# Heard Magnepans for the first time today



## Tuberoller

In all the years I have been involved in audio,I have never actually had a chance to audition a set of Magnepans or any Magneplanar loudspeaker in my systems.I have owned a few Electrostats and Horns,ribbons and many,many cone driven speakers.I decided I needed to try a set of "Maggies" so I took Magnepan up on the MMG offer.They are selling this model direct for a limited time for $550.00 plus shipping.I just got them Tuesday and have been breaking them in over the last few days.I just took a good listen tonight.The MMG is hailed by Magenpan as the lowest cost Planar-Magnetic/Ribbon speaker in the world.This speaker has a efficiency rating of 86db,but has a widely varying impedance curve ranging from 1.8ohm to 7ohms which makes a powerful and dynamic amp a real neccessity.It measures 48inches tall,14.5 inches wide and only 1.25 inches thick.I had always assumed Planar speakers difficult to postion correctly,making the assumption that they are similar in nature to Electrostats.I was suprised to find the maggies to have a nice,wide "sweetspot" and can be very easy to placed in a position that allows proper soundstaging.Consider that my room is large(22x28 ft) and has acoustic treatments.I planned to power them with the Rogue MB120 tube Monobloc amps,but they were sold earlier this week.I used a set of Hafler DH-500 amps that I assembled back when I was a kid and still own.They have been upgraded with a Van Alstine Omega III power supply and boards.I used a Van Alstine Pas 3i tube preamp.The only digital souces I have been using recently are a Sony DVP-NS500V and a Musical Fidelity A324 DAC.I used a VPI Extended Aries table with a Grado Reference Cartridge and Grado PH-1 phono amp on Todd Green's(Headroom's Sales Manager) recommendation.His ear is indeed Golden.

 I felt the need to post my impressions here because I am so stinkin' impressed.I have been missing out.My dad has been trying to get me on the Maggie bandwagon for years but I wasn't having it.He has always loved Quad Electrostats and I have always hated them.My foolish association between the Quads and Magnepans and lack of understanding of Planar technology has cost me.

 The first big suprise I had was how much bass these things are capable of.This is not logical to a guy like me.Where is the bass driver?I equate no woofer with no bass.Not the case here.There is good bass and plenty of it.It is not the deepest bass I have heard,but it is cavernous and rich and in all the places it belongs.It is the kind of bass that makes you attempt to locate the subwoofer in the room.Don't mistake this for the boomy slop that some inexpensive bookshelf speakers pass off as bass.this is real bass.My wife thinks the bass is just OK.She thinks I am in a state of shock that the Maggies actually have any bass at all.Of course,she is comparing these to my usual PSB speakers which have house-shaking bass.I will have a second(third?) opinion on this tomorrow when some audio buddies drop by for football games.

 The strength of any Planar speaker has always been in the midrange,or so I have always assumed.I assumed correct.The midrange on these speakers is among the sweetest I have heard.It is not too laid back and not at all too forward.There is no "hump" or over-emphasis that causes an imbalance in the overall sound.Voices are true and sound perfectly pitched.The Treble seems a little relaxed but there is no real loss of detail.This may be a product of the amps.After the Van Alstine upgrades they have taken on a completly new character.They are much smoother and have much better soundstage projection.With that in mind I am still amazed at the width and depth of the soundstage from the Maggies.Instrument placement and stereo imaging is precise and natural sounding.I have to say that these speakers do Piano Jazz better than anything I have ever heard.In my opinion a Piano is the single most difficult instrument to reproduce accurately.The MMG do it the best.If there is any fault with the Maggies,it lies in an overall tonal balance that errs on the side of politeness.What I mean is, these speakers,even when played loud,just don't do certain kinds of music.If you are a Metal fan these ain't your speakers.They are also every bit as difficult to drive as the specs suggest.The Haflers are capable of delivering 500W a channel and 1200W peak.They were burning hot after my 3 hour listening session.They never clipped or distorted,but the heat indicates they were working hard.I have used these a long time on a lot of speakers and they have never run that hot.

 My wife wants to try the Maggies with one of the Fisher recievers we have(she's in the room hooking it up now).I don't know how that will work out but I'll keep you posted.If you have the opportunity to audition these, do so.The price along with the 60 day return policy is really nice and if you have a suitable amp I think these will suprise you.


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## CRESCENDOPOWER

Isn't that crazy! A 550 buck pair of speakers that need monsters to drive 'em. Just think Fred, of the all the junky 1500 dollar home theater systems out there compared to the MMGs with power behind them. People just don't know what they are missing. When you trade them in for the bigger boys let us know what you think of those. Glad you like them.


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## puppyslugg

Tuberoller,

 I've had my Maggie III's for years and you are correct: the midrange is where it excels. Hard to better for vocals. That was the reason why I purchased the Monsoon 1000 for my computer setup for the planar technology. I haven't been disappointed.

 $550? It's a steal!


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## DarkAngel

My local (rich) Audiophile friend always has either Martin Logan CLS or Apogee speakers in his system (he owns both!) Last trip there he had 6ft tall Martin Logan CLS panels in use with two subwoofers that were used as end tables to couch! He has them bi-amped with two Inner Sound amps.

 I have to readjust my perspective when hearing this system because the 3D image is unbelieveably huge, bigger than life. Thats what you get with 6ft panel used as single driver, I can see where people once hearing this cannot return to box speakers, the large panels can have amazing transparency and presence.


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## mikel51

I'm running Magnepan 3.3Rs. I ended up being a Maggie person when my audiophile friend picked up some 10.1s for his girlfireind's house to make her stereo listenable. 

 My first pair of Maggies were 2.5s that I bought for $800 used over the internet. That was a disaster because the dealer was a crook and they arrived damaged--but all ended well when they were sent back to the factory and refurbished at shipping company expense.

 I didn't keep them long because I found a used pair of Maggie 3.3R speakers for $1100. These are close to audio Nirvana for me(Although my friend's $40K Genesis speakers powered by >$50K worth of electronics do make my system sound like chopped liver) . When positioned perfectly, you get wonderful 3 dimensional soundstaging. Very good bass, and mid ranges are very sweet and transparent.

 When I purchased the speakers, I had a Denon receiver, and this sounded fine. I have upgraded to a tube (EAR) preamp and a separate power amp (Conrad Johnson Sonographe). These did improve the sound, but the quantum leap in my system was the speakers. If I were to upgrade my system I would get a Levinson power amp, a tube preamp with a remote volume control (Sonic frontiers or perhaps BAT), and a new CD player (Currently an Anthem, but the Audio Research CD-2 sounded pretty good when I auditioned it a few years ago). Even though I generally prefer tubes, I thin that Maggies do better when powered by solid state amps rather than tube amps.

 I moved about a year ago, and my current living room does not have a good place for optimal Magnepan placement. For casual listening they sit back against the wall, and for more critical listening the are moved out about 3 feet from the wall to optimize sound stage. 

 I am relatively new to headphones. I recently obtained a Wheatfield HA-2 amplifier and I have Etymotic ER-4P (with S adapter) and Sennheiser HD-600s. The Magnepans blow away the sound quality of both of these headphones. The sound from the Magnepans is much more transparent, fast, detailed and sweet.


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## Todd R

I've been living with Maggie 1.6's for the past 2 years. 
 I went speaker shopping this summer and couldn't hardly find anything I could even tolerate, let alone liked better.
 Joseph Audio RM 25 I could live with, but cost double what the Maggies did. 
 They are truly one of the great bargains in audio. 
 Yeah, they like a lot of power, they are big and demand space, but it's worth it.


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## Hirsch

I first heard Maggie's over 20 years ago, and have wanted them since. I'd own them now, but I've got four cats. They would make a very expensive scratching post


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## mikel51

Quote:


 _Originally posted by Hirsch _
*I first heard Maggie's over 20 years ago, and have wanted them since. I'd own them now, but I've got four cats. They would make a very expensive scratching post 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


* 
 

I have some spray that smells bad to cats, and keeps them away from the speakers. It goes on the wood trim and the metal speakers stands.


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## Tuberoller

Recently my wife wants to connect everything from her Marantz SA-14 SACD player to her Audes speakers to the Fisher 400 receiver.I have always had them around but now my Wife is in love with them.I let her have the one I took to the Chicago meet and this is now what she is using in her office.She uses it for a headamp,tuner and amplification.When she suggested that we use it to power the new Magnepan MMG loudspeakers,I figured that after they made the Haflers sweat the Fisher had little chance to do any better.I was once again wrong.This does not make any sense to me.The Fisher does not power the Maggies to the great bass performance of the Haflers but the midrange is now even sweeter and better focused.Imaging,which I already thought was spot-on,is now slightly more accurate and depth of soundstage is much improved.Bass is still good,but I know now why some prefer to use these with a subwoofer.In my room a subwoofer is probably not needed but a room of differing dimensions and acoustics may benefit.the Fisher does not even seem to be working hard and actually(this doesn't make any sense either) seems to be able to make them play better with loud music.There is slightly less treble grain and peak level distortion.Piano music still sounds just amazing.The best got better.I really am gonna try the Maggies with some of the other amps I have around,including a NAD 317 ,a Classe' I just had rebuilt and a McCormack monster that I picked up really cheap.I'll let you guys know how those sound.I am still shocked by the Fisher combo and this is what I'll keep going for now.When my buddies come by today we'll probably do some gear swapping and I'll get a second opinion.


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## kelly

I heard Maggies 1.6s at a local audiophile snobby boutique on all Linn equipment and was extremely disappointed. Having been a fan of Martin Logan and having had Maggies recommended to me by so many people, it was heartbreaking. I talked to John Acton about it who got to audition the Maggies in his home and he described to me some of the ways the Maggies interacted with his room conditions. Yup, that must have been the problem. This particular snobby shop had an array of Maggies and was an authorized dealer so I thought for sure they knew what they were doing, but apparently in a small-ish room with the Maggies too close to the walls, you get a ltitle bit of a bright/harsh sound. I'd thought I'd written these speakers off that day but after talking with Acton, I understood that I really needed to audition them again in a better environment.

