[TitaniumTroy]

Has anyone heard a pair of these, and if so what were your impressions? What is the general consensus of how would they stack up against say a pair of 20.7's?

In another forum Roger Sanders touts their narrow directivity vs wide dispersion speakers, however I think the True Ribbon Tweeter is pretty awesome in performance. I wonder how they would match up imaging wise in a one person optimized seating position, system?

[SoCalWJS]

I can't compare them to the 20.7's - can only say that I heard them at RMAF last year and fell in love with them (but a very narrow swet spot for listening). They did so many things well and had a very wide range (with their transmission line subwoofer). Fantastic imaging. Very fast and detailed. Lifelike dynamics (they insisted on some organ music).

Went to the OC show this year and saw they had a room, so I stopped by with high expectations. I was totally unimpressed. Setup seemed very similar, so not quite sure what the problem was.

I think that properly set up in a good room, they can be really really good.

[josh358]

Generally, speakers that beam like that will be very detailed, like a headphone, but lacking in a sense of lateral spaciousness. So I'd say they gain in timbral purity (unless you have a very treated room) but lose some in the imaging department. More to the point -- while I haven't heard the Sanders myself, I've always found head-in-a-vice imaging annoying. But that's just me. HP wrote a very positive review of the Sanders, and I've heard some (including HP) who say that the transmission line woofer mates seamlessly, though others say it doesn't (what else is new?).

[catastrofe]

I have the 10Cs, driven by a pair of Magtech stereo amps.  They replaced my Salk Soundscape 10s.  The Sanders are fantastic.  The woofers integrate seamlessly, and there's plenty of soundstage beyond the left and right boundaries of the speakers.  They are however, a single person speaker, unless your seating is one-behind-another.

[Jon L]

Sanders 10C is one of my all-time favorite speaker systems.  There is simply nothing like a well-done electrostat in the midrange, and the fact 10C is 94 dB sensitive (vs. 86dB of Maggie 20.7) with active crossover to bass at 172 Hz at 48dB slope opens up a lot of possibilities. 

[TitaniumTroy]

 I think a lot listener's must agree about the "headphone in a vise" limitation other wise later versions of Acoustat, Martin Logan and SoundLab. Would not have had so many designs that tried to get around that problem.

Would really like to take a listen sometime to the Sanders speakers. The articles he writes are thoughtful, well articulated logical and overall positive in nature, while still getting his point across.

Thanks for the replies.

[Jazzman53]

I've not heard Roger Sanders' speakers but I own flat panel hybrid electrostats with transmissionline woofers.  I think the Sanders panels are about 15x42 and mated to a 10" woofer; whereas mine are 12x48 mated to a 10" woofer.  They are highly directional one-person speakers with fantastic imaging and transient speed.  I think flat panels outperform curved panels in every respect except dispersion... better imaging, dynamics and coherency.  They also lend themselves welll to DIY and are surprisingly insexpensive to build.   Head in a vise?  Definitely yes... that's the price of purity.     

[2gumby2]

I heard the Sanders speakers at RMAF 2010 and consider them to be the best speakers I have ever heard. I've experienced the Magnepan 20.1s and like them a lot, but the Sanders speakers are a step up. Very narrow sweet spot though.

[catastrofe]

Troy, if you're ever in St. Louis you're welcome to stop buy for a listen.

[blownrx7]

Catastrofe,
What did you give up going from the Salk SS10 to the Sanders (besides the one person location)? What did you gain?
Was there anything about the SS10 that was clearly lacking or, conversely, anything about the Sanders that was clearly superior?
TIA

[catastrofe]

Catastrofe,
What did you give up going from the Salk SS10 to the Sanders (besides the one person location)? What did you gain?
Was there anything about the SS10 that was clearly lacking or, conversely, anything about the Sanders that was clearly superior?
TIA

It's actually ironic about the narrow sweetspot. . .prior to the SoundScapes I had the Emerald Physics CS2.3.  I got rid of them because I didn't want the limitation of a narrow listening position.  On a whim, I took advantage of the Sanders no-risk trial (30 day in-home demo and freight both ways), and positioned them where I had the SS10s.  I hated them. . .  I was ready to box them up for return shipment but decided to try a different position (12 inches in from the sidewalls).  The change was jaw dropping.  Even my wife (who loves music but doesn't focus too much on sound quality) preferred them over the Salks.

The Sanders have as much lower end as the SS10s, and everything handled by the panels is stellar.  Clarity, presence, soundstage, imaging. . .you name it, the Sanders are clearly better.  I still have the Salks (they're posted for sale here and on other sites), and hooked them back up not too long ago.  They sound great, but much more recessed and mellow than the Sanders.

[kevin360]

I listened to a pair at a show in Atlanta and was highly impressed. I thought the dynamic woofers blended beautifully with the panels. I have long thought of Behringer gear as something to be avoided, but I have to admit that the crossover didn’t seem to contribute anything evil. It was just a stunningly good system. Compared to a pair of Magnepans with that glorious (and very narrow) ribbon tweeter, they definitely have a small sweet spot, but the detail and coherency was off the charts.

[catastrofe]

One of these days I'd like to replace the Behringer with a DEQX or similar unit. . .I'm guessing that would take my system up another notch.

[jsm71]

I heard the Sanders room at RMAF last year.  I planned a Denver vacation that just happened to overlap the show.  What a coincidence!     My main goal was to meet Roger and finalize arrangements to buy his Magtech amp which I truly enjoy.   The most amazing thing I remember other than being blown away by his setup was my wife, my wife asked me twice to go back and hear his system again.  We missed a few rooms because of that.  His speakers can really put out amazing clarity and slam, a nice combination.  Very, very narrow sweetspot as others have attested to.

[Jazzman53]

I have long thought of Behringer gear as something to be avoided, but I have to admit that the crossover didn’t seem to contribute anything evil. It was just a stunningly good system.

Roger talked me into the Behringer DCX for my stats and it was a good move.  I can't hear anything wrong with it and I love it's tuning capabilities.   

[jimdgoulding]

I have a podner out in La Grange that has or had Sanders 10's with Duke's 3 subs.  Mighty fine listening.  Lots of cats have listening rooms to include myself, but this fool has his own listening house!

[SteveFord]

My wife can relate to the Listening House part...

[ltr317]

I have a podner out in La Grange that has or had Sanders 10's with Duke's 3 subs.  Mighty fine listening.  Lots of cats have listening rooms to include myself, but this fool has his own listening house!

   That's lotto rich.