Interesting Day at Best Buy

[SimplyEpic]

Hello all just wanted to share my listening session I had to day at Best Buy.,
Today was the first day I have been able to go into a Best Buy or any retail store other than Super Target and Walmart. I set an appointment and went to go see there Magnolia room. I was able to listen to a few speakers I have been interested in including the Definitive Technology 9060 and 9080 as well as the Klipsch 8000f and the Martin Logan 60XTI. I started with the Martin Logan's as I have been eagerly awaiting the chance to listen to them. They sounded amazing. I love the fact that the highs were very clear and lifelike and the speakers were very well balanced. The addition of a sub is welcome but not always needed. My biggest disappointment with them in that room is they were very directional once you got about 6 feet away from them. I am not sure if it was the acoustics of the room that caused this effect but it was very distinctive. The amazing sound stage just seemed to collapse. Even still I think they were one of the best sounding speakers when in range that I listened to. When in the sound pocket or at about a 10 - 20 degree angle from the front of the speakers was the sweet spot. Considering the subs were turned off and I was just listening in stereo the bass was present but not enough for movies or bass heavy music. The Mids were pleasant and flowed between the highs from the tweeters and the woofers very naturally. If only they weren't so directional. I also added a sub to the set just to see the difference it would make with the ML's and we blew the poor first sub which I believe it was a Bowers and Wilkins 608. Mind you we didn't have the volume up past maybe 50% on the Denon. The Blue Shirt said he was not used to such a mellow song punishing the speakers that way. We were listening to Keiko Matsui Whisper from the mirror. This was one of 2 subs I would take out today with that song lol.

Next was the Def Tec 9060. These speakers just filled the room with sound which shows that they seem to be made for movies. This is not to say they are bad at music. I do not think they were as clear as the Martin Logan or the Klipsch speakers but they sounded good. Plenty of full rich sound. If it were not that I have 3 cats and the fabric on these basically makes them giant musical scratching posts I would think these would work well in a small to medium sized room. I think they are a bit shy on the power side at least when paired with the Denon 3600. Per the usual I fund that the sub woofers were set to full range and volume set as high as they could go in the settings so when I first turned on the music the subs were so over driven I thought they would explode even though the rest of the speaker was not able to keep up. I turned down the subs to about half volume and it sounded great although for bass heavy music or even watching movies I would add a dedicated sub to these to help with the low end as they don't have very deep extension. The 9080's were much better and were different but almost as good as the Klipsch. The 9080's had a fuller with more detailed sound than the 9060 and the bass was also better. They had adequate bass without being attention grabbing once dialed in. I do have to admit the receiver may have been a bit better than the Denon I used with the 9060 and ML's but I didn't get the exact model of the Pioneer to compare the specs. They were all feeding off of the same music files on my phone though.

I then got to listen to the Klipsch RP-8000f paired with a Marantz SR6014. These speakers sound good but definitely need a sub or 2 to round out their sound. These were very clean, crisp and bright speakers. They had brilliant highs and mids but needed the subs to take the lows. Paired with 2 SPL-150's they were my favorites. They did have a presence of neutrality that let the instruments do what the track wanted them to. I think these again would need either an amp or a small to medium sized room to not start to wash out though. I will need to look and see if I can get a session with the RF 7 III to see how they fare as they are a bit higher on the Klipsch ladder but would imagine they would be more accommodated to handling larger rooms. The Klipsch had the second best sound stage next to the Def Tec. It was nice to have good sound again while moving about the room without massive shifts in the music.

Just to make sure I didn't miss anything I went back into the first room and listened to some other Bowers and Wilkins paired with a Klipsch 120 and that sub also fell victim to the soothing trance of Whisper from the mirror and started to crackle and make sounds no speaker should be allowed to make. I did make up for this by getting to hear my first electrostatic speaker. Before I left the last speakers I listened to were the Martin Logan ESL paired with a Dynamo 1600. That was easily the est sounding speaker I have ever heard provided you were in just the right spot. These were extremely directional. When you were in that small localized spot that the speakers would determine the vocals were so realistic if you closed your eyes you feel like they are in the room with you. This is almost to the point that you would mistake a breeze in the room for the singers breath. I really wish ML could work out the spacing issues as their sound quality is amazing.