 Unfortunately, of course, that was the only Maggie dealer in Dallas (they're also the only Stax dealer, the only Linn dealer and the only Arcam dealer) and frankly, the guy who seems to be running the shop there is a prick. For them to be an authorized Arcam dealer, they'd decided they were only going to stock the CD72 from now on and tell everyone else to buy Linn. They were really snobbish and rude to me and dparrish and didn't really know what they were talking about either. (Hey, I'm amateur here--when *I* can spot an idiot, you know he's an idiot.)

 Anyway, some day - some other city maybe, I'll give Maggies a shot again. I don't imagine I'll ever have a big dedicated room though so maybe it's just as well that they were set up the way they were. I get the impression that I might like even the cheap Martin Logans better in near field and I still need to find out about Quads.


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## KR...

The maggies were the 1st audiophile speakers that I ever heard, ages ago. I have no idea what model they were, but they kind of looked like a Godzilla size AKG k1000 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 These speakers are own by a certain someone on this very board, who shall remain nameless to hind the shame that they haven't been hook up to anything for years and years (6 years maybe?). 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I wonder if the reason they sound too polite is because those tube amps don't have enough horse power to bring them to life. You know, just like how the AKG 501 sound too polite and boring until you hook them up to a Maxed out Home or a Max, then they show their true sound or their maximize sound anyway.


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## RobertR

I've been very happy with my MG111a. they not only have good midrange but excell in the highs with the ribbon tweeter.
 I wanted more audio nirvana so I added a velodyne powered sub woofer. I dont know if it was worth the extra $1000.00 but now I can hear the low subway rumbling in early emi studio recordings and also those powerful lows in telarc cd's.The sub reduces a lot of strain on the planar diagram and just lets them blossom forth.

 Beware of cats and dont vacuum the grill cloth near the ribbons.


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## jim

Hi Fred! We met at the first chicago headroom meet last winter, where I showed you my white pocket cmoy amp (I'm a tall asian guy).

 Anyway, I'm in the market for some speakers, if not now then in the next few months. I was originally planning to get a pair of used monitors, something around the Proac 1sc/Tyler Acoustic Reference Monitor range. Now I'm considering these magnapans. I forgot that these were within my price range! How would you rate these to monitors in the ~$1k range? I'm going to go to the local magnapan dealer tomorrow and see if they have a pair of MMGs I can listen to. 

 Thanks!


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## KR...

Here is a pic for you all : 






http://www.magnepan.com/1-800-474-1646/mmg.html


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## Tuberoller

Quote:


 _Originally posted by jim _
*Hi Fred! We met at the first chicago headroom meet last winter, where I showed you my white pocket cmoy amp (I'm a tall asian guy).

 Anyway, I'm in the market for some speakers, if not now then in the next few months. I was originally planning to get a pair of used monitors, something around the Proac 1sc/Tyler Acoustic Reference Monitor range. Now I'm considering these magnapans. I forgot that these were within my price range! How would you rate these to monitors in the ~$1k range? I'm going to go to the local magnapan dealer tomorrow and see if they have a pair of MMGs I can listen to. 

 Thanks! * 
 

Hey I remember you!You were "Just Jim".I also remember your Dad.

 I was told when I called that the MMGs were only available direct.This may not be true but the person told me that the only way dealers get them is on trade, unless they pay full retail.I guess there is not much room for profit margin on these and the whole idea is to get you clued in to Maggies and then trade these up at full value(that's part of the deal) for a higher model.

 Today,I tried the MMG with a variety of amps and also got to hear a set of Maggie 3.6 as installed in a system with the the 3.6 as part of a external cross-over network and subwoofer.I was simply blown away.I have to make a seperate post about the guy and his four systems.I was amazed in every way.The MMG may not be as difficult to drive as I first thought.Today I tried them with a few different amps,some tubed and some solid state and most of them were capable of making the Maggies sing.Jim,I have owned a few speakers in this price range and many way more expensive loudspeakers.I just have to say that if you have an amp that can power these,you must try them.The 60 day return and upgrade policies are nearly risk-free.

 My friends who were around today offered opinions.Everybody was impressed with the soundstaging,imaging and midrange.Some guys thought the bass was accurate but there was not enough of it.Some thought it was fine.I do think if I keep these I will add them to crossover and/or subwoofer system.To a man,everyone thought these things were way too good for the price.No one believed that they only cost $550.00.When used with the Fisher 400 most thought the midrange was nicest and the bass was best when used with the Solid-State Hafler DH500s used as monoblocs.

 I just met the guy with the 3.6 today and he has these installed with a Pass Labs crossover network and two custom built subwoofers using four 15" drivers.All this is driven by Four VTL MB750 reference Monoblocs.This is an all analog system that uses a VPI TNT table and a Linn LP12 table as well as two Reel-to-Reel decks.The sound was nothing short of amazing.I have never heard anything like that in someone's home in my life.That is not even his most impressive system,he has three more that are just as amazing.like I said this guy deserves his own post.


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## KR...

cool, I am looking forward to reading about them.


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## kelly

Quote:


 _Originally posted by Tuberoller _
*I just met the guy with the 3.6 today and he has these installed with a Pass Labs crossover network and two custom built subwoofers using four 15" drivers.All this is driven by Four VTL MB750 reference Monoblocs.This is an all analog system that uses a VPI TNT table and a Linn LP12 table as well as two Reel-to-Reel decks.* 
 

Now that's what I'm talkin' about.


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## jim

Thanks for the info Fred! Even if the dealer doesn't have any MMG's, I'd still like to get a taste for the magnepan sound. Maybe they'll have a pair of 12's or 1.6s or something. Hmmm, maybe that's a bad idea since I just might actually want those after a listen. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 Man, I really wanted to meet up with you guys again at the last chicago meet, but I was swamped with work here at school. Hopefully I can make it to the next one!


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## RobertR

tuberoller; what is the crossover freq. of the subs to maggie. 
 When i got the velotdyne sub I had the crossover point to the mgiii changed from 6db at 85hz to 85 at 12db resulting in less strain on the planar diaphram. 
 Yes the maggies will bottom out on certain passages. 
 Now I can" throw anything at them "and they can handle it.


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## Tuberoller

Jim,I thought the Maggie sound might be "an acquired taste" but I found that not to be true.Horns and Electrostats are a bit different sounding but I think Magnepans are unique in that the sound is not a huge leap from what you are accustomed to.It is just articulated in a different way.

 The next meet will be better planned and take place over two days at my house.Of course there will be lots of gear,but this time we will do some direct comparisons as a group.I have informed Doug Schneider of Soundstage about the meetings that take place and about how they are organized here.He has been wanting to come back to Chicago and said he will most likely attend the meeting.posts will be made a least a month ahead of time and the meet will take place in April.


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## Tuberoller

Quote:


 _Originally posted by RobertR _
*tuberoller; what is the crossover freq. of the subs to maggie. 
 When i got the velotdyne sub I had the crossover point to the mgiii changed from 6db at 85hz to 85 at 12db resulting in less strain on the planar diaphram. 
 Yes the maggies will bottom out on certain passages. 
 Now I can" throw anything at them "and they can handle it. * 
 

Rob,

 I am not currently using a sub on mine,but the guy who has the 3.6 is coming by later tonight with a complete gear list from his amazing systems and I will ask him then.


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## Andrew Pielet

Tuberoller, I remember the time I talked to you on the phone, and told you of my Audio Valve tube mono/ MMG setup. The first thing you said was "how's the bass"? I couldn't give you a straight answer, due to the fact I knew there was improved bass everyday for about 3 months while breaking them in. You will surely be trippin' when you hear them in 2 months, VERY different speakers, just as revealing. It's good you have that many amps to play with. 
 kelly, Linn is definetly not compatible with MMG's. They make them too sterile, and MMG's need a little bit of warmth and coloring to smooth out the detail of the clear high mids. I think the british sounding equipment just doesn't color maggies (or add a realistic tone) properly because indeed they need an amp to balance their sound. I still am extremely happy with my purchase, and I almost feel like I would miss out on the "raw" flavor of the MMG's if I change to the 12's or 1.6's.


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## Tuberoller

Quote:


 _Originally posted by Andrew Pielet _
*Tuberoller, I remember the time I talked to you on the phone, and told you of my Audio Valve tube mono/ MMG setup. The first thing you said was "how's the bass"? I couldn't give you a straight answer, due to the fact I knew there was improved bass everyday for about 3 months while breaking them in. You will surely be trippin' when you hear them in 2 months, VERY different speakers, just as revealing. It's good you have that many amps to play with. 
 kelly, Linn is definetly not compatible with MMG's. They make them too sterile, and MMG's need a little bit of warmth and coloring to smooth out the detail of the clear high mids. I think the british sounding equipment just doesn't color maggies (or add a realistic tone) properly because indeed they need an amp to balance their sound. I still am extremely happy with my purchase, and I almost feel like I would miss out on the "raw" flavor of the MMG's if I change to the 12's or 1.6's. * 
 

Yeah,I remember that conversation.Talking with you kinda spurred my curiosity a bit more and I ordered them right after that.There was a waiting list but I hear production has been ramped and the list is short and orders are filled very fast.Actuallly I have not stopped playing them.They are playing now as we speak.I am going to audition a digital amp I have been hearing about that comes highly recommended by the folks at Magnepan,Innersound and Martin Logan.I'm gonna pick it up today from Music Direct,who also say it is the best amp they have ever heard.We'll see.......

