TAS 2023 Buyer’s Guide : Speakers
Issue 332
I have always loved Buyer’s Guides. Whether Audio Magazine’s famous Bibles of the 70s or more current versions by TAS or Stereophile- I scour them cover to cover. Just as I memorize too many baseball stats (Henry Aaron is still king at 755 by the way)- I can’t get enough of great hi-fi gear. Let’s look at some hits and misses from this new issue.
Desktop Loudspeakers
Magnepan Mini Maggie System $2100
TAS lists this incredible 3 piece system (satellites & sub) at $1490. It’s been $1900 for 2 years and has crept up to $2100. It’s still a cold stone bargain at $2100. Smart inclusion though as their other offerings are basically absurd. My secondary point is that the pricing in these listings is often a couple years behind the current actual pricing. That might not be TAS’s fault. But just a heads up, their pricing is sometimes 25% off.
Stand Mount Speakers
Klipsch RM500Mk2 $600 pr & RM600Mk2 $750 pr
There’s a major swing and a miss here. Klipsch’s RM-500 and RM600 are two of the best, inexpensive stand mounts on the market. On top of sounding clean and dynamic, they’re both dramatically more efficient than the other speakers listed. It matters!
This is important cuz a guy buying speakers in this range won’t have a big time integrated amp like a Hegel. Polk’s R200 ($700pr) is 86dB SPL. RM600 runs 94.5dB. This means 1w will drive a Klipsch to 94.5dB. You’ll need 8w to drive the Polks to this volume. To need 8 times more power to drive the Polk, especially in this price range, is dang near disqualifying.
Further, they list a Sonus Faber and Piega with 4’ bass mid drivers. I’ve heard the SF in person. It’s nothing more than a near field option. You’re kidding yourself to expect more than that from a 4.
They also list the Totem Element 5 V2, $7500 per pair. This ugly duckling looks like Huey, Dewey & Louie made it in my lawn mower shed and pales with the class shattering YG Acoustics Cairn, $8500 per pair. Or, the mighty Amphion Argon 3S for $3k per pair- a real value.
They also list the Rogers LS 3/5a for $4900 pr. Hey boys, the Falcon LS 3/5a, $3300pr, is the Real McCoy built from scratch by Falcon in the UK. Rogers has a venerable name but they’re buying components from a Chinese vendor to screw in the box. No go.
Wharfedale Lintons $1500 pr
Earth to TAS! How do you miss one of the best values in our biz? It’s been available for several years already and… you still don’t know about it? It has a full figured, smooth sound and for most customers is THE best affordable speaker choice out there.
Amphion Argon 3S $3600 pr Walnut
I’m not one to say companies buy placement with ads in hi-fi rags. But the fact is, the American mags are downright BLIND to Finland’s Amphion line of speakers. Argon 3S is a beautiful speaker in all regards and provides a warm, musical presentation in a mid sized stand mount.
Floor Standing Speakers With Kahunas
If you like to pop a top and enjoy classic rock, TAS has left you at the station. There are NO BETTER speakers than Klipsch.
At sub $2k please consider the Reference Premiers for this application. TAS does tell you about some polite towers by Monitor Audio, Focal and Sonus faber. They’re perfectly fine. But come on boys, if you wanna BRING IT, nothing beats the Ks. For ex:
Klipsch RP-6000Mk2 $1500 pr
At 94.5dB SPL, these guys can sing with easy while the other guys on this list are pulling a truck.
Klipsch RP-8000Mk2 $1800 pr
At 98dB SPL with two thunderous 8” Cerametallic woofs, these boys can be driven to rock and roll heaven- even with a modest surround receiver. To compare, the ever polite Sonus faber Alumina 3 ($2200pr) has two 5s (!?!) and runs 89dB. 1W drives the Ks to 98dB. It takes 8 times more power to get the SF to Klipsch land. By then those 5s are gonna be quaking in their boots.
Klipsch Heresy 4 $3200pr
Heresy is the first model made in Arkansas with heavy American lumber. If you A-B Heresy
with anything on the TAS list while listening to classic rock, you’ll simply laugh. 99dB.
Klipsch Forte 4 $5000 pr
Forte is Heresy’s bigger brother. Bigger is better in this world. 99dB.
Klipsch Cornwall 4 $6600pr
If you have room for Cornwall, move everything else the Hades outta the way and have some fun for crying out loud! 102dB.
Klipsch LaScala $13,200 pr
LaScala is THE most iconic looking and sounding retro speaker on the market. If you can swing it and like your music with virtually unlimited octane, treat yourself to a modern version of a blast from the past. 105dB.
Magnepans
Not everyone is a classic rocker. While Magnepans can play classic rock to moderate volume levels with a strong amp, their strength is high resolution detail and imaging. Congrats to TAS for recognizing a few of the best in the industry at this craft.
But let me say a word about needing big power for pans. It is only necessary if you want to drive them hard. And dare I say, if that’s the case, it isn’t the right speaker to buy! For most of us who value our hearing, we’ll never listen north of 90dB, and will rarely hit 85. With this reality in mind, Pans can be driven nicely by high quality affordable amps, like the NADs rated at 80×2. Cuz again,
if you think you need 200×2 so you can blast your brains out, the Pans just don’t do that regardless of how much power you have.
Magnepan LRS+ $1000 pr
Brand new and just shipping is LRS+. Maggie strongly recommends the matching stands at $289 per pair to dial them in.
Magnepan MG 1.7 $3000 pr
MG 1.7 is a larger 3-way ribbon design. It has dramatically more bass and high end (due to super tweeter) over LRS+. Buy the 1.7 if you can.
Magnepan MG 3.7 $8800 pr
Treat yourself to the biggest soundstage and highest order of precision detail the price point can attain.
Magnepan MG 20.7 $19,800 pr
With dual opposing magnet technology, 20.7 has more ability to start and stop on a dime than any other speakers in our industry. The size of image and power are immense. 20.7 is still a bargain at under $20k.
Floor Standers With Precision
Not everyone has room, or the right wife, for Maggies. I hear ya. These options are for you.
Bryston A3 $3290 Per Pair
Two 6.5s, a mid and tweet. So strong you won’t believe ‘em. They clobber their similarly priced, almost always, Chinese imported competitors.
Bryston A2 $3990 Per Pair
With double tweets, mids & woofs, A2 is among the best values in a reasonably size tower. It sounds enormous, plays loud and is tough as nails.
Bryston A1 $4990 Per Pair
Just get out of the way and let ‘em go. A1 is a prodigious sounding tower that will literally rock your world, while sounding smooth with acoustic instruments. They have subterranean bass.
Amphion Argon 7LS $7200 pr
7LS is a gorgeous walnut tower with a lovely golden hue. It’s not a R&R animal but does justice to everything else. Think beauty instead of power.
Bryston Middle T $8600 pr
With 20 year warranty and foundation moving bass response, Middle T has a downright domestic profile and smooth top end. It’s bass is tonally accurate- not a one note thud.
Bryston Model T $12,000 pr
Model T is BIG BOY tower that presents music in a full sized scale. You need an appropriate room and amp for the Model T. So if you’ve got it and like your music in full doses, Model T is for you.