Not sure if this will help anyone but I did want to share none the less even for simple entertainment. Enjoy.

 

[Movie2099]

Hello all just wanted to share my listening session I had to day at Best Buy.,
Today was the first day I have been able to go into a Best Buy or any retail store other than Super Target and Walmart. I set an appointment and went to go see there Magnolia room. I was able to listen to a few speakers I have been interested in including the Definitive Technology 9060 and 9080 as well as the Klipsch 8000f and the Martin Logan 60XTI. I started with the Martin Logan's as I have been eagerly awaiting the chance to listen to them. They sounded amazing. I love the fact that the highs were very clear and lifelike and the speakers were very well balanced. The addition of a sub is welcome but not always needed. My biggest disappointment with them in that room is they were very directional once you got about 6 feet away from them. I am not sure if it was the acoustics of the room that caused this effect but it was very distinctive. The amazing sound stage just seemed to collapse. Even still I think they were one of the best sounding speakers when in range that I listened to. When in the sound pocket or at about a 10 - 20 degree angle from the front of the speakers was the sweet spot. Considering the subs were turned off and I was just listening in stereo the bass was present but not enough for movies or bass heavy music. The Mids were pleasant and flowed between the highs from the tweeters and the woofers very naturally. If only they weren't so directional. I also added a sub to the set just to see the difference it would make with the ML's and we blew the poor first sub which I believe it was a Bowers and Wilkins 608. Mind you we didn't have the volume up past maybe 50% on the Denon. The Blue Shirt said he was not used to such a mellow song punishing the speakers that way. We were listening to Keiko Matsui Whisper from the mirror. This was one of 2 subs I would take out today with that song lol.

Next was the Def Tec 9060. These speakers just filled the room with sound which shows that they seem to be made for movies. This is not to say they are bad at music. I do not think they were as clear as the Martin Logan or the Klipsch speakers but they sounded good. Plenty of full rich sound. If it were not that I have 3 cats and the fabric on these basically makes them giant musical scratching posts I would think these would work well in a small to medium sized room. I think they are a bit shy on the power side at least when paired with the Denon 3600. Per the usual I fund that the sub woofers were set to full range and volume set as high as they could go in the settings so when I first turned on the music the subs were so over driven I thought they would explode even though the rest of the speaker was not able to keep up. I turned down the subs to about half volume and it sounded great although for bass heavy music or even watching movies I would add a dedicated sub to these to help with the low end as they don't have very deep extension. The 9080's were much better and were different but almost as good as the Klipsch. The 9080's had a fuller with more detailed sound than the 9060 and the bass was also better. They had adequate bass without being attention grabbing once dialed in. I do have to admit the receiver may have been a bit better than the Denon I used with the 9060 and ML's but I didn't get the exact model of the Pioneer to compare the specs. They were all feeding off of the same music files on my phone though.

I then got to listen to the Klipsch RP-8000f paired with a Marantz SR6014. These speakers sound good but definitely need a sub or 2 to round out their sound. These were very clean, crisp and bright speakers. They had brilliant highs and mids but needed the subs to take the lows. Paired with 2 SPL-150's they were my favorites. They did have a presence of neutrality that let the instruments do what the track wanted them to. I think these again would need either an amp or a small to medium sized room to not start to wash out though. I will need to look and see if I can get a session with the RF 7 III to see how they fare as they are a bit higher on the Klipsch ladder but would imagine they would be more accommodated to handling larger rooms. The Klipsch had the second best sound stage next to the Def Tec. It was nice to have good sound again while moving about the room without massive shifts in the music.