 I acknowledge that the sound has indeed changed dramatically since first hooking them up and I feel that a longer break-in will be beneficial.Please feel free to comment on my thoughts and offer yours as well,I am very interested.


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## Andrew Pielet

Tuberoller, people say that SS amps work with Maggies very well do to the power behind them, and tube preamp would give the warmth and color I was speaking of. My system is somewhat opposite, I have a SS Preamp (Angstrom 200 Mike Moffat) and the tubes powering. The thing that is lacking is the deep chest bass. The SOUND of the bass is the prettiest I have heard. Now that I have my sub at 50hz, they roam free (see last sentence), and the lower end isn't sloppy, or muffled. Really, I still have no idea what sub to be using. I am borrowing a Paradigm 1000 15" from a buddy, since when I first hooked up the MMG's it seemed like the bass was non-existant. Cables for the amps were pretty difficult to find. Silver ovals sounded ok to my ears, but others really thought they made the vocals too airy and really, the high mids/highs needed no extra push. Siltech G-3 put a veil over most of the music, but the sounstage got wider, and the vocals became too pronounced. I actually couldn't believe the veil over everything. Twisted 89259 were average, with the highs coming down quite a bit, but very balanced tones. nothing stuck out at all, but we had nothing bad to say either. I couldn't tell about the bass, cause the MMG's were only a month old. The first cables I bought were Homegrown Audio Super Silvers, and those really didn't work at all. (Actually my friend took these to use in his Classe/Martin Logan system, for the amp/preamp connection. They are the best we have found so far for him, besides Nordost, Cardas, and Acoustic Zen, which we are both trying to get our hands on.)
 So, finally, the cable of chioice for my amps are....the CIR's. Local midwest company, copper, with wrapped ferrite ends. You really have to hear these, (sorry for not making it to the Head-fi meet) they are full sounding, balanced, colored beautifully for a match made in heaven. It was like a needle in a haystack. these were I think $300 for a meter pair, and I traded my buddy for the Homegrown I got used $55!! He knows, he is just stoked we both have found acceptable cables. I was using DIY 1509 for a digital cable that was VERY good in my opinion, and I just switched it to the Fineline Stealth MK2. The fineline has extended highs and lows, the cymbals were way more crisp present and upfront, but the vocals have less presence (yet more subtle detail and clarity abounds). I definitely need to try more digital cables once I have a new CD player. It is good you have the Maggies now. You will also see how difficult it is to build a system around them, since every piece make a HUGE difference, especially cables. If you have any ideas for a CD player, I am all ears. The Music Hall would probably be to bright, but I am curious what you think. I am looking at the Anthem, Rotel, and the Arcam Diva. Top priority is that it has Track remaiing and disc remaining info, and HDCD. Oh yeah, when the sub is hooked up (always) The angstrom cuts off the speakers at 80hz. this might be why the sloooow sub finally sounded good turned way down. How can I make the speakers run full range w/ keeping the sub hooked up through the preamp?? There, mywhole system thought in one post!!


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## FCJ

I'm a loyal Maggie user since 1985, when I bought my SMGa's (unfortunately, they're now in storage but that's another story). When I first got them, I remember being extremely disapointed at how lackluster they sounded (I was using, and still use, a B&K ST-140 amp). However, after they were broken in about a month or so they became glorious. Midrange and the overall "size" of the sound is incredible. Placement is tough, though. Once you get that right, they sing. I don't think I could ever go back to a "box" speaker, given the choice.


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## jim

Well, I just got back from Glenn Poor's Audio, my local high end audio shop. They had a set of Maggie 1.6's connected to a primare integrated amp and primare cd player. They did sound somewhat polite, but that was probably because I didn't really want to turn the volume up real load. They weren't set up in the most ideal room, as the left channel was reinforced by the back and left wall whereas the right only had a small portion of back wall, and the the right opened up to the rest of the shop. Even so, they were nothing short of amazing. I listened to some tracks of the Classic Yo-Yo Ma cd, and edgar meyer's acoustic bass was reproduced with the most amazing realism I've ever heard in a pair of speakers. Acoustic bass through most speakers I've heard sounds muffled and kind of woofy, but the magnepans reproduced them with the same detail as the midrange. Fred, what you said about the piano reproduction is absolutely right! I play a 7' Kawai RX-6 grand piano at home, one that I picked among literally dozens of pianos we looked at over a span of a year and a half. So of all real live instruments, I know what a piano should sound like best, and after listening to a few tracks from Murray Periah's new Chopin Etude cd, I have to admit I'm extremely impressed. They're very convincing! Too bad there isn't any way I can fit a pair of 1.6's in my room. However, I think my wallet is going to feel about $550 lighter pretty soon. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Hey, I also got to hear a sweet analog setup for the very first time today! It was a Linn Sondek LP12, BAT VK-50se preamp, BAT monoblocs, nordost valhalla throughout, and Avant Garde Duos. I listened to parts of Holst's The Planets performed by Andre Previn and the LSO, and all I have to say is OMG! I better stay away from that place lest I develop a taste for their reference system! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 edit:
 Oh btw, the one weakness that I did hear in the magnepans is that their bass was indeed rolled off quite a bit at the very bottom. Not much of a concern to me though, since my music tastes don't have have too much stuff in the low low end of the spectrum.


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## gerG

Dangit you! The real reason you got thrown off those other sites is that everybody else went broke because of you, right?
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 This is intriguing. I have been looking for a ribbon tweeter, and these might qualify. I will bet that if mounted in a cabinet they might even develop some decent bass response. I'm serious! I don't like bipolar (or even di-polar) speakers, but I've always liked what comes out of the front of the electrostatics. These might be a lower risk mod.

 How are the dynamics? Last time I listened to maggies they were very disappointing in this area. Even with a sub they sounded sluggish. Maybe the amp makes all the difference.


 gerG


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## Hirsch

Quote:


 _Originally posted by jim _
*Well, I just got back from Glenn Poor's Audio, my local high end audio shop. * 
 

Wild! That's where I first heard the Maggies, in the early 80's.


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## jim

Hirsch, that's really cool! Were there any other audio shops you went to? The only ones I know of are GP's and Champaign Audio, and also good vibes, but they're mostly A/V stuff these days. Maybe they'll have that new Philips SACD/DVD player that Tuberoller was raving about... hmm..... oh no! what am I thinking?! He really is making us all broke! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Greg, obviously my short listen to them can't do them full justice, but it seemed the maggies didn't have huge bowl-you-over slam, like say, the Avant Gardes did. As I mentioned they seemed fairly polite, but that could have been for a number of reasons, the acoustics of the room being a big one. Even so, the bass detail and imaging/soundstage was so phenomenal that I'm rather willing to give up a little slam in exchange. I think my only real beef against them is that they are so stinking big!


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## Tuberoller

You guys are gonna hate me for this and I admit to not really knowing what I'm trying to do here.I gotta back-track and say that the best amplifier for the Maggies is the PS Audio HCA2 .It is indeed one of the very best amps I have ever heard.I was not sold on digital amplification....I am now.This amp seems to have been designed with loudspeakers like Maggies and Electrostats in mind.It makes them sound so sweet.The MMG are just one of those loudspeakers that seem to sound better with each improvement or change that you make to the system.I am getting the feeling that I could throw anything at the Maggies and they will make it sound great.this is just amazing to me.I am so impressed by these speakers.

 I think I am going to build a system around the Maggies.I am going to pull a few components from my main system but they will become part(for now) of the Maggie based system.I will not add a subwoofer to the system at this time but I will have digital and analog sources.I am going to place this sytem in my wife's office which measures 18x24 and has modest acoustic treatments(diffuser panels on the rear walls,small lateral bass traps,and DIY corner mounts).The room has plaster walls and uncarpeted hardwood floors with one large rug.There is one window at the wall facing opposite of the wall the Maggies will be placed nearest.I will place them 9 feet apart which will position them about 3 feet from the side walls.They will be positioned 5 feet from the back wall.All gear will be placed on a side wall and nothing will be directly behind the Maggies.The bass traps are 36 inches tall and will be placed to the sides and rear of the speakers but not directly in the corners.the diffusers are simply acoustic foam panels with painted silk coverings that I mounted to studio grade ceiling tiles.The complete diffuser assembly measures 2 feet square and 5.35 inches thick,there are two panels on the rear wall (on opposite sides of the window)and two panels on the wall behind the speakers.I will add or move panels to the side walls based on listening and suggestions from you guys and friends that drop by.
 The system will be as follows:

 Source 1: VPI Scout Turntable /Dynavector 10X4 cartridge
 Source 2:Musichall MMFCD25 CDplayer(possibly the Sony NS500V SACD player as well)
 Preamp:Van Alstine Transdecence 5 tubed with phono stage
 AmpS Audio HCA2 Digital amp
 Interconnects:Synergistic Research Alpha Sterling with active shielding
 Speaker Cables:Kimber 8VS
 Loudspeakers:Magnepan MMG
 Line conditioner:Monster HTS-3500/PS audio outlets.

 There is a small couch that will be placed 10 feet from the front panels of the speakers.I will toe the speakers in slightly (or not) as listening progresses.There is about six feet of space behind the couch occupied by my wife's desk,chair, file cabinets and knitting table.There are two small trees along the right side wall which are not in the path of the speaker panels.The equipment and rack are also along the right side wall and out of the panels' way.there is a small credenza on the left wall that also does not interfere with the panels' projectory.the room has 9 foot ceilings and is lit by lamps only.

 The reason I am providing so much info about the set-up is because I am really not sure about it and need some input.If/when I have a problem we can all refer back to this post,which I will edit as needed with any specifics or changes.I want to try the system in it's own room to see how the sonics flesh out.Please let me know what you think guys.I should have this system set up by the end of the week.


