If given a choice which speaker would you take home. 3 of the above speakers are cut from the same cloth sonically as being dynamic, transparent and the new direction for speaker designers. The Aida is romantic and warm. Needed advise as what would be everyone`s first and second preference. I enjoyed reading Peter Breuninger views on the differences between the Sonja and Anat. Is the Sonja warmer in its presentation that the Anat. Has anyone heard the Raidho 4.1 at length. Also the Sonja 1.3. Choice of amplifier Constellation Performance Series or Audio Research 250 or Jeff Rowland 825/725.
Raidho 4.1 or Sonus Faber Aida or YG Acoustics Sonja 1.3 or Magico Q7
- Thread starter seriouslyhifi
- Start date
If we're to state personal choices (and only that), I'd pick:
1. Magico Q7
2. YG Sonja
3. Raidho 4.1
- I wouldn't buy the Aida, at all.
Amplifier, I'd pick the Constellation over the AR or Jeff.
I've heard the Q7, Anat, Raidho 2 and 3.1, and the Aidas. Also heard the Constellations and AR.
alexandre
1. Magico Q7
2. YG Sonja
3. Raidho 4.1
- I wouldn't buy the Aida, at all.
Amplifier, I'd pick the Constellation over the AR or Jeff.
I've heard the Q7, Anat, Raidho 2 and 3.1, and the Aidas. Also heard the Constellations and AR.
alexandre
The Raidho 4.1 is a game changer over the 3.1. That is what I have been told. Secondly based on your preference of 1) Magico Q7 and 2) YG Sonja what were the main areas of differences did you hear...and the difference in retail price is $80,000. Any thoughts. I agree that I may just take the Constellation over the AR. But hearing great things about the Rowland 925 and 825.
Re: Raidho, yes, the bigger one could be significantly better, as well as the models with the new diamond-coated drivers. But I haven't had the chance to hear those yet.
I've heard only the Anat, and with active amping. They were very impressive, but the Q7 was much more so, with cleaner midrange, and bass to die for. The price difference between the Q7 and Sonja is not that great here, so I opted for the Q7. Also, the YGs (Anat) don't play nice with my amp (darTZeel), which indicate, to me, a funky crossover design.
alexandre
I've heard only the Anat, and with active amping. They were very impressive, but the Q7 was much more so, with cleaner midrange, and bass to die for. The price difference between the Q7 and Sonja is not that great here, so I opted for the Q7. Also, the YGs (Anat) don't play nice with my amp (darTZeel), which indicate, to me, a funky crossover design.
alexandre
I would disagree here - the Aida's are not romantic and warm. These speakers are really dynamic and transparent. I will not enter a battle on it, but I prefer the Aida's to the Q7 by a wide margin. Both the Audio Research and the Constellation sound great on the Aida's, I have no experience with the Raidho's, Sonja's or current Jeff Rowland 's. All IMH preference ...
I don't think this is the speakers fault. Several amps do just fine with these speakers. In addition, The darTZeels initially had issues with another powered subwoofer driven speaker that I believe required an adjustment to the Amp/speaker interface. I know at least two or three darTZeel owners that had their units adjusted either through circuit modification revs or passively. I will grant you that there was probably an interface issue but as I've mentioned, I don't think it's the speakers fault any more than I think it's the amps. If those other speakers were made to sound and perform well with the darTZeels, then I'm sure whatever adjustments were necessary with the other speakers could have possibly been done with the Anat.
My understanding of the current version of the YG Anat III Signature Professional (which probably isn't what most of the people have heard extensively in a well setup system) is that there are more similarities to the Sonja 1.3 than differences. The big Raidho 4.1 also sound very promising with SS or tubes. The highest up the Magico line I've heard extensively in a non-showroom environment have been the M5 and Q5. Both M5 and Q5 have positive attributes for different listeners. This really comes down to a personal preference more than anything...