Just to make sure I didn't miss anything I went back into the first room and listened to some other Bowers and Wilkins paired with a Klipsch 120 and that sub also fell victim to the soothing trance of Whisper from the mirror and started to crackle and make sounds no speaker should be allowed to make. I did make up for this by getting to hear my first electrostatic speaker. Before I left the last speakers I listened to were the Martin Logan ESL paired with a Dynamo 1600. That was easily the est sounding speaker I have ever heard provided you were in just the right spot. These were extremely directional. When you were in that small localized spot that the speakers would determine the vocals were so realistic if you closed your eyes you feel like they are in the room with you. This is almost to the point that you would mistake a breeze in the room for the singers breath. I really wish ML could work out the spacing issues as their sound quality is amazing.

Not sure if this will help anyone but I did want to share none the less even for simple entertainment. Enjoy.

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I've worked with Magnolia several times over the last few years and sometimes, depending on who you're working with, you have to take what they say with grain of salt. Most of those workers push the higher end brands since they make commission off of everything. Majority of the Magnolia employees will talk down about anything outside of the Magnolia brand. I have met maybe 2 employees that actually knew what they were talking about out of the 12 or so I had general conversations with. Those two actually took the time to listen and put their 2 cents in but not be pushing product. They weren't in it for the super sale.

I'm surprised they paired B&W speakers with Klipsch subwoofer. Klipsch subwoofers are not that great. They are cheaply made. For similar price you can get something way better. SVS, HSU, etc.. Even a Martin Logan sub is better than a Klipsch.

I think you should go with the Martin Logans. Just based on your feedback and how well you liked them, you might go with some buyers remorse if you went with something else.

 

[SimplyEpic]

Best part is I am still in the investigative stage on speakers while I finish some construction work in the room to help with acoustics. One thing I do have to say is that it was disappointing the shape the room was in. The receivers were mostly locked down and smeared with what I assume was disinfectant so it was a challenge to even get sample music. We ended up using some device the Blue shirt had so he could connect his IPhone via USB and then some app on his phone to look up songs. We could not use my Galaxy or the USB drive I brought. Also not all of the speakers were available even though they were on display and a few of the subs in particular were already blown. They had a few ELAC and Bowers and Wilkins speakers that were there but not connected. Some of the price tags were missing for both the receivers and the speakers and the prices listed were not current. I did enjoy the listening session but was not planning on buying from Best Buy. I will probably either go directly from the manufacturer or Crutchfield when I do pull the trigger. I am also hoping for Memorial Day sales but won't have my room done until about that time anyway.

I did enjoy listening to the speakers I could and at least I got an idea of what those models sound like. I also settled on my receiver from what I was able to hear since I had already limited it down to the Denon 4500, 3600 or the Marantz SR6014 so it was productive in that sense.

 

[Movie2099]

Best part is I am still in the investigative stage on speakers while I finish some construction work in the room to help with acoustics. One thing I do have to say is that it was disappointing the shape the room was in. The receivers were mostly locked down and smeared with what I assume was disinfectant so it was a challenge to even get sample music. We ended up using some device the Blue shirt had so he could connect his IPhone via USB and then some app on his phone to look up songs. We could not use my Galaxy or the USB drive I brought. Also not all of the speakers were available even though they were on display and a few of the subs in particular were already blown. They had a few ELAC and Bowers and Wilkins speakers that were there but not connected. Some of the price tags were missing for both the receivers and the speakers and the prices listed were not current. I did enjoy the listening session but was not planning on buying from Best Buy. I will probably either go directly from the manufacturer or Crutchfield when I do pull the trigger. I am also hoping for Memorial Day sales but won't have my room done until about that time anyway.

I did enjoy listening to the speakers I could and at least I got an idea of what those models sound like. I also settled on my receiver from what I was able to hear since I had already limited it down to the Denon 4500, 3600 or the Marantz SR6014 so it was productive in that sense.

I would go with the Denon. If I could replace my Pioneer Elite, I would go with Denon. But for my next theater build I will be going with a high end processor instead of AVR.

You should check out the B&W lineup. Especially the 700 series. Very nice speakers. I own B&W speakers for my home theater and they are amazing.

Keep your eyes open for the some people on these forums. Some of them are dealers and can get you some sweet deals. Instead of going through the manufacturer or Crutchfield.