----------



## Hirsch

The other high-end store in Champaign when I was there was Audio Associates. It was on Neil St. IIRC. They were a Linn dealer, also carried Audio Research and other lines. At the time, they carried better equipment than Glenn Poor's. However, it was basically a one man operation, and I don't think they had the sales to keep going the way they were. Appletree Audio was another store in the area, more towards mid-fi most of the time, but with the occassional killer piece. Good Vibes was getting going, but they weren't as interesting as the other stores at the time.


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## RobertR

tuberoller: its not clear whether your maggies will be facing the longest dimension of your room which i think will be best.
 You can also experiment with placement so that the tweeters are inside or outside as you face them. 
 On my maggies the ribbon tweeters are on one side of the panel and placement can affect the sounstage. Balance is also affected by how close any one unit is to the side wall and its better if both have equal space around them. Their bipolar nature makes them finicky but theyr'e not fickle once you find the sweetspot.


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## Andrew Pielet

I forgot to mention, I use Kimber 8tc speaker cable, in 4 ft lengths.
 I was happy to learn that my set up has the monoblocks only 2 1/2 - 3 feet from the MMG's, so upgrading my speaker cable will be inexpensive. I am thinking the monocle, but I have yet to get my hands on some for trial.


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## Tuberoller

The Maggies will be facing the long dimension of the room.I have heard that the tweeter can moved by switching the speakers side-to-side.I will try this when I get things set-up.There is also a small cast iron radiator on the left side of room and there are no vents in the room.


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## FCJ

Quote:


 _Originally posted by Tuberoller _
*I have heard that the tweeter can moved by switching the speakers side-to-side. * 
 

 I always liked the sound better when the tweeters were on the outside, not the inside. I felt the soundstage collapsed a bit when they were on the inside. Of course, my room could have been the influencing factor here, though.


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## fredpb

They need a fast, high current amp. At least 100wrms a channel.
 I had some Maggies once. They are gone now.

 I now have Vandersteen 2ce SIgnatures now. They are awesome. And they do (sorry) stomp maggies.


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## Tuberoller

Quote:


 _Originally posted by fredpb _
*They need a fast, high current amp. At least 100wrms a channel.
 I had some Maggies once. They are gone now.

 I now have Vandersteen 2ce SIgnatures now. They are awesome. And they do (sorry) stomp maggies. * 
 

Hey Fred,If you take a look at the pics from the Chicago Head-fi meet you'll most likely see the pair of Vandersteen 2CE sigs on display at the store that hosted our meet.I had those at my house for about a month and tried them in various systems with various amps and never could get them to perform well.They have a really wierd hole in the midbass that I could not get rid of.I used all the available adjustments on the speakers to no real effect.the midrange was indeed sweet and very airy.Soundstaging suffered a bit due to the afformentioned midbass hole.I talked to John at Van L Speakerworks( the local Vandersteen dealer) about this and confirmed that it is indeed characteristic of the 2CE.He says once you have noticed it,you can't ignore it.I think these are great speakers but they would certainly drive me crazy.I think that perhaps a different crossover would fix that problem.I see it as a lack of cohesion between the bass drivers and midrange.there seems to be a very obvious gap right around the frequency occupied by instruments like acoustic bass and some drum machine notes.


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## Budgie

Count me in. I have owned three pair of Maggies, and still have two pair of them. I don't have the room for them now so they are boxed up, but I do miss them. Hard to beat for any reasonable price. Give them lots of good power and man can they sing!


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## puppyslugg

On powering the Maggies, I heard when Magnapan's goes on the road, they use Bryston amps.


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## fredpb

Like the Maggies, the IICE sigs are very room dependent. I have no problem with the mid bass in my room. In the same position, I had a lot of problems with maggies. Had good luck in this position with Fulton Tempos (on good stands).


 If you have a good room, and the big maggies, they are wonderful. But I like my Vandersteens.


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## carlo

tube,

 cool. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




  Quote:


 I gotta back-track and say that the best amplifier for the Maggies is the PS Audio HCA2 . 
 

haven't heard the hca-2 (yet), but the mmg just isn't transparent enough to me and lacks the control across the frequency spectrum - to me its worth the step up to the 1.6 before dumping the green on amplification (and this is after trying mmg's with quite a few amps). not sure how limited the $550 offer is by the way since its been at that price for a hell of a long time.

 re the room: right on, too rare in this hobby. i don't think anyone can just tell you what configuration to use - i'm sure you'll find yourself experimenting with the thickness of bass traps and diffusors/absorbers, but your references to "the path" of the speaks: while you're setting up the equipment along the wall be wary of reflection points. also, are you considering a stand assembly as well? during my audition i had a lot of complaints about the bottom end of frequency response and was told later that there's work arounds with stands/platforms. 

 for what its worth though, i think the mmg is too far behind the 1.6qr - its a speaker that opens the door and gives a touch of what maggies do, but its still a budget speaker. the 1.6qr gets closer to the goal.

 best,
 carlo.


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## bootman

Quote:


 _Originally posted by Budgie _
*Count me in. I have owned three pair of Maggies, and still have two pair of them. I don't have the room for them now so they are boxed up, but I do miss them. Hard to beat for any reasonable price. Give them lots of good power and man can they sing! * 
 

I'm in the same boat.
 I have a pair of SMGa's that are still boxed up after I moved to my new house 4 years ago. 
 I don't have the heart to sell them. 
 (but if you are local I might be tempted to drive them to a good home. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 )
 Maggies need room to breathe because of their dipole design.
 The back reflections is what gives the maggies their sound and if not positioned correctly can destroy all of their advantages.

 Tube, try different speaker cables also. 
 You might be surprised.


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## Tuberoller

Thanks for the input guys.I find myself in the rare position of being completely clueless.I have no experience with Maggies.I realize that the MMG is the "sample plate" model of Magnepan but I just wanted to try the flavor.I was told by a Magnepan rep that the MMG do offer this taste,just in a smaller portion.I was told that no matter the size,the maggie flavor is pretty much consistent throughout the range.I have found this to be true after listening to a few other Magnepan-based systems.Don't get me wrong,the bigger maggies offer a much more full-range sound and are much more capable of filling a room with the maggie sound.I'm still learning about these,and once I get them into a dedicated system,in a room that is optimised for them,I think I can offer some better impressions. I have all the gear in place now,I'm just waiting for the audio rack and a rug I ordered.


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## FCJ

Quote:


 _Originally posted by bootman _
*I'm in the same boat.
 I have a pair of SMGa's that are still boxed up after I moved to my new house 4 years ago. 
 I don't have the heart to sell them. 
 (but if you are local I might be tempted to drive them to a good home. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 )
 Maggies need room to breathe because of their dipole design.
 The back reflections is what gives the maggies their sound and if not positioned correctly can destroy all of their advantages.

 Tube, try different speaker cables also. 
 You might be surprised. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


* 
 

Unfortunately, this sounds like a trend--my SMGa's are also boxed up, at least for the time being. 

 One other tweak--I used two Tiptoes on the bottom of the metal stands (I glued them onto the back of the stands) and two more under the wood frames. This gets them off the floor and improves isolation and imaging.

 Also, occasionally over time the screws that hold the wood frame to the speakers tend to get loose (at least they did on mine). Make sure to keep these tight.


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## Andrew Pielet

There are a few more tweaks that really NEED to be done to hear the MMG's sing full throttle. Most noticable, the voices seem to be coming from the floor. Now, with the stock legs, they are slightly pointing upward, which diperses music better and the sweet spot doesn't seem so small. What I did was weld a set of Maggies Legs (link not available at this moment). This let me raise them up to 6" off the ground (I have them at 2 1/2" due to short couch) and all of the sudden the soundstage is defined, and you feel like you are being sung/ played to. It also made them push music forward at me, rather than above me. More like the projection of a boxed speaker. This might be different for you, due to acoustic treatments and room dimensions of course. And last but not least, I had my friend custom make me some satin finished cherry rails for the sides. Whoa, they look beautiful now. (It really helps to pick out the most gorgeous pieces of wood you can find) Can't wait to check out your system when its done Tuberoller!


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## Tuberoller

Thanks again for the suggestions guys.I have everything in place and did some listening with my wife tonight.The MMG really do need a large area to perform well.I talked(actually emailed several times) with an engineer from Magnepan and he said that a closed room area is not that essential to the Planar speakers.He did say that the placement of the speakers should be symmetrical and that they be placed away from walls.He refused to commit to a specific placement formula but thought that my placement was near ideal.

 As I said,I think these speakers need some room to sound best.In this room,which is nearly equal in dimensions(but has more uniform measurements) to my main listening room, the maggies have opened up even more.They sound more revealing and treble detail seems to be more defined.The transition from the mid bass notes to the lower midrange seems more gradual and less abrupt.I am going to listen with all the acoustic treatments removed and see if the panels and traps are causing any problems.I don't think they are,but I'll try anyway.I am super pleased with these speakers so far.I may have to stretch my $500.00 limit and give these "awesome budget component alert" status.


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## RobertR

Do I sense the beginning of a maggie cult like the etymotic following?


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## FCJ

Quote:


 _Originally posted by RobertR _
*Do I sense the beginning of a maggie cult like the etymotic following? * 
 

I hope so--I've been on the team for 17 years!


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## Tuberoller

OK,Every change seems to have a dramatic effect on the way the maggies perform.Without the acoustic treatments the room takes on a slight rear biased echo effect.It actually sounds really cool but I know that it does not represent true stereo imaging.Removal of the panels and traps also has sharpened the midrange attack a bit.It seems to allow the Maggies to reach out a little further and extend the sound right to your ears.The panels really do seem to disappear.My wife prefers the sound without the treatments.Since it is actually her office we'll try it this way for a week or so and maybe go back to the panels first.She likes the way the panels look but thinks they deaden other sounds a little too much.My Dad is coming by later today and we'll listen critically for further placement and other possibilities.I'm really enjoying the maggies and think these are the best deal in loudspeakers going right now.I'll take a few pics as soon as I get the other rug in place and take the curtains off the window.


