a huge conversation piece - wow you get music and there's not woofer - cool man. All your non audiophile friends (most people) will be amazed by the "magic" design. Meanwhile Cerwin Vega has an atrocious name recognition and they look as tacky as can be - the woofers look like giant pink condoms. Not audiophile approved at all. But put on some rock and roll and it's just game over - even audiophile approved rock and roll like the Eagles!

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Kimber Kable

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