Magnepan MG-20 Review
nooshinjohn
Posts: 25,465
So far over the past week or so that these have been set up I have learned a few things about these beasts. First off, placement and room treatments are absolutely essential to getting the best sound from them. Unfortunately my current place is far to small to do this.:frown: That said. These magnificent monoliths are far better to my ears than any other speaker I have ever owned, and that includes the big SDA's.
The Maggies are the finest speaker I have ever heard when it comes to painting a soundstage that is as large as life itself. Instrument placement is exact, the detail is true and the bass is deep, tight and uncolored by the boominess of a box traping the sound. There is absoulutely zero need for a sub with these, as they dig as deep as my 2.3's did, though with less authority. What there is down low is accurate, detailed and true bass response that blends seamlessly with the midrange. These speakers are so wonderfully three dimentional that they actaully can make you believe Pink Floyd, The Beatles, or Frank Sinatra are performing a command performance for you in the privace of your own home. Hearing John Lennon actually breathing into the microphone as if he were standing before me actually brought a tear to my eye. It happened while listening to "Darling Sean" on the "Double Fantasy" lp... pure magic.
Ribbon tweets are the very best I have heard to date, detailed, articulate and precise without the shrillness I have heard in other tweeter types.
Physically, these girls are impressive to say the least, being 10 inches or so wider and taller than the 1.2tl's, yet they are only two inches thick from top to bottom! My pair is bone stock, and I look forward to performing all the mods I can on these. These will be my last stop for speakers for a very long time.
I encourage you guys to check out the larger Maggies. The 3.6R can be had for not much more than the TL's will cost you if you do all the mods to them.
I am in love with these speakers, and my wife for letting me have them!:cheesygrin: (i didn't have to sit through "Twilight" either
:cheesygrin:)
The Maggies are the finest speaker I have ever heard when it comes to painting a soundstage that is as large as life itself. Instrument placement is exact, the detail is true and the bass is deep, tight and uncolored by the boominess of a box traping the sound. There is absoulutely zero need for a sub with these, as they dig as deep as my 2.3's did, though with less authority. What there is down low is accurate, detailed and true bass response that blends seamlessly with the midrange. These speakers are so wonderfully three dimentional that they actaully can make you believe Pink Floyd, The Beatles, or Frank Sinatra are performing a command performance for you in the privace of your own home. Hearing John Lennon actually breathing into the microphone as if he were standing before me actually brought a tear to my eye. It happened while listening to "Darling Sean" on the "Double Fantasy" lp... pure magic.
Ribbon tweets are the very best I have heard to date, detailed, articulate and precise without the shrillness I have heard in other tweeter types.
Physically, these girls are impressive to say the least, being 10 inches or so wider and taller than the 1.2tl's, yet they are only two inches thick from top to bottom! My pair is bone stock, and I look forward to performing all the mods I can on these. These will be my last stop for speakers for a very long time.
I encourage you guys to check out the larger Maggies. The 3.6R can be had for not much more than the TL's will cost you if you do all the mods to them.
I am in love with these speakers, and my wife for letting me have them!:cheesygrin: (i didn't have to sit through "Twilight" either
:cheesygrin:) The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
Post edited by nooshinjohn on
Comments
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Glad to hear you are happy with them! I've only gotten to hear Maggies setup correctly once, but they were fantastic, and definitely something special. The ones I heard were the 1.6s if I remember correctly.
Oh, and I'm also happy that you didn't have to sit through Twilight. -
Nice John, glad your diggin' those maggies.
While SDA's are nice, there's a world of sound out there gents.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
I think right around the time you have them all dialed in (after you get your new place) I might need to visit with the wife for a "vacation"
..
They can sight see for a couple days while I sit in audio bliss
"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
Better yet... you could come out and help me move!:loneranger:
Any that would like to hera these, or perhaps listen to Maggies in their own home, just shoot me a PM. The journey has just begun for these. The rabbit hole is far deeper than I thought.The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
I have read and heard from far away, a journey that has brought you full circle.
Many years have passed between you making them and now owning one of the company's best models.
Fate or destiny?........................................................Probably both.Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
pics!!!!!!