 

[SimplyEpic]

I will be keeping my eyes open on multiple speaker brands and am also looking at renting the Crutchfield headsets to try their virtual speaker examples. I know it won't replace the actual listening sessions where I can move around and sample the sound fields around the speakers but it should give me some tonal references to each model and maybe an example of the power differences between the speakers. I did like the Denon 4500 but I really liked the Marantz. I will be using the receiver for movies but lean much more to the musical side. I even like the Marantz surround virtualization sound for Jazz and other light listening. It kind of sets a mood. I have so many speakers to audition lol.

 

[Pogre]

No SVS Ultras to listen to at that Magnolia location??

 

[SimplyEpic]

Not near me. Very limited selection currently. In the first room I was in they had 2 sets of ELAC Speakers but they weren't setup, 2 sets of B&W. the Def Tech 9060, Martin Logan 40 and 60XTI's. and some lower end models. All together there were about 12 sets of speakers. 3 in the "high end" room which included the Klipsch, Def Tech 9080's and the Martin Logan ESL. The other room had the majority of the speakers and a about 16 receivers with 4 from each Denon, Pioneer, Marantz and Yamaha. Not even a single SVS in the store sub or otherwise. I don't remember what all they had for subs but I do remember a few Martin Logan's including the 1600 setup with the ESL and the 2 Klipsch setup with the 8000F's on display.

 

[Pogre]

Not near me. Very limited selection currently. In the first room I was in they had 2 sets of ELAC Speakers but they weren't setup, 2 sets of B&W. the Def Tech 9060, Martin Logan 40 and 60XTI's. and some lower end models. All together there were about 12 sets of speakers. 3 in the "high end" room which included the Klipsch, Def Tech 9080's and the Martin Logan ESL. The other room had the majority of the speakers and a about 16 receivers with 4 from each Denon, Pioneer, Marantz and Yamaha. Not even a single SVS in the store sub or otherwise. I don't remember what all they had for subs but I do remember a few Martin Logan's including the 1600 setup with the ESL and the 2 Klipsch setup with the 8000F's on display.

Some of them out here in my area have started carrying at least the SVS Ultra books for a while. I haven't seen any Ultra towers yet, but they do have Prime Pinnacles out here now too.

That's too bad. I would be curious to see your take on the Ultras compared to the others.

 

[SimplyEpic]

I would love to review them. SVS makes some amazing products. Things are just starting to open up near me so hopefully I can visit one of the more dedicated home audio stores soon and have a better selection. Sometimes those little Mom and Pop shops are the best for keeping hidden treasures.

 

[Movie2099]

I would love to review them. SVS makes some amazing products. Things are just starting to open up near me so hopefully I can visit one of the more dedicated home audio stores soon and have a better selection. Sometimes those little Mom and Pop shops are the best for keeping hidden treasures.

Nice thing is that no matter if you purchase through SVS or Best Buy, you still get the 45 day trial. Best Buy honors whatever SVS does.

I live in the state where Best Buy was created. So my Magnolia stores are very large. Each one has different high end products. We have some Kef Blades at one location. I was able to sit down and listen to those. Of course everything is hooked up with McIntosh $15k amps. Their Magnolia theaters they showcase have about $175-$200k worth of equipment in them. Behind the screen they use B&W products for both setups. They have SVS subs sitting around too. I know they are getting more KEF products to showcase. At the smaller Best Buys is where they keep their Def Techs, Klipsch, middle to lower tier products.

 

[SimplyEpic]

LMAO mine are much smaller. The one room was basically just speakers setup about 2 feet from the wall in a line across 3 of the walls with a giant round ottoman to sit on in the center. All of the speakers and receivers were attached to a switch panel to choose between source and speaker combo's through a tablet.
The High end room had the same ottoman but had a nice cabinet for the single receiver they were attached to and only had 1 set of speakers with subs hooked to each.