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## Tuberoller

I have really been enjoying the time I have spent with the MMG.My wife loves them and still can't believe they cost only $550.00.I am amazed at the maggies ability to "disappear "in a room.There is no sense of "projection" from the speaker panels.Music seem to float in the air around the speakers.My wife was listening the other night in almost complete darkness and upon entering the room,I could swear that the singer and her band were right there in the room with us.The spaciousness and depth of the soundstage is fanatstic.The speakers didn't even seem to be present at all,there was only music.You guys are right,I am gonna have to try the bigger maggies to get more of this.I wont try them until after the first of the year so that I can enjoy these more.


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## Andrew Pielet

Have you tried lifting them or straightening them up yet? I am sure you are aware of the planar asylum, but here is the link anyway: 
http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/MUG/bbs.html
 And of course the maggies user group:
http://www.integracoustics.com/MUG/MUG/


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## finleyville

Could these also double for home theater?


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## bootman

Quote:


 _Originally posted by finleyville _
*Could these also double for home theater? * 
 


 Yes!!

 There is a version that is wall mountable
 There is also a center channel available.
 My dream HT setup involves Maggies all around me with CJ amplification and proccessing done by accuphase with a plasma HDTV display.
 (I can dream can't I?)


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## finleyville

so is that what you want for Christmas??


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## Tuberoller

I want to update this thread a bit.after some experimenting with placement I have decided that the Maggies prefer placement closer to the side walls(I moved them each 10 inches closer to the side walls).I am still using the standard stands but have someone building a set a custom adjustable stands that will allow for height and angle changes.I also have replaced the diffusers on the side walls to tame a slight reverberation in the midbass that was present on some tracks that feature deep male voices.I have also experimented with tweeter placement moving the speakers from side to side to set the tweeters on the inside or outside.I prefer inside placement so far,especially since I have moved the speakers further apart.I have not changed the equipment any and the set-up was only interupted once when I had to get a new table to replace the one that was sold.I am still very impresseed with the Maggie system and feel that the PS Audio amp is best with these speakers.I should have the brackets this week and will post some impressions after I move them around a bit more.


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## Tuberoller

I want to update this thread again to offer some further thoughts on changes to the Maggie based system.I have this system set-up in my wife's office and since the "girls gone wild" incident I have only been allowed limited access to the room.

 I made a set of adjustable stands that raised the MMGs 6 inches from the ground and placed the panels parallel to the floor.This has helped the bass and imaging tremendously.I really had'nt listened to them much since the stands were installed but when I made the addition of the Philips DVD963SA to the system I did reaquaint myself with the MMG.After being away from them for a while I can honestly say that I don't hear the bass defiencies that I heard before.I'm certain that the stands are responsible for the improvement but the "absence makes the heart grow fonder" effect may apply as well.My wife is in love with the Maggies and encouraged me (in a very rare move) to uprade to a set of 3.6s.I made the deal with the Magnapan folks at CES last month and they just got here a few days ago.They are still burning in right now but early impressions reveal great bass and even more amazing imaging and stage presence.When the Chicago spring meet takes place in late April I hope to have the Maggie 3.6 installed in my main system to seek the opinions of the meet attendees.

 I have been talking privately with a few head-fi members about the Maggies and the Maggie sound.When I get the time I want to do a more in-depth discussion with some detailed pics and set-up suggestions.I think headphone hifi translates well to the Maggie sound and I think this would fit well here on Head-fi.


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## elrod-tom

I've heard the Maggies a couple of times, and every time I've been blown away by how clean, crisp and lifelike they are. Tuberoller's posts would tend to support what I've heard from both my buddy and the audio dealer who recommended them - they eat power for breakfast.

 I'd very much like to have my own 3.6's, but there are two problems: 1) As discussed here, I'll also need to "power up" my amp by quite a bit...just add that much more $$$ 2) Ever since I started hanging out here, I'm spending all my spare cash on headphone gear.


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## Andrew Pielet

Yeah the only problem is 3.6's are huge for my mini apartment. I am glad that Tuberoller is preaching the word tho. I can't wait to hear the MMG's on something different then my Audio Valve Tube mono's. Whenever you want to start talking about them, I'm in!


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## Andrew Pielet

So, I have filled out the bottom end of the MMG's. The answer is the Linn Sizmik. Not only is this the best sub I have ever heard at any price, It is the best upgrade I have ever experienced. You don't know what your missing if you can't hear good music reproduction under 60hz. It wasn't the deep bass notes that I jumped for joy at. It was the 50-60hz that the maggies produce that I never heard. The slap of a bass guitar, or the congo's. My lord, the mandolin which I seemed to miss so many notes played. I just hooked it up last night, so it needs to break in big time. I put my GF's Ice Cube (Bootlegs and B-sides?)CD in on repeat today, maybe I will hear I difference when I get home. There are many pros and cons I have found. It plays music extremely well up to 100hz. maybe evn higher. It has 2 different volumes, course gain is every 5db, and fine gain is 1 db. It has no on off button. no remote, which sucks because it sounds soooo good I want to change it for every song. Art Dudley digs this sub big time as well, did you guys ever read the listener review on this thing? I could go on forever, I will stop for a moment........Jeez! I can't believe what that bass guitar sounds like!!!!


----------



## Snow

I am plaaning on going on a tour of the Magnepan facilities on March 11th. Word is that we will get to listen to some of their top end speakers. I'll report back with tour details.

 If there are any Twin City Metro area members that would like to go on the tour, check out this site: Audio Society of Minnesota 

 Snow


----------



## Tuberoller

Quote:


 _Originally posted by Snow _
*I am plaaning on going on a tour of the Magnepan facilities on March 11th. Word is that we will get to listen to some of their top end speakers. I'll report back with tour details.

 If there are any Twin City Metro area members that would like to go on the tour, check out this site: Audio Society of Minnesota 

 Snow * 
 


 You Lucky Dog!!!! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 If you can,take some pics and post them.I would love to see what that place looks like.


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## AdamP88

I just heard Magnepans for the first time today. On a tip from my brother, I headed to Stereo Unlimited in Walnut Creek, CA, and the first thing I hear when I walk in the door is the sound of a jazz quartet playing in an adjacent room. Not the sound of speakers playing a recording of a jazz quartet, but the sensation that there was an actual jazz quartet playing in the next room. So I tell the owner (Dan, a bit eccentric but a cool guy nonetheless) that I'd like to listen to some Maggies, and he brings me into the adjacent room, where I find the source of the jazz quartet to be a pair of 3.6R's - modified with a special tweeter built specifically for the maggies, an external crossover box and totally redone wiring throughout (Dan apparently does his own metallurgy work or has it contracted specifically for the Maggies). They were each bi-amped by 4 VTL MB-750 reference monoblocks (that's $80,000 right there!), feeding off a Viva Linea 45 preamp (~$5900), and the cdp was an AMC CD-8b ($220???). He also had a Martin Logan Descent (~$2800) sub filling in the low register.

 I have to say the sound was simply incredible. Spacious, clear, transparent, natural...you name it, this system had it in spades. Paired with the ML sub, it handled every single type of music I threw at it with absolute authority and the most natural sound I've ever heard out of speakers. I've never heard a piano rendered more realistically, nor a cello given the appropriate weight and resonance as one you hear in real life. Glenn Gould was playing in the same room, the Cleveland Quartet was giving me a personal Beethoven Recital, Sting was standing in front of me. Imaging, resolution and separation of layers...all of it is absolutely fantastic. Of course, the associated equipment alone cost roughly $90,000, so one would hope throwing any hi-end speaker into the setup would yield good results, but man....those maggies just disappear!

 Dan also had an interesting setup in the front room. A pair of Maggie 1.6's set up facing each other, parallel to the side walls. The sound may have lost some focus, but the spaciousness and effortlessness with which it filled the room was very cool and Dan feels more authentic to the live experience, where the sound envelops you rather than hits you from a point source. I'd have to say I agree, and man o man, once I get a place big enough to make a good listening space, I'm definitely putting the maggies into heavy consideration.

 *Note to those bay area headfiers who want to check out Stereo Unlimited: if you listen to the Maggies and Dan asks you what you think - do NOT talk about soundstage or imaging or treble extension or any other common speaker terminology. I made the innocent mistake of commenting on the soundstage and it sent him off on a tirade about how audiophiles are wasting their money on artificial sound when they should be looking for something that gives them the feeling of live sound, independent of sweet spot or all that. He didn't even give me the chance to finish my sentence. I was going to say "the soundstage is incredible...it's like the speakers aren't even there and I'm listening to it live." What I got in was "the soundstage is..." before he interrupted with his lecture.


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## zbuddah

AdamP88

 I was wondering if you had the address to the Stereo Unlimited in Walnut Creek


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## puppyslugg

Quote:


 _Originally posted by AdamP88 _
*...and the cdp was an AMC CD-8D.* 
 

They were using a AMC cd8b as the source feeding that system?!!


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## AdamP88

Quote:


 _Originally posted by zbuddah _
*AdamP88

 I was wondering if you had the address to the Stereo Unlimited in Walnut Creek
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


* 
 

1545 Locust St.


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## AdamP88

Quote:


 _Originally posted by puppyslugg _
*They were using a AMC cd8b as the source feeding that system?!! * 
 

Yeah, I was a bit shocked by that too (that player feels extremely flimsy), and almost made a comment to the owner about it, but decided not to in fear of invoking another rant. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 And besides, the whole system did sound friggin incredible! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 He also carries some very cool vinyl gear (I was tempted to ask him to fire up a clearaudio system he had set up next to the Maggies), as well as tons of very sweet looking tube amps and preamps.