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pics:cheesygrin:...The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
Very nice setup John.
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Those are smexy...
Before I bou8ght my A9's, I had a itch to try a pair of MMG's. A local store carries Maggies here but they advised I should look for Paradigm instead of Magnepan... Foolishly I listened. I still have yet to hear any Maggies. Mind you, the price of Maggies up here are unreal. -
Very nice - I would love to have a pair of those before I die.....
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Too close together.
No factory cross-over? How do you know if the speaker is performing to its fullest? just sayin....Did the company brains say don't worry about it at all since your bi-wiring?Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
Speakers were built with an internal crossover designed for bi-amping. The external crossover is not needed if you do so. That is how they are set up now, but when I find a Pass Labs active crossover, I will be going that route.The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
Do you have a schematic of the original crossover? Active crossovers aren't always plug and play."He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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Do you have a schematic of the original crossover? Active crossovers aren't always plug and play.
Yep... I got it. I won't be diong this until I move and I have gone over everything at least ten times.The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
Too close together.
No factory cross-over? How do you know if the speaker is performing to its fullest? just sayin....Did the company brains say don't worry about it at all since your bi-wiring?Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
Congrats, man. Great speakers.
I've owned a handful of Maggies over the last couple years: MG-12's, 1.6's, 1.7's, and now 3.6's. Each one represented an outstanding value within its own price point, but getting to the True Ribbon of the 3.6 and up is where things things really start to get scary. Keep playing with placement. They can sound dramatically different with each inch or degree of change. It took me a couple months to get mine dialed in.2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's
Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses
Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's -
Nice set up John.
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Mark at the factory said the external cross on the '20's is to make them perform in systems that are not bi-amped, and they are not used or needed for systems that are biamped.
I know they are way to glose together. When they get into our new home, they will be set at 9 feet between them and at least 4 feet from any wall.The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
nooshinjohn wrote: »Better yet... you could come out and help me move!:loneranger:
Helping you move could be worked out. My fee is the one time low price of a Sunfire Grand Cinema Signature 450x5 :biggrin:"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
tony millard wrote: »Too close together.
No factory cross-over? How do you know if the speaker is performing to its fullest? just sayin....Did the company brains say don't worry about it at all since your bi-wiring?tony millard wrote: »Too close together.
No factory cross-over? How do you know if the speaker is performing to its fullest? just sayin....Did the company brains say don't worry about it at all since your bi-wiring?
How did you manage to post the same responses hours apart? -
I think my computer and this web site has a weird link thing going on. I click on a post and I get routed to Georgia car dealers listings page or I get something in Maryland I think it is. I posted and went out shopping and ate dinner out. I have no idea.
Wait a minute, My mouse is wireless and I have been having a hard time with it working and have been clicking it repeatedly to get it to activate promps. Maybe my mouse and it's reciever connected again when I returned home, and it sent the message once more before I went looking around the web again. Very possible!Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
nooshinjohn wrote: »Mark at the factory said the external cross on the '20's is to make them perform in systems that are not bi-amped, and they are not used or needed for systems that are biamped.
I know they are way to glose together. When they get into our new home, they will be set at 9 feet between them and at least 4 feet from any wall.
That is an awsome planer system then. I can't wait for your review when you get them apart. You'll probably short out your keyboard,laptop from the tears of joy steadily running off your face. Congrats again !!Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
What would be an acceptable price to pay for the 20.1 from a dealer I have a good repoire with?[
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Am I to understand that you've already burned these up?CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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Am I to understand that you've already burned these up?
I believe they had that Maggie "buzz" when he got them."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
Am I to understand that you've already burned these up?
They had a problem when I grabbed them. I was hoping delamination was not the trouble, but was prepared for anything.The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
It's a pretty easy thing to figure out prior to buying.CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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It's a pretty easy thing to figure out prior to buying.
He wasnt able to audition them before purchase. This was an out of state seller and from what John relayed to me it was a PITA to get them shipped to him."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
Well, guess that's the chance you take then, as I wouldn't have bought them. Poor decision but everyone's different.CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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Eh, if the price is right..... and it was......"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