Dre
Dre,
As I said, it's just my hunch, my suspicion, that the speaker's design is to blame. The 108 drives all sorts of speakers out there, with or without powered subwoofers, and it's just this one particular brand that triggers this behaviour. IIRC, Mike Lavigne used his 108 for a while with the MM7 monster...
And, since I like the amp better than the speaker, I chose another speaker. Someone else might've done just the opposite.
Even though it didn't play nice with my favourite amp, I still ranked it #2. That's how good that speaker is
And, IMHO, the Aidas are indeed warm and rolled off, from my experience, and my ears, and it's clearly the odd one out of the 3 you picked. If I may suggest to the original poster a replacement for the Aida for your consideration, that's more in line with other 2, it'd be one of Rockport speakers.
alexandre
As I said, it's just my hunch, my suspicion, that the speaker's design is to blame. The 108 drives all sorts of speakers out there, with or without powered subwoofers, and it's just this one particular brand that triggers this behaviour. IIRC, Mike Lavigne used his 108 for a while with the MM7 monster...
And, since I like the amp better than the speaker, I chose another speaker. Someone else might've done just the opposite.
Even though it didn't play nice with my favourite amp, I still ranked it #2. That's how good that speaker is
And, IMHO, the Aidas are indeed warm and rolled off, from my experience, and my ears, and it's clearly the odd one out of the 3 you picked. If I may suggest to the original poster a replacement for the Aida for your consideration, that's more in line with other 2, it'd be one of Rockport speakers.
alexandre
alexander,
No problem. I originally understood your comment as just what you said above which is perfectly valid. I wasn't going any further with it but only to add my observation of something slightly different.
If you don't mind sharing, what specific behavior did the YG trigger with your darTZeel amp?
Thanks,
Dre
No problem. I originally understood your comment as just what you said above which is perfectly valid. I wasn't going any further with it but only to add my observation of something slightly different.
If you don't mind sharing, what specific behavior did the YG trigger with your darTZeel amp?
Thanks,
Dre
Dre,
As I said, it's just my hunch, my suspicion, that the speaker's design is to blame. The 108 drives all sorts of speakers out there, with or without powered subwoofers, and it's just this one particular brand that triggers this behaviour. IIRC, Mike Lavigne used his 108 for a while with the MM7 monster...
And, since I like the amp better than the speaker, I chose another speaker. Someone else might've done just the opposite.
Even though it didn't play nice with my favourite amp, I still ranked it #2. That's how good that speaker is
And, IMHO, the Aidas are indeed warm and rolled off, from my experience, and my ears, and it's clearly the odd one out of the 3 you picked. If I may suggest to the original poster a replacement for the Aida for your consideration, that's more in line with other 2, it'd be one of Rockport speakers.
alexandre
Alexandre,
Is your opinion about the Aida's supported by auditions using the 108?
Francisco, why would you ask Alexandre this question? You own the Aidas. You know how good they sound. You know he is a Magico devotee and has no need for anything that isn't Magico. I don't usually comment in these threads but after reading his ridiculous comments about the Aidas, I felt the need to chime in.
Once again we are seeing someone saying a particular speaker is "warm" and "romantic"...Folks, I have news for you...LIVE MUSIC IS WARM AND ROMANTIC. If it isn't then something is VERY wrong. As a musician, I'll take warmth ALL day over sterile and cold. All, IMHO,YMMV.
As to the SF Aida's, to say they are 'rolled off' would indicate to me that either the listener prefers ...BRIGHT or he prefers COLD and STERILE. .......IMO
As to the SF Aida's, to say they are 'rolled off' would indicate to me that either the listener prefers ...BRIGHT or he prefers COLD and STERILE. .......IMO
Hi Friends what would be welcome is information/findings from people who have actually heard the Sonja 1.3 and Raidho 4.1. Most of us have extensively heard the Magico Q7 and Adia. based on that I would like to evaluate which speaker should I own. And finally it will come down to personal preferences as there is nothing like "this is the best".