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## zbuddah

Quote:


 _Originally posted by AdamP88 _
*1545 Locust St. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


* 
 

cool thanks


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## ajy55906

Maggies love tubes.

 My 1.6s run with Atma-sphere M60 amps and Paul Speltz's zero autoformers at 4x - 16 ohms. The M60s are 90 Watts per channel into the 16 ohm load and sound glorious with NOS 6sn7s.

 Also, consider Van Alstine fet valves.

 Maggies love tubes.


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## Tuberoller

Dude,

 You and I are on the same page.I have "upgraded" to the 3.6 and I'm looking for a used set of Atmaspheres to power them.I hear you loud and clear.I'm still working on my Maggie system,hopefully I'll have it together by the time my house is done.


----------



## Andrew Pielet

I just changed my input tubes last week, w/ the tubes Hirsch traded me. I switched out Jan/Phillips 12ax7 for some old Tele smoothplates. Also using RCA Cleartops 12au7. A few more months, then those 16 JJEL84s are outta here. To tell you the truth, rock doesn't really work w/ the Teles (in my Sys) It is so laid back most live recordings are too distant. Any ideas Tuberoller?


----------



## Hirsch

Two interesting new stock 12AX7's: EI Elite 12AX7EG and Sovtek 12AX7LPS. Both of these tubes are new production, and both are very good, IMO. Either of these may have a better attack than the Telefunkens, which would be better for rock. Definitely worth a try.


----------



## ajy55906

The M60s mate extremely well with Atma-sphere's MP3 preamp. It is a match made in heaven with Maggies.

 Tuberoller, good luck with your system.

 Keep an eye on the Atma-sphere list serve. Used amps, preamps and tubes are often listed there. It is a great resource. 

http://www.otlamp.com/forum/index.html


 Alan


----------



## chadbang

Tuberoller, now, a month down the road, are you still groovin' on the Magnepans? (I'm thinking of a pair). Or did their novelty wear off? Do your "reference" PSB topple them easily? Oh yeah, one last question: Why didn't you like your dad's Quads?


----------



## yidimsum

I heard a local audiophile's Magnepan 1.6's and was impressed by the spaciousness and soundstaging. But it seems that with every recording, it seems like the performers are in a large concert hall with you being around the 4th row. The Maggies I heard didn't seem to be able to differentiate different acoustic environments very well (i.e. a concert hall versus a more intimate night club). Maybe I'm just used to dynamic speakers - I didn't really dig the Maggies. For orchestral stuff however, they can't be beat. The Maggies sounded more Hi-Fi and less musical IMHO. The system I heard was matched with an Odyssey Stratos stereo amplifier (solid-state) and a Audio Research LS1 tube hybrid preamp. Do you think my first Maggie listening experience had to do with system matching, or is it more because I'm used to my own system - mid-size monitors with an all-tube system? A possible difference could also be the source - the Maggie system uses a Music Hall 25, while my system uses a VPI Scout.


----------



## Tuberoller

Quote:


 _Originally posted by chadbang _
*Tuberoller, now, a month down the road, are you still groovin' on the Magnepans? (I'm thinking of a pair). Or did their novelty wear off? Do your "reference" PSB topple them easily? Oh yeah, one last question: Why didn't you like your dad's Quads? * 
 

The entire Maggie system,amps,speakers and preamp was damaged in a flood in my new house.I'll replace it later this year.I hate that I never really got this system singing but I will get it done.I just sent the Atmapheres out to be fixed and the folks at Atmashere are fantastic.The 3.6 are toast and can't be repaired easily.I'm sending them back to Magnepan for repairs or replacement after I get an OK.

 I happen to like the soundstage on the maggies but I don't like the fuzzy edges that get emphasised on some recordings.This is more a product of the source and amplification but the Maggies don't help.I don't like the Quads because they lack high frequency detail and have no stinkin' bass at all.Quads have good treble extension but tend to get grainy and tinny up top.


----------



## chadbang

Thanks for your help. I really need to audion them. Your intial enthusiam had me on the verge....
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 I've also always hankered after a set of Thiel 3.6 speakers which definitely should be more detailed than the Maggies - although I don't know what the trade-off in pure listenability will be. But Thiels have always looked good enough to eat to me. Have you head the, and what is your opinon of them, if I may ask? (sorry for the one-on-one quiz -- it's a big decision!)


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## Kieran Comito

Geez Tuberoller, that sucks about the flood in you house. Good luck getting things back in order. It happened to me back in 1993, but at that time I did not have any nice audio components.


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## MERTON

hmmm... i had never seen a ribbon speaker before.


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## Polygon

I haven't had a chance to audition a pair of ribbon speakers before, but I like what I am hearing from you guys. I might consider buying a pair for my front speakers and move my DBXs to the rear. That would force me to get a better center speaker as well as a better amp because the one I have now won't push these and the DBXs. I wouldn't mind getting a Velodyne subwoofer as well but the DBXs aren't called the thunder foots for nothing. Their problem is that they don't have the best clarity but what can I expect for a loudspeaker and one that one manufactured in 1984. They also have a narrow sweet spot for the room I have them in but it is right where I sit anyhow and the sound is everywhere, and the bass from these has nearly broken a bay window so I would say they suffice. The great looking Mags look like what I need, clarity, price, and good looks. I think I will have to grab a pair, but I will have to scrape up some money for a new amp and center speaker as well first.

 Thanks for the info!


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## Tuberoller

Hey there,

 I just wanted to update this thread a bit.The Maggies System was damaged in the flood at my new house but since then I have had the Atmashere amps repaired,(Atma-sphere is an outstanding company) and have a new set of 3.6 on the way.The folks at Magnepan are great as well and did all they could to help me out.

 Now the only problem is that I don't have my room set-up anymore so my ******* younger brother,Kenny,has agreed to set up the Maggie system in his huge house and equally huge,****ty- sounding, listening room.I took the amps by tonight and we will use his awful Mark Levinson DAC and Transport as digital sources for now.When the Maggies get here I'll set them up with a Ray Samuels Audio preamp,along with a VPI Aries table and a suitable cartridge.I'll also use the Ray Samuels Audio XR2 phono amp in this system.I'll post pics aand impressions as soon as the system is complete.I now I'll have a bunch of folks to thank to helping get that system together and I kiss them all when it is.


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## melomaniac

this is an ancient thread, but why not see if it can be revived  having heard maggies first in europe in the 1980s, I thought them, well, exotic. and when I lived near their birthplace, I hardly ever thought about them (because I had built my own bass-reflex etc). but for the past two years I have lived with two pairs of magnepan speakers, the 2.5 are on right now as I type (while the MMGs serve the TV with a small sub to help with the FX-heavy soundtrack of movies and television). I am auditioning the paul speltz zero autoformers that help put some heft behind these two large panels. anyone here have experience with the zeros? would like to trade impressions.


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## ronin74

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Tuberoller* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_ I took Magnepan up on the MMG offer.They are selling this model direct for a limited time for $550.00 plus shipping.

 The strength of any Planar speaker has always been in the midrange,or so I have always assumed.I assumed correct.The midrange on these speakers is among the sweetest I have heard. Voices are true and sound perfectly pitched...I am still amazed at the width and depth of the soundstage from the Maggies. Instrument placement and stereo imaging is precise and natural sounding. I have to say that these speakers do Piano Jazz better than anything I have ever heard. In my opinion a Piano is the single most difficult instrument to reproduce accurately. The MMG do it the best._

 

 Quote:


  Originally Posted by *jim* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_...They had a set of Maggie 1.6's...they were nothing short of amazing. I listened to some tracks of the Classic Yo-Yo Ma cd, and Edgar Meyer's acoustic bass was reproduced with the most amazing realism I've ever heard in a pair of speakers. Acoustic bass through most speakers I've heard sounds muffled and kind of woofy, but the magnepans reproduced them with the same detail as the midrange. Fred, what you said about the piano reproduction is absolutely right! I play a 7' Kawai RX-6 grand piano at home, one that I picked among literally dozens of pianos we looked at over a span of a year and a half. So of all real live instruments, I know what a piano should sound like best, and after listening to a few tracks from Murray Periah's new Chopin Etude cd, I have to admit I'm extremely impressed. They're very convincing!_

 

 Quote:


  Originally Posted by *AdamP88* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I just heard Magnepans for the first time today. On a tip from my brother, I headed to Stereo Unlimited in Walnut Creek, CA, and the first thing I hear when I walk in the door is the sound of a jazz quartet playing in an adjacent room. Not the sound of speakers playing a recording of a jazz quartet, but the sensation that there was an actual jazz quartet playing in the next room. So I tell the owner (Dan, a bit eccentric but a cool guy nonetheless) that I'd like to listen to some Maggies, and he brings me into the adjacent room, where I find the source of the jazz quartet to be a pair of 3.6R's....

 I have to say the sound was simply incredible. Spacious, clear, transparent, natural...you name it, this system had it in spades...I've never heard a piano rendered more realistically, nor a cello given the appropriate weight and resonance as one you hear in real life. Glenn Gould was playing in the same room, the Cleveland Quartet was giving me a personal Beethoven Recital, Sting was standing in front of me. Imaging, resolution and separation of layers...all of it is absolutely fantastic..._

 

 Quote:


  Originally Posted by *ajy55906* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_Maggies love tubes._

 

 Quote:


  Originally Posted by *melomaniac* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_ This is an ancient thread, but why not see if it can be revived  having heard maggies first in europe in the 1980s, I thought them, well, exotic....for the past two years I have lived with two pairs of magnepan speakers, the 2.5 are on right now as I type (while the MMGs serve the TV with a small sub to help with the FX-heavy soundtrack of movies and television). I am auditioning the paul speltz zero autoformers that help put some heft behind these two large panels. anyone here have experience with the zeros?_

 

Melo; Thanks for reviving this oldie, it warmed the cockles of my heart. I have the MG IIIa, I bought them twenty years ago for all the reasons listed above. Mine are analog sourced, tube fed and still going strong. Recently my crappy desktop speakers crapped out, so I'm seriously thinking about the $550 MMG deal as replacements. Of course I'll need a bunch of auxilliary equipment, like a DAC, amp etc but that's besides the point.

