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Thanks. I get them today...what attracts me is the amount of bass extension coupled w the ability to raise and lower the treble output from the tweeter. Never seen a speaker have that option before and being that I have sensitive ears to certain overly bright systems, it seems like a really cool feature for me. We shall see. Overall, I have been mostly happy w the Polk 15's but the bass is quite limited and on occasion I hear a smidge of sibilance which results in a spotlight on the "s" sound in some vocals.
 
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Tin Bird said:
Thanks. I get them today...what attracts me is the amount of bass extension coupled w the ability to raise and lower the treble output from the tweeter. Never seen a speaker have that option before and being that I have sensitive ears to certain overly bright systems, it seems like a really cool feature for me. We shall see. Overall, I have been mostly happy w the Polk 15's but the bass is quite limited and on occasional I hear a smidge of sibilance which results in a spotlight on the "s" sound in some vocals.
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Many speakers have that option, my Vandersteen’s have them and they are a very handy feature indeed.

Audiofreak71
 
Audiofreak71 said:
Many speakers have that option, my Vandersteen’s have them and they are a very handy feature indeed.

Audiofreak71
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So you do use it...cool. I am looking forward to hearing how it works and the difference it makes. I am sure most o the time, I will leave it flat, but w some older 80's CD's, I may tap it down a bit. we shall see... btw Do Vandersteens make a good match w McIntosh? I have looked at them here and there. I know they are revered by many and are described as "warmish", right? Do they make any bookshelf speakers that could wok with my system?
 
Tin Bird said:
So you do use it...cool. I am looking forward to hearing how it works and the difference it makes. I am sure most o the time, I will leave it flat, but w some older 80's CD's, I may tap it down a bit. we shall see... btw Do Vandersteens make a good match w McIntosh? I have looked at them here and there. I know they are revered by many and are described as "warmish", right? Do they make any bookshelf speakers that could wok with my system?
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The older Vandersteens have been called warm sounding , I have the newest 2ce Signature ii’s and they are not warm they are a neutral speaker that responds to the sources you give them , the better the amp, Dac , CD player etc the better they sound . They now do offer booshelf speakers but knowing Vandersteens they probably aren’t small bookshelf’s . I have seen many people pairing Vandys with McIntosh, I’m not personally a fan of McIntosh and the sound with McIntosh and Vandersteens but as we all know it’s all subjective so you may love the sound .

Here’s a link to there bookshelf speakers

https://www.vandersteen.com/categories/compact-speakers

Audiofreak71
 
Cool. Thanks! Just curious how you would describe the McIntosh sound and/or what you don't like about it? I obviously do like it quite a bit. Do you find them warm and pleasant but not detailed and exciting enough? Just curious...no judgments at all. Like you said, everybody has their own tastes. Appreciate the Vandy bookshelfs...will take a look.
I received the AT-2's as expected yesterday, but unfortunately, both speakers' tweeters were dented(!) I was able to very lightly coax them back into shape, but upon hearing them, I think there is something wrong w them. To say dull and lifeless would be an understatement. Going back and I am back to the drawing board.
How about Bowers and Wilkins 706 S2 bookshelf speakers? Anyone have an opinion on how they would match w the MXA70?
Suggestions for bookshelf speakers that would mate well w my MXA70 would be greatly appreciated.
 