 

[Movie2099]

LMAO mine are much smaller. The one room was basically just speakers setup about 2 feet from the wall in a line across 3 of the walls with a giant round ottoman to sit on in the center. All of the speakers and receivers were attached to a switch panel to choose between source and speaker combo's through a tablet.
The High end room had the same ottoman but had a nice cabinet for the single receiver they were attached to and only had 1 set of speakers with subs hooked to each.

Yeah that setup is like my local Best Buy. They call it Magnolia, but you can't actually order any of the nice stuff from them. You have to go to the bigger BB's and speak with an actual Magnolia Rep. Thankfully, the bigger BB is only 15 mins from me so it's not that bad. But the other bad part of that is that we also don't have many other audio shops around town that have good product. You can find dealers, but they carry almost nothing in their shops. Just small time demo stuff.

You will find that a lot of people on this site like the company RBH. Thankfully i was able to find a local dealer of RBH and he just installed some their high end in-walls. But then Covid hit and pushed everything back. So hopefully by July i'll be able to go test them out and hear how good RBH is.

 

[SimplyEpic]

Most of the shops including Best Buy are at least a 45 minute drive for me. I will just have to make a day of it. Would be a good rainy day activity. I love living in the country but do wish I had easier access to some things. Best Buy is normally not my first choice but it is the closest that has at least a little selection.

 

[ryanosaur]

Sad thing at Magnolia/BB... is they put a lot of problematic gear up front! B&W and DefTech BPs are flawed speakers.
Ultimately it comes down to what you value most.

For me, I prefer accurate sound with a flat Frequency Response. Neither of those particular brands deliver that.

At BB/Magnolia, the best I heard was the KEF R series and the Martin Logan Motions. (My subjective preference.) I still wouldn't buy KEF, though, as I was sensitive to their mids. *shrugs

People love Klipsch, but there are issues that can be nitpicked there too, especially with some of their Subs.

If you think you like the sound of Klipsch, you should check out the JBL Studio 5 Series which goes on very deep discount quite frequently. They have been a favorite of many here.

Beyond that, what is your budget? If you are seriously considering speakers, you owe it to yourself to look beyond that purgatory of mediocrity.

Best,
R

 

[Pogre]

Sad thing at Magnolia/BB... is they put a lot of problematic gear up front! B&W and DefTech BPs are flawed speakers.
Ultimately it comes down to what you value most.

For me, I prefer accurate sound with a flat Frequency Response. Neither of those particular brands deliver that.

At BB/Magnolia, the best I heard was the KEF R series and the Martin Logan Motions. (My subjective preference.) I still wouldn't buy KEF, though, as I was sensitive to their mids. *shrugs

People love Klipsch, but there are issues that can be nitpicked there too, especially with some of their Subs.

If you think you like the sound of Klipsch, you should check out the JBL Studio 5 Series which goes on very deep discount quite frequently. They have been a favorite of many here.

Beyond that, what is your budget? If you are seriously considering speakers, you owe it to yourself to look beyond that purgatory of mediocrity.

Best,
R

I have my "new" Kefs hooked up right now just for fun, listening to music. They were an entry level model for the time but they do have the Uni Q drivers in them and I've never listened to them before. Thanks to CL it only cost me 30 bucks to get a chance!

They're not horrible, but compared to some of the others I have the bass is kinda flabby. Mids and highs get kinda scratchy at higher volumes and do start to become fatiguing, but that imaging is freaking pinpoint. Everything is really snapped into place in the sweet spot and it's definitely different from what I'm used to. Most of my speakers have fairly wide dispersion and spray the sound through the room. These are kinda like flashlight beams. When you're where the beams intersect it's pretty awesome but step out of it just a little bit and the illusion falls apart.

This was a great way for me to experience both types in my room, on my system. I don't regret this CL purchase at all.

I can see a sensitivity to the mids tho, for sure.

 

[ryanosaur]

I have my "new" Kefs hooked up right now just for fun, listening to music. They were an entry level model for the time but they do have the Uni Q drivers in them and I've never listened to them before. Thanks to CL it only cost me 30 bucks to get a chance!