Thank you Davey for your comments. What I wanted to say was that compared to the other 3 speakers in the group the Aida`s designer had a different perspective to what he wanted as a final result and he came out with flying colours. All the 4 speakers sound different and are great by every standard. The question is which 2 of the above speakers would you own (if you have heard all 4 of them) and what nuged you into that direction. Every audiophile will have their own views on which is the best and all I wnted to know were different opinions.
I was looking for big speakers to my second system and i was close to buy Aida. They have great design, amazing look but when i heard it i didn't want to have it in my home even for zero money.
It was one of worst sound i ever heard!! hi band flat, low resolution, no brilliance, mid band flat, empty sound, kind of old paper efect, dull sounding and horrible bass.
Only space and 3D imaging was very good. Aida there are not High End speakers.
Few days later i listended TAD Reference One and Focal Stella Utopia...it was great speakers.
It was one of worst sound i ever heard!! hi band flat, low resolution, no brilliance, mid band flat, empty sound, kind of old paper efect, dull sounding and horrible bass.
Only space and 3D imaging was very good. Aida there are not High End speakers.
Few days later i listended TAD Reference One and Focal Stella Utopia...it was great speakers.
Sonus Faber should junk your dealer then. If it was at a friends, your buddy clearly doesn't know what he's doing.
No, unfortunately not. Heard with AR monoblocks and beefy McIntosh amps (1.2KW I believe). The AR was better, but still rolled off significantly.
alexandre
Frank, I'm sorry, but that's particularly unfair. I'm not a devotee of anything. If I were, I wouldn't still be listening to other gear.
Whether you believe it or not, people have different experiences of the very same piece of equipment. Hence the horrible showing of the Q7 at the PA area dealer the other day, reported elsewhere here. It probably puzzles me just as much as it does Francisco. I've heard enough setups to know there's no magic recipe, and no magic "one piece fits all". What's paradise for one guy will be hell for the other guy.
I made it perfectly clear in my post that it was my OPINION. I hear a roll off, corroborated by some measurements I've seen. Is that so bad? Anyway, who's being a "devotee" here?
alexandre
Dre, that's cool, no problem.
The 108 has problems with the YG (or vice-versa, as you wish) with very fast transient attacks, when played loud enough. Burns the fuse on spot. I got mine to pop with Rimsky-Korsakov's "The Snow Maiden", from the Reference Recordings sampler.
alexandre
I heard the Raidho 4.1's at Jonathan Valins house with the Solution electronics and I was quite impressed. We listened over a 3 day period and had some long listening sessions so I could get a real feel for the speakers, here is what I heard.
Bass was monumental fast and quite clean, I have also heard the Magico Q5's in that same exact room and the 4.1 bass was better.
The 4.1 speakers are quite tall and that seems to make a big soundstage that was quite impressive.
The result of all those fast drivers gave a dynamic presentation in the midrange that I did not quite hear with the Q5's.
The top end was fluid and natural, NOTHING to complain about, my overall impression was absolutely top tier in every way, I could live with it happily.
My home system is all MBL Reference gear with a set of 101MK2 speakers, I do like the dynamics, shear impact and soundstage of the MBL better, but the 4.1's surely made an impression on me.
Bass was monumental fast and quite clean, I have also heard the Magico Q5's in that same exact room and the 4.1 bass was better.
The 4.1 speakers are quite tall and that seems to make a big soundstage that was quite impressive.
The result of all those fast drivers gave a dynamic presentation in the midrange that I did not quite hear with the Q5's.
The top end was fluid and natural, NOTHING to complain about, my overall impression was absolutely top tier in every way, I could live with it happily.
My home system is all MBL Reference gear with a set of 101MK2 speakers, I do like the dynamics, shear impact and soundstage of the MBL better, but the 4.1's surely made an impression on me.
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