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Tin Bird said:
Cool. Thanks! Just curious how you would describe the McIntosh sound and/or what you don't like about it? I obviously do like it quite a bit. Do you find them warm and pleasant but not detailed and exciting enough? Just curious...no judgments at all. Like you said, everybody has their own tastes. Appreciate the Vandy bookshelfs...will take a look.
I received the AT-2's as expected yesterday, but unfortunately, both speakers' tweeters were dented(!) I was able to very lightly coax them back into shape, but upon hearing them, I think there is something wrong w them. To say dull and lifeless would be an understatement. Going back and I am back to the drawing board.
How about Bowers and Wilkins 706 S2 bookshelf speakers? Anyone have an opinion on how they would match w the MXA70?
Suggestions for bookshelf speakers that would mate well w my MXA70 would be greatly appreciated.
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McIntosh has always sounded murky , muddy to me with just to much warmth , I like a smooth warm sound to a degree but McIntosh over does it for me and I’ve heard the vintage all the way to the big boy new stuff . I’ve always felt McIntosh was way over rated and I mean no offense for that just my take on it . But there beautiful pieces of equipment no doubt , my brother has the big McIntosh mono blocks and b&w 802 speakers and it looks very nice I just don’t like the sound of the amps , he had krell on the same speakers and imo they sounded much better .

Audiofreak71
 
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No worries...I appreciate your thoughts. I do agree that McIntosh has a more relaxed overall sound profile. That is one of the reasons I like it. :-) To me it sounds elegant and mature vs overly warm and muddy. But, like you said, to each his own. Some of the modern brands tend to veer a bit too much in the bright/detailed range for my tastes. I have sensitive ears and they can fatigue pretty quickly if a tweeter is shouting at them. :-)
Just curious...given that your brother has a B&W paired w a McIntosh, despite the sound not being your preference, is it still fairly warmish or are the B&W speakers overly bright? When I read reviews of B&W speakers lots of folks describe them as bright and fatiguing so I am weary of them. I've heard them at my local Magnolia room and they sounded great, but that is not a trustworthy location to gauge how they will sound in my den. I would imagine the Krell/B&W mating would be pretty bright, yes? Krell is also often described as detailed and bright...
 
Tin Bird said:
No worries...I appreciate your thoughts. I do agree that McIntosh has a more relaxed overall sound profile. That is one of the reasons I like it. :) To me it sounds elegant and mature vs overly warm and muddy. But, like you said, to each his own. Some of the modern brands tend to veer a bit too much in the bright/detailed range for my tastes. I have sensitive ears and they can fatigue pretty quickly if a tweeter is shouting at them. :)
Just curious...given that your brother has a B&W paired w a McIntosh, despite the sound not being your preference, is it still fairly warmish or are the B&W speakers overly bright? When I read reviews of B&W speakers lots of folks describe them as bright and fatiguing so I am weary of them. I've heard them at my local Magnolia room and they sounded great, but that is not a trustworthy location to gauge how they will sound in my den. I would imagine the Krell/B&W mating would be pretty bright, yes? Krell is also often described as detailed and bright...
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The 802 B&W’s have an airy tweeter and they are very detailed not bright or in your face at all but the McIntosh makes it much more laid back and to smooth imo , I like smooth but imo there’s a point where that goes to far . I owed the B&W cm10’s v1’s and the mids tweeters we’re great my problem was with the bottom end it just didn’t get low enough for me in my room . There are many different B&W models and of course the higher up the chain the more refined they get so if your hearing is sensitive it all depends on the model b&w you get and the amp you pair it with . The krell 802 combo was not bright imo it was very detailed and plenty of slam , imo it really woke the 802’s up with the endless current the krells had to put out maximum wattage . Now the Krell Paradigm s6 combo that I owned was bright and nothing I did tamed that brightness , so it just depends on your pairing and associated equipment that goes with the other gear. Is your McIntosh amp a tube amp? If not and your looking for warmth I would look at tubes , they usually have (depending on the tubes and amp) that warm smoothness sound and could be just what your looking for .