 Sorry, no "Zero" impressions here, but it's good to know that there are other Planar people "out there."


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## dancekat59

Getting MG II's ~25yrs ago was my first little step into audiophile quality sound. Love them! Unfortunately, I so rarely find the time to sit and listen to music these days, hence my current interest in head-fi.


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## Gross

I have a full Maggie Surround System. My mains are 2.5Rs with a CC1 for the center and MGMC1s in the rear. I love it. My 2.5s are some of the best speakers I have ever heard.


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## gritzcolin

Magnepans are incredible speakers I just wish I could afford some.


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## Jon L

MG20, 20R, or 20.1 powered by monster amps is still one of the best systems in the world...


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## rean1mator

Great review, been very interested in tehse as well. 
 have considered buying a used pair to try out if i ever get extra space.
  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *Tuberoller* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_In all the years I have been involved in audio,I have never actually had a chance to audition a set of Magnepans or any Magneplanar loudspeaker in my systems.I have owned a few Electrostats and Horns,ribbons and many,many cone driven speakers.I decided I needed to try a set of "Maggies" so I took Magnepan up on the MMG offer.They are selling this model direct for a limited time for $550.00 plus shipping.I just got them Tuesday and have been breaking them in over the last few days.I just took a good listen tonight.The MMG is hailed by Magenpan as the lowest cost Planar-Magnetic/Ribbon speaker in the world.This speaker has a efficiency rating of 86db,but has a widely varying impedance curve ranging from 1.8ohm to 7ohms which makes a powerful and dynamic amp a real neccessity.It measures 48inches tall,14.5 inches wide and only 1.25 inches thick.I had always assumed Planar speakers difficult to postion correctly,making the assumption that they are similar in nature to Electrostats.I was suprised to find the maggies to have a nice,wide "sweetspot" and can be very easy to placed in a position that allows proper soundstaging.Consider that my room is large(22x28 ft) and has acoustic treatments.I planned to power them with the Rogue MB120 tube Monobloc amps,but they were sold earlier this week.I used a set of Hafler DH-500 amps that I assembled back when I was a kid and still own.They have been upgraded with a Van Alstine Omega III power supply and boards.I used a Van Alstine Pas 3i tube preamp.The only digital souces I have been using recently are a Sony DVP-NS500V and a Musical Fidelity A324 DAC.I used a VPI Extended Aries table with a Grado Reference Cartridge and Grado PH-1 phono amp on Todd Green's(Headroom's Sales Manager) recommendation.His ear is indeed Golden.

 I felt the need to post my impressions here because I am so stinkin' impressed.I have been missing out.My dad has been trying to get me on the Maggie bandwagon for years but I wasn't having it.He has always loved Quad Electrostats and I have always hated them.My foolish association between the Quads and Magnepans and lack of understanding of Planar technology has cost me.

 The first big suprise I had was how much bass these things are capable of.This is not logical to a guy like me.Where is the bass driver?I equate no woofer with no bass.Not the case here.There is good bass and plenty of it.It is not the deepest bass I have heard,but it is cavernous and rich and in all the places it belongs.It is the kind of bass that makes you attempt to locate the subwoofer in the room.Don't mistake this for the boomy slop that some inexpensive bookshelf speakers pass off as bass.this is real bass.My wife thinks the bass is just OK.She thinks I am in a state of shock that the Maggies actually have any bass at all.Of course,she is comparing these to my usual PSB speakers which have house-shaking bass.I will have a second(third?) opinion on this tomorrow when some audio buddies drop by for football games.

 The strength of any Planar speaker has always been in the midrange,or so I have always assumed.I assumed correct.The midrange on these speakers is among the sweetest I have heard.It is not too laid back and not at all too forward.There is no "hump" or over-emphasis that causes an imbalance in the overall sound.Voices are true and sound perfectly pitched.The Treble seems a little relaxed but there is no real loss of detail.This may be a product of the amps.After the Van Alstine upgrades they have taken on a completly new character.They are much smoother and have much better soundstage projection.With that in mind I am still amazed at the width and depth of the soundstage from the Maggies.Instrument placement and stereo imaging is precise and natural sounding.I have to say that these speakers do Piano Jazz better than anything I have ever heard.In my opinion a Piano is the single most difficult instrument to reproduce accurately.The MMG do it the best.If there is any fault with the Maggies,it lies in an overall tonal balance that errs on the side of politeness.What I mean is, these speakers,even when played loud,just don't do certain kinds of music.If you are a Metal fan these ain't your speakers.They are also every bit as difficult to drive as the specs suggest.The Haflers are capable of delivering 500W a channel and 1200W peak.They were burning hot after my 3 hour listening session.They never clipped or distorted,but the heat indicates they were working hard.I have used these a long time on a lot of speakers and they have never run that hot.

 My wife wants to try the Maggies with one of the Fisher recievers we have(she's in the room hooking it up now).I don't know how that will work out but I'll keep you posted.If you have the opportunity to audition these, do so.The price along with the 60 day return policy is really nice and if you have a suitable amp I think these will suprise you._


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## terrymx

The thing with Magnepan is it required to be paired with other high quality devices to sound good, so the cost in it is pairing "equally" expensive amp and source to go with the speakers. It will reveal every bit of imperfection of the record and your source. It needs a powerful amp, that will allow the bass to come out more also. I don't beleive that they are difficult to position, that maybe true for older versions. One of the benefit of these speakers is they can go very loud before distorting (with a good amp).

 They have a wall mount version, MMGW, for $300 so I think they are affordable now.


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## ronin74

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *terrymx* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_The thing with Magnepan is it required to be paired with other high quality devices to sound good, so the cost in it is pairing "equally" expensive amp and source to go with the speakers. It will reveal every bit of imperfection of the record and your source. It needs a powerful amp, that will allow the bass to come out more also. I don't beleive that they are difficult to position, that maybe true for older versions. One of the benefit of these speakers is they can go very loud before distorting (with a good amp).

 They have a wall mount version, MMGW, for $300 so I think they are affordable now._

 

I am rather leary about the wall mounted version. One of the unique aspects of planars is that they are bi-polar, identical sound waves come out both the front and back of the speaker, but 180 degrees out of phase so the back wall reflection is very important. Also in-wall placement will limit the toe in or out of the speakers, assuming your walls are actually flat. I have found that greater toe-in emphasizes bass with a narrow but deep soundstage, puts you front row center, ie. very forward sound. With almost zero toe, near flat, the sound is reverse, wide-shallow stage, emphasis on mid and upper tones, ambiance, air etc., now you're around row G. To hear bass I need to sit another 2-feet further back from the sweet spot. 

 and Terrymx, you are absolutely right, the ribbon and panels are so quick that a speck of dust or, god forbid, a scratch on the vinyl is very distracting.


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## melomaniac

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *ronin74* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I am rather leary about the wall mounted version. One of the unique aspects of planars is that they are bi-polar, identical sound waves come out both the front and back of the speaker, but 180 degrees out of phase so the back wall reflection is very important. Also in-wall placement will limit the toe in or out of the speakers, assuming your walls are actually flat. I have found that greater toe-in emphasizes bass with a narrow but deep soundstage, puts you front row center, ie. very forward sound. With almost zero toe, near flat, the sound is reverse, wide-shallow stage, emphasis on mid and upper tones, ambiance, air etc., now you're around row G. To hear bass I need to sit another 2-feet further back from the sweet spot._

 

indeed - but most crucially, the wall-mounted maggies don't really cover the lower frequencies. I have a colleague who was driven crazy trying to match four of them in his open living room HT with a sub. he used traps, he used SPL meters and bass management tech, he spent on a better sub, and yet in the end he was dissatisfied. that's why I pair my MMGs (not nearly as small as the wall-mounted ones, and with decent bass down to, let's say, a cello but not a contrabass) with a sub. I found the little outlaw sub to be astonishingly fleet of foot, but I'm also not doing the surround thing. on my 2.5R pair, I have a big sub but it's turned way down most of the time (except for certain kinds of music). - as for the toe-in and other placement issues, I fight a slow war of attrition with the significant other about the cables and how far the big maggies are allowed to intrude into the living room, but it's essential to place them right. a handful of testing CDs are helpful with that task, along with half a dozen of your favorite music recordings of course. listening for depth and width of stage, checking on phase and room resonance, etc is easier with simple signals rather than what you'd actually want to listen to for the rest of the day


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## selfdivider

Excellent review! I've been hesitant to try the Maggies b/c I've heard so many people complain about the lack of low-end response, but it's nice to read your impression. I'm looking for a second pair of speakers, and reading yr review, I might try putting the MMG with my Plinius 8150, and move my Harbeths & Leben CS600 into the study, which would neatly solve my problem. With the money back guarantee, I guess I can't stand to lose much!


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## melomaniac

looks like a perfect solution, I agree!

 I can recommend the MMGs without any reservation. the smaller, wall-mounted panels are also good, but need to be integrated much more carefully in any system (fwiw the aforementioned audiophile ended up suspending them from the ceiling on metal rods that usually serve to hang bikes in a garage - painted white they look okay, but their size means that the sweet spot is close to the ceiling: good for a standing party of tall people, not so good for home theater...) my MMG are raised off the floor just a bit by their stands, no toe-in, and if they can stand about 2ft away from the rear wall, and about as far away from each other as from your listening position, you will be happy  of course, the bigger panels have more oomph (and demand more amp) and as you go up the Magnepan product ladder you also get true-ribbon highs, which can be dangerously addictive!


