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Disclaimer: The Spires are only a couple days old and have about 10 hours on them.
I got some time today to compare my new ML Spires and Magnepan 3.6 speakers. I set them up right next to each other with the ML's on the inside. Of course placement wasn't perfect but was good enough to give me a clear impression on the characteristics of the two speakers. I'll be perfectly honest, I am into guitars too and people are always using crazy descriptive terms to describe things like syrupy, spongey, woody, etc... I don't even know what that stuff does, so I'll just tell you guys how it sounds, because that's what I care about
I used a few different tracks in a couple of different genres, some might seem like odd choices but they actually offer some cool imaging comparisons(eg: fireflies):
Myles Davis: so what
Diana Krall/Norah Jones: Turn
Shinedown: Second Chance
Bonnie Tyler: It's a Heartache
Owl City: Fireflies
Maria Callas: Ave Maria
Nazareth: Love Hurts
One Republic: Apologize
Smashing Pumpkins: Disarm(acoustic)
Chesky Ultimate test disk
Both of the speakers are very transparent in their presentation just due to the planar/estat technology. The characteristics that emerged between the two speakers were pretty consistent on all the songs I listened to and will be spoken of in a general context, except one... yes you guessed it, BASS.
Summary:
Both the Spires and 3.6's were accurate and presented the music with a large soundstage and distinct imaging. The 3.6's had a larger soundstage, particularly vertically and the Spires seemed a bit tighter. It was quite difficult to compare one midrange with the other, or the Maggies vaunted ribbon tweeter with the panel because no matter what part of the sound spectrum I was listening to, the speakers imparted their own flavour to the overall sound. The magnepans were definitely a warmer speaker than the Spires, which isn't to say it was less detailed, but it was certainly more reserved, and that was with an adjustment in volume to account for the lower sensitivity. In fact I had to turn up the pre A LOT to match volumes with the Spires. I could see how some might find the 3.6's a more musical sounding speaker. I even played with the EQ a little bit to see if I could make them sound similar with different settings, but it was just the inherent characteristics of the speakers. Compared to the Maggies, the ML's were more analytical and immediate. I wouldn't say there was a veil over the maggie sound because they were still very detailed(I didn't hear anything in the ML's that I didn't hear in the Maggies), but because the ML's didn't have that reserved sound it really accentuates the details, making it seem like you are hearing more. I think the ML's will also benefit from more break-in. The ribbon tweeter is a thing of beauty and when it is subtly reigned in by that reserved Maggie tone, it is very nice and musical. The Spires were able to create those same upper tones masterfully but again didn't have that maggie warmth that some might like. The midrange goes to the Spires for its pure, crisp reproduction of sound.
Before I got the Spires I really liked the bass on the Maggies and didn't feel the need for a sub, I'm not a bass head, don't really listen to rap and stuff like that, and have a dedicated HT room for movies. However, when i got the Spires and listened to the same songs I had become intimate with on the 3.6's I realized how much I was missing in the bass department. Besides going lower, which it does by a large margin, the bass of the Spires is tighter and much more impactful. On some of the songs like Fireflies and Apologize, it practically changed the song. I have the bass set at -4 for my room and it sounds great. The panels of both speakers are about 3' off the rear wall and sound great, no big issues with either in that regard.
Summary/Conclusions:
The best way to describe the difference between the 3.6's and Spires is with a headphone analogy.
3.6 = Sennheiser
Spires = Grado
The Spires had a more upfront presentation and an analytical quality that I have always liked. I would prefer to feel like I am in the front row rather that the middle of the theatre, and that is strictly a personal preference and isn't a knock on the 3.6's at all, after all, I still own them! But the biggest difference is the quality and impact of the bass. Now that I have heard the bass of the Spires, there does seem to be something missing in the Maggies that I didn't recognize before. It is less noticeable in songs that have no bass of course, but it is there none the less. The other factor to consider is the price difference, because there is a big one. I don't think I could have brought myself to spend 9K or whatever on a new set of Spires when i could get the 3.6's for 5K. But I was able to get the Spires new for the same price as the maggies, and all things being equal the Spire is a better speaker for MY PREFERENCES. One more point. The Wyred4Sound SX-1000 amps are absolutely monster of tone. The local shop had 2 x 28sst's set up with some $20K pre/cd setup and no sh1t, the sx1000's hang with it no problem. They have massive amounts of power and are so musical, not to mention that both of the sit side by side beneath my preamp with room to spare. The bass is tight and hits hard and there is headroom for days. Awesome amps. $2000 and you are set for power regardless what speakers you have, oh, and you literally cannot get these things hot without the aid of a blow torch.