Audiofreak71
 
Audiofreak71 said:
The 802 B&W’s have an airy tweeter and they are very detailed not bright or in your face at all but the McIntosh makes it much more laid back and to smooth imo , I like smooth but imo there’s a point where that goes to far . I owed the B&W cm10’s v1’s and the mids tweeters we’re great my problem was with the bottom end it just didn’t get low enough for me in my room . There are many different B&W models and of course the higher up the chain the more refined they get so if your hearing is sensitive it all depends on the model b&w you get and the amp you pair it with . The krell 802 combo was not bright imo it was very detailed and plenty of slam , imo it really woke the 802’s up with the endless current the krells had to put out maximum wattage . Now the Krell Paradigm s6 combo that I owned was bright and nothing I did tamed that brightness , so it just depends on your pairing and associated equipment that goes with the other gear. Is your McIntosh amp a tube amp? If not and your looking for warmth I would look at tubes , they usually have (depending on the tubes and amp) that warm smoothness sound and could be just what your looking for .

Audiofreak71
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Thanks for that. My amp is solid state...it's their little mini 50-watt headphone/integrated. It is pretty laid back/smooth...maybe just to the warm side of neutral...but just. The speakers I was eyeing are the 706 S2's...I don't care for the look of the tweeter on the top (the 705 S2's). Guy from Audio Classics told me that they would pair well with my amp.
 
Tin Bird said:
Thanks for that. My amp is solid state...it's their little mini 50-watt headphone/integrated. It is pretty laid back/smooth...maybe just to the warm side of neutral...but just. The speakers I was eyeing are the 706 S2's...I don't care for the look of the tweeter on the top (the 705 S2's). Guy from Audio Classics told me that they would pair well with my amp.
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Imo if you go with B&W’s lower end speakers and you have sensitive ears you might be bothered by the top end or get a tube pre and amp to go with them .

Audiofreak71
 
I decided to give the Elac 6.2 bookshelfs a try out. Picked them up today from BB. Hoping for a tad more bass and a hair less treble than the Polk S15's. We shall see.
 
First thoughts on the Elacs not so good...man they sound very boring and bland. Will give them time, but I don't think they mate well w my McIntosh amp.
 
Tin Bird said:
First thoughts on the Elacs not so good...man they sound very boring and bland. Will give them time, but I don't think they mate well w my McIntosh amp.
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What are you using for cables ? Do you have a separate Dac? What is your source? Do you stream music? Cd’s? Vinyl?. So you have your amp plugged straight into the wall? Or do you use a conditioner? Regenerator? I know that’s a lot of questions but I feel your going through a lot of setups and nothing satisfies you so maybe the problem lies somewhere else because you can’t just get an amp and speakers and expect perfect synergy, sometimes you get lucky but most of the time it takes much more work than that .

Audiofreak71
 
TBH I actually like the sound w the Polk S15's, but I just wanted a tad more full sound. I am limited though because of my sensitive ears. I appreciate your thoughts and questions...and i do think all of those things matter, but in my case, it's a matter of trying to achieve the best possible sound without bothering the ears.
 
So, at least for now, the system stays "as is"....been a while since I proclaimed that! LOL! :-) This combo gives me the best sound that doesn't bother my sensitive ears. I am grateful to have it.
 
Well, that didn't last long! LOL! I have decided that the sibilance of the Polk S15's is a smidge too much for me. Too much prominence on the "s" sound. Cannot be the McIntosh (for gosh sake!), and I am using the TEAC as a transport...so...must be the speakers (in combo) w my less than perfect listening room (my den). So, have ordered Wharfedale 225's. Had a pair of Dentons in the past and enjoyed them immensely...hopefully the warm/smooth 225's will tame the "S".
 
No offense but your going to be buying speakers for a long time and still not resolve your issue . If you don’t have room treatment that is the first thing you need to address and it will tame most of your brightness your experiencing especially with sound absorbing panels. Second cables make a difference, I don’t care about all the hoopla people say that they don’t matter , point in fact is they do . You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg but experimenting with different ones and you will eventually find what’s right for you . Third , it could very well be your Mcintosh setup causing the harshness that you don’t like , just because it’s Mcintosh doesn’t mean it’s perfect for everyone. But if I were you (if you already haven’t) I would work on your room and you will be very surprised after you have .

Audiofreak71
 
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