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## el_matt0

guys, im new to speakers and looking to pickup my first pair of maggies. couple of questions for you vets. the room i need them for is a 12' x 18' rectangular room with hardwood floor - very nice acoustics and i think the maggies will pair well. I feel like the MMG's will be able to cover the high-mid spectrum without issues, and volume wise wouldnt be an issue, my concern is the lack of bass. alot of my music is rock which doesnt need a TON of bass, but i definitely like some oomph there. my first question is, if i want a bit more bass than the MMGs offer, would i be better off picking up a small 8 inch sub, or simply saving for the larger MG12s (is the bass much better?)? I dont want a ton of bass power, just good solid presence. my other question is, i need an amp to power these guys, i have some DIY experience with amps so ive considered things like a twisted pear audio twisted X overture, which i believe cranks out around 150 wpc or so into 4 ohms, i could be wrong though. im not looking to spend a TON on an amp at this point, i will upgrade later if i really end up getting into speakers (im sure ill eventually upgrade the maggies too if thats the case). so id say im looking to keep the amp <$500. DIY, or gimme some name brands/models that would pair well with MMGs, im new to speakers so im a bit clueless! any suggestions welcome, cheers


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## melomaniac

Quote:


  Originally Posted by *el_matt0* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_guys, im new so id say im looking to keep the amp <$500. DIY, or gimme some name brands/models that would pair well with MMGs, im new to speakers so im a bit clueless! any suggestions welcome, cheers_

 

consider anything with sufficient output into 4ohm and decent reviews. don't rule out buying used, but do consider the outlaw (comes with a trial period) rr2150 which got good reviews, has the power, and mates well with maggies. others prefer a powerful tube amp with maggies, those are only going to be near your price point if they're used.


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## ronin74

Melo: thanks for sheparding this thread. I was distracted by "Mayberry" than caught the flu, and completely forgot about this thread, sorry.

  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *melomaniac* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_...I pair my MMGs with a sub. I found the little outlaw sub to be astonishingly fleet of foot,...on my 2.5R pair, I have a big sub but it's turned way down most of the time (except for certain kinds of music)._

 

The Maggie IIIs "don't need no stinkin" sub. *warning: anecdote ahead* Believe me, I've been (bass) slapped in the chest a few times by the IIIs.

 Every demo I have heard pairing a cone-woofer sub with planar failed IMO. Cones are just too slow. There was more bass but it seemed to muck things up. But I will check out the Outlaw.

  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *melomaniac* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_..as for the toe-in and other placement issues, I fight a slow war of attrition with the significant other about the cables and how far the big maggies are allowed to intrude into the living room_

 

You'd be surprised (maybe not) as to how many of my guests do not know the Maggie are speakers until I fire them up. Most think they're quaint living room screen/divider-things.

  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *selfdivider* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_I might try putting the MMG with my Plinius 8150,_

 

I think that might be a little overkill for MMGs. I hope you were kidding.

  Quote:


  Originally Posted by *el_matt0* /img/forum/go_quote.gif 
_...i need an amp to power these guys, ...the amp <$500. DIY, or gimme some name brands/models that would pair well with MMGs_

 

MAtt; I'm thinking of pairing with a good Class A ssa, like the B&K ST140


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## Melchior

MMG's in that sized room should be okay, an 8 inch sub however is not. Go for a 10in minimum, I recommend a 12. This assumes a quality subwoofer with low distortion characteristics. Most 8 inch subs and even the larger ones you'll find locally under 1000 are anything but, more like a midrange thumper which doesn't actually go very low. I'm currently using a Rythmik DS12 servo sub kit in a parts express box, and it integrates seamlessly with my MMG's. If I had to pick between using the MMG's alone or with a cheap/high distortion "subwoofer" I'd go without. Set up properly you probably won't miss the subwoofer unless you've heard them with a good one.


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## melomaniac

all 74 ronin are right to insists that full-size panels don't need a sub, so I hope they won't all rappel down the walls of my house from silent helicopters to enforce purity of concept. I am listening to my 2.5R pair right now, sans sub, straight from the iMod via the Bel Canto amp. and yes, Jack De Johnette delivers plenty of bass drum kicks, for sure... but for certain kinds of music (whether it's TV or film soundtracks, electronica, large classical orchestra, most amplified bands, etc) I still prefer to be able to tweak in more oomph.


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## jackfish

OK, I'm about to embark on the Magnepan MMG journey. Last weekend I listened to the 1.7s and the MMGs at Audio Perfection in Minneapolis. I am sure I will be buying the MMGs, it is just a matter of if I can hold out for a used pair or become impatient for a new pair. They now cost $599.

 When I listened to the MMGs paired with NAD electronics in their small listening room I was pleasently surprised by the flavor of the bass they produce. On _Paradise_,from Sade's _Love Is Stronger than Pride_, the driving bass riff was all that I could want at the moment even though I knew it was not the same as that produced by my current stacked double New Large Advents powered by two Phase Linear 400s. However, the overall sound (detail, spaciousness, clarity, pick your adjective, etc.) of the MMGs seems far superior than my beloved vintage setup.

 On Keiko Matsui's _The Ring_ all of the electronica, percussion and her piano just worked and evoked the same emotion experienced on my current system even though the sub 30Hz program material I knew was there didn't sound the same. This is when it was confirmed that I was going to use a sub.

 I'm looking at a wholesale clearance of my old gear for a new system built around the MMGs. A subwoofer will take the bottom end and allow the MMGs to shine above 50 Hz. To do this I think I will get the Emotiva USP-1 preamplifier with its bass management with a low-pass filter that will allow sending the subwoofer frequencies below 50 Hz and a high pass filter to send frequencies above 50 Hz to the MMGs. The subwoofer must be "fast" suggesting a sealed design employing servo technology. The Rythmik Audio F12G fits the bill and should integrate well with the MMGs. Also considering two Elemental Designs A3S-250s.

 To power the MMGs I have been looking at many used power amps (there is a B&K EX442 on AudiogoN right now that has my interest), but may settle on a pair of Emotiva UPA-1 350 watt @ 4 Ohm monoblocks.

 Of course once the MMGs are in hand there are the tweaks to consider and I will try several. Thanks for listening!


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## melomaniac

although you're apparently in or near Mplis (so you could almost walk to the factory where they're made), you can order the MMG online and have them shipped to you, for a 30 day trial period. others, not in the twin cities are, should consider that, unless they can buy used locally.

 I have an almost all MN system (anticables from paul speltz in st paul, amp from bel canto in the minneapple), kinda by mistake... (don't miss the snow!) you'll need gobs of current for planar speakers, and many swear by potent tube amps for maggies. consider class D also, though - they've come a long way now.

 lastly, I know it's not the most popular rag around here, but stereophile just came out with its most recent list of recommended components, and also discusses subwoofers in that issue, check it out if you like.


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## BaboonGuy

Hey jack,
   
  Did you ever get the MMG and if so, which amp did you choose?
  
  Quote: 





jackfish said:


> I'm looking at a wholesale clearance of my old gear for a new system built around the MMGs. A subwoofer will take the bottom end and allow the MMGs to shine above 50 Hz. To do this I think I will get the Emotiva USP-1 preamplifier with its bass management with a low-pass filter that will allow sending the subwoofer frequencies below 50 Hz and a high pass filter to send frequencies above 50 Hz to the MMGs. The subwoofer must be "fast" suggesting a sealed design employing servo technology. The Rythmik Audio F12G fits the bill and should integrate well with the MMGs. Also considering two Elemental Designs A3S-250s.
> 
> To power the MMGs I have been looking at many used power amps (there is a B&K EX442 on AudiogoN right now that has my interest), but may settle on a pair of Emotiva UPA-1 350 watt @ 4 Ohm monoblocks.
> 
> Of course once the MMGs are in hand there are the tweaks to consider and I will try several. Thanks for listening!


----------



## jackfish

My current system consists of:
  Magnepan MMGs
  Emotiva USP-1 preamplifier
  Emotiva ERC-1 CD player
  Emotiva UPA-1 monoblock amplifier, pair
  Acoustic Research S112PS subwoofer
  Dual 1245 [size=x-small]w/Shure M97xE cartridge[/size]
   
  I'm saving up for Magnestands, and will probably be getting a Rythmik F12G subwoofer and a Pro-Ject Debut III or Music Hall mmf 2.2 turntable.  The Emotiva UPA-1s are working very well driving the MMGs.


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## scalar vortices

Maggies and class-t amps work fairly good together.  Also helps keep the utility bill under control.


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## catspaw

So... im guessing my modest 500W Z-5500 AMP wont manage those, right? I wanted to get the MMG since on paper the Z-5500 delivers 62w per channel into 8 ohm, making it effectivly 115W per channel i think, so i thought that, on paper, they could be enought for a home theater/gaming rig setup.


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## TheAnalogman

Quote: 





catspaw said:


> So... im guessing my modest 500W Z-5500 AMP wont manage those, right? I wanted to get the MMG since on paper the Z-5500 delivers 62w per channel into 8 ohm, making it effectivly 115W per channel i think, so i thought that, on paper, they could be enought for a home theater/gaming rig setup.


 

 I'd say probably not. I ran my MMGs with a HK Citation 5.1 amp bridged into 2 channel mode with 300 WPC, 8 ohms. I don't know what the resulting 4 ohm load was. I could easily turn the volume on the Parasound pre-amp to one o'clock and not bleed.
  They need lots 'o power!


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## HPiper

Just discovered this thread, I really miss my MMG speakers, had them for years then one of the drivers blew out, plus we moved and I haven't had an apartment since that had a good enough room to put them in, they need room to breath. Only speakers I have ever had where you could close your eyes and swear you were sitting right in the front of a concert hall.


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