Magico Mini 2, Q1, Raidho C 1.1, or TAD CR 1
- Thread starter dafos
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dafos, that's a good question. Personal preference will come into play here. For me it's the SF GH over the other iterations of G's. Although I haven't heard the Evolutions enough to be 100% sure. AS to the Magico's, haven't heard the Q1, but prefer GH to Mini 2 and haven't heard the Raidho. The TAD CR1 is not my "cup of tea" but I do respect it for what it is. Tough to nominate a "KING".
Of the ones I've heard (Q1, GH and CR1) I pick the CR1. I'll have to try and hear the Raidho at the next RMAF.
I have heard the Q1 and all the different Guarneris...so my comparison is only for these. I have a preference for the original GH.
IMHO, the Q1 is more powerful, dynamic than the Original Guarneri...if you put a nuclear reactor of an amp behind it, it will stand up against a fair number of expensive, larger floorstanders, and other than the bass, will deliver a soundstage and an ease even at high volumes that is shocking. I heard it in the same room with the same system as the Q3 and XLF...and it was very, very impressive on jazz vocals before the bass came in. It feels more invisible than the Guarneri...you get a Guarneri in your room whenever you play, irrespective of electronics (well almost irrespective...certainly in comparison to Q1.) That also means get it wrong and the Q1-system wont be right at all.
By contrast, the Original Guarneri is something that sounds great with a medium-priced tube amp, and the magic of the Guarneri only grows with better equipment. The magic here is of 'classic midrange magic', delicacy in its nuanced approached to microdynamics...and as Martin Colloms wrote back in 1994...a near electrostatic quality that he likened to Quads...the closest at the time he had heard. Some would say it must then add its own to the music...perhaps it does...but i am sure i have never cared and in fact, have simply listened to more music this way and cared less about ancillary equipment. Whenever that happens with me and a piece of equipment...i end up living with it...and in my case, i did for a number of years.
If you wish to retain the dynamic punch and drive of the Q1 and maintain a SF sound which might be a hare stiffer than the liquid sound of the original...i just spent time auditioning the latest Guarneri. It clearly was designed to hold onto the SF voicing...but have far greater technical capabilities in dynamics and bass.
We were testing a Velodyne DD18, DD18+ and we needed to calibrate first. The wave form of just the Guarneris showed they were producing nearly flat in-room response at high volume to roughly 40hz...a big suprise to all of us. The room was 12x14x10.
IMHO, the Q1 is more powerful, dynamic than the Original Guarneri...if you put a nuclear reactor of an amp behind it, it will stand up against a fair number of expensive, larger floorstanders, and other than the bass, will deliver a soundstage and an ease even at high volumes that is shocking. I heard it in the same room with the same system as the Q3 and XLF...and it was very, very impressive on jazz vocals before the bass came in. It feels more invisible than the Guarneri...you get a Guarneri in your room whenever you play, irrespective of electronics (well almost irrespective...certainly in comparison to Q1.) That also means get it wrong and the Q1-system wont be right at all.
By contrast, the Original Guarneri is something that sounds great with a medium-priced tube amp, and the magic of the Guarneri only grows with better equipment. The magic here is of 'classic midrange magic', delicacy in its nuanced approached to microdynamics...and as Martin Colloms wrote back in 1994...a near electrostatic quality that he likened to Quads...the closest at the time he had heard. Some would say it must then add its own to the music...perhaps it does...but i am sure i have never cared and in fact, have simply listened to more music this way and cared less about ancillary equipment. Whenever that happens with me and a piece of equipment...i end up living with it...and in my case, i did for a number of years.
If you wish to retain the dynamic punch and drive of the Q1 and maintain a SF sound which might be a hare stiffer than the liquid sound of the original...i just spent time auditioning the latest Guarneri. It clearly was designed to hold onto the SF voicing...but have far greater technical capabilities in dynamics and bass.
We were testing a Velodyne DD18, DD18+ and we needed to calibrate first. The wave form of just the Guarneris showed they were producing nearly flat in-room response at high volume to roughly 40hz...a big suprise to all of us. The room was 12x14x10.
I have not heard/owned them all, but tend to agree with DaveyF and Lloyd here, the SFGH is to my ears one of the best speaker I have enjoyed (within its bass limitations which I mostly corrected with a use of a DD18) - I also liked the small Lyngdorf speaker, but heard it very briefly at RMAF last year to declare it a solid option.
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Yes the CR 1 is a three way design, using a mid/tweeter concentric driver mated to a bass unit. I included it in this comparison by virtue of it being a stand mount speaker. Essentially, very similar to the Unifield except that the later is a floor standing speaker
Not close...i would take the GHs with DD-18 all day long. I owned that combination and i am telling you, it was breathtaking. And if i had known then what i know now about how to setup the DD18...it would have been vastly better. My musical selection ranges from Gregorian chant to loads of Bach, to full-scale Mussorsgky to Deep House/Hip Hop/Rap to Jazz, blues, Sting, Grateful Dead/Pink Floyd, Mark Isham. And in virtually all cases, i loved the full range and power i got from the GHs with the DD18.
Note...i am a big sub-fan and always have been...a Velodyne has been an integral part of my system for 19 years now consecutively. I just auditioned the DD18+ too. Probably not in the cards for now...but it was impressive...and they did the audition with the new Guarneris.
Thanks, Lloyd. That was my suspicion but I haven't heard the Q1. Right now,I'm really enjoying my GH/ REL T5 combo.
You should also consider our Evolution Acoustics MMMicroOne as well as our MMMiniOne. I would put either up against any of the ones you mentioned.
Not that I am aware of. BTW, have you ever heard an active with quality amp components? i never have
.I remember in the early 80's that Meridian had an active which wasn't too bad. Although I thought the Celestion SL6 killed it for a lot less money.
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