They're not horrible, but compared to some of the others I have the bass is kinda flabby. Mids and highs get kinda scratchy at higher volumes and do start to become fatiguing, but that imaging is freaking pinpoint. Everything is really snapped into place in the sweet spot and it's definitely different from what I'm used to. Most of my speakers have fairly wide dispersion and spray the sound through the room. These are kinda like flashlight beams. When you're where the beams intersect it's pretty awesome but step out of it just a little bit and the illusion falls apart.

This was a great way for me to experience both types in my room, on my system. I don't regret this CL purchase at all.

I can see a sensitivity to the mids tho, for sure.

I just want to respond with one point:
The Kef R900 and the Q950 both sounded amazing. The R900 was better, of course. But for the cost of the R series, I think one is giving up cash for marketing. (That's just me.) I think the BMRs compete against those in SQ, all day long.

 

[lovinthehd]

Is Whisper "Whisper from the Mirror"? Gotta try this!

 

[SimplyEpic]

I do want to check out he KEF. From what I have seen online using headphones even though I know it is not a good sampling I thought the Q952 sounded like they would be good quality sound for a good price. @ryanosaur I do agree the Klipsch have there own issues especially on the low end at least the 8000F that I listened to and the subs were a bit loose which could have been from abuse in the store but all of the Klipsch subs they had were a bit on the rough side when it came to sound quality. As much as I like ported subs I can not stand when the port chuffing is noticeable. It is a distraction to the music presentation. I will take a look at the JBL's as soon as I can find some. Budget wise I am looking at about $10k but have a feeling once all is said and done I may end up closer to 12 just not if I can help it. @Pogre I usually like having a separate sub regardless of the speakers just to have a bit more balance as tons of speakers I have seen in the past are good at highs or lows and Bose would cover mids but none seems to balance them all out. Of course technology has changed greatly over the years as well as my budget and this will be a great journey seeing what higher end components and tech can do.

I love the conversation this has sparked. You guys are great and I appreciate all the opinions and insight

 

[KEW]

I do want to check out he KEF. From what I have seen online using headphones even though I know it is not a good sampling I thought the Q952 sounded like they would be good quality sound for a good price. @ryanosaur I do agree the Klipsch have there own issues especially on the low end at least the 8000F that I listened to and the subs were a bit loose which could have been from abuse in the store but all of the Klipsch subs they had were a bit on the rough side when it came to sound quality. As much as I like ported subs I can not stand when the port chuffing is noticeable. It is a distraction to the music presentation. I will take a look at the JBL's as soon as I can find some. Budget wise I am looking at about $10k but have a feeling once all is said and done I may end up closer to 12 just not if I can help it. @Pogre I usually like having a separate sub regardless of the speakers just to have a bit more balance as tons of speakers I have seen in the past are good at highs or lows and Bose would cover mids but none seems to balance them all out. Of course technology has changed greatly over the years as well as my budget and this will be a great journey seeing what higher end components and tech can do.

I love the conversation this has sparked. You guys are great and I appreciate all the opinions and insight

What does the 10K budget include? TV? Speakers? AVR? What sources? Anything else? Generally that is a decent budget!

 

[Gmoney]

Sad thing at Magnolia/BB... is they put a lot of problematic gear up front! B&W and DefTech BPs are flawed speakers.
Ultimately it comes down to what you value most.

For me, I prefer accurate sound with a flat Frequency Response. Neither of those particular brands deliver that.

At BB/Magnolia, the best I heard was the KEF R series and the Martin Logan Motions. (My subjective preference.) I still wouldn't buy KEF, though, as I was sensitive to their mids. *shrugs

People love Klipsch, but there are issues that can be nitpicked there too, especially with some of their Subs.

If you think you like the sound of Klipsch, you should check out the JBL Studio 5 Series which goes on very deep discount quite frequently. They have been a favorite of many here.

Beyond that, what is your budget? If you are seriously considering speakers, you owe it to yourself to look beyond that purgatory of mediocrity.

Best,
R

agree, sales people at BB love pushing B&W at least the one closest to me. Their Reference gear was not in the speaker room but sitting out in a open area close to 45k sitting on a rack was sweet to look at.