Magnepan MG-20 vs. Polk Audio SDA-SRS 1.2/2.3 TL's

nooshinjohn

Having spent a month with my new (to me) Magnepan MG-20's in playing trim, the time has come to post a few thoughts and a comparision to the SDA's I have experienced.

The Massive MG-20's are not properly set up at this time due to size constraints, but I have spent significant time dialing them in as best as possible. These speakers are the best imaging speaker I have ever heard from top to bottom. Guitars come to life in such a way that they are actually in the room with you. Female vocals simply melt into the air with so much airiness that I can close my eyes and feel her presence.(not at all a bad image if Beyonce is on the yturntable:cheesygrin:). They are powerful yet detailed and refined in the way they deliver music in a realistic and believable way. In short, they deliver in ways that stock SDA's cannot, BUT they also lack that visceral feel of a punch in the gut that SDA's have. This is perhaps due to the fact that the MG's are a planar speaker and lack the air moving abiliy of the cone/passive design of the SDA's.

I have had both the 1.2TL and 2.3TL's and I prefered the 2.3TL's to the big dogs. In a head to head between the Maggie and the TL's, the maggie is so very good from 60htz and up that I don't think a fair comparison could be made, but down low and being able to deliver on a live event type performance, the Polks win that battle all day long. The Magnepan is my speaker of choice for much of the music I listen to, but another set of hot-rodded SDA's will be in my future for other types of music.

Both speakers get a GIANT thumbs up from me.:cool:

leroyjr1

Can't you just throw a nice sealed sub to handle the low end punch. Something along the lines of a JL Fathom of Velo DD sub should do the trick. I've heard the MMG's and love them, can't amagine how the big boy sound.

nooshinjohn

I am looking into twin 4ohm passive subs that I can feed from perhaps a Sunfire 600/2, crossing them over at 60htz. I am also going to build a pair of custom hardwood frames for these that will be integrated into some massive granite bases to isolate them from vibration. Before I do anything else with them, I need a bigger place.:cool:

EndersShadow

How did you like the Tron Legacy in vinyl.

falconcry72

nooshinjohn wrote: »

...crossing them over at 60htz....

That seems high. My 3.6's are pretty flat down to the mid-30's, like 35, 36'ish. I would think that your 20's would go lower.

Congrats, BTW, sounds like you're having fun. :biggrin:


I love Maggies and SDA's. There are things they both do that the other cannot. It's good to have both for different applications.

evhudsons

I just picked up a pair of mmg's. Until now I never heard a speaker like that. I have my crs on one amp and the mmg on another amp. I can switch each amp on or off or play both at the same time. Neither speaker has room filling bass so I have a subwoofer.
I never thought anything other than SDA could open up a stage but these magnepans really are something else, a completely different sound. Played together sometimes it works really fantastic but other times clashes and is a mess. Seperately I have my favorite in my crs but to be fair I'm not giving the Maggie's a fair shake in power or placement. I did notice however an extreme clarity in vocals, horns and stringed instruments that made the speaker itself an illusion.
The mmg will be my mains for the 2 channel I'm workingOn in a different room.
Great speaker, I'm a believer! And I've got the babies of both series. I agree with the comment that I can only imagine what the big ones sound like.
Great review!

nooshinjohn

I am toying with the idea of getting a Carver C-9 Sonic Holograpy generator and running that with the big Maggies... any input on that?

As far as the crossover point, if it is to work for my ear, the transition needs to be absloutely seamless. I would like to get that viceral "slam" that I got from the SDA's along with the transparency and depth I get from the Maggies. I wonder if 450 watts of tube power will help in the "slam" department.:biggrin:

tonyb

Congrats big guy, though if I may make a suggestion. If I was to bottomline your posts, I would have to say your speaker search isn't over. Keep looking. I agree with you on the Maggies performance, but having a speaker thats only great on certain types of music, and another speaker for the other types, seems like a waste to me anyway. Why not look for one that does everything well ?
I'm not one for subs in 2 channel, though I realize some others dig it, matter of prference is all. Adding subs to the Maggies may very well be up your alley, but if you like the slam of the Polk big boys, there are lots of speakers out there with slam and a good top end like the Maggies.....admit however, that the Maggies top end presentation is rather unique to them. What they do up there is hard to duplicate. The only other speaker I have heard to date that compares is the Quads, but also suffers the same fate as the Maggies, the low end. Maybe check out some Wilsons, Montana's, Legacy, Vons, Saulk, Just to name a few. Good slam, with an open airy top end was my route when looking, maybe it's yours too I dunno. Anyway, enjoy your journey, if anything, it's sure darn fun trying out new gear and finding what floats your boat.

audiocr381ve

tonyb wrote: »

Congrats big guy, though if I may make a suggestion. If I was to bottomline your posts, I would have to say your speaker search isn't over. Keep looking. I agree with you on the Maggies performance, but having a speaker thats only great on certain types of music, and another speaker for the other types, seems like a waste to me anyway. Why not look for one that does everything well ?
I'm not one for subs in 2 channel, though I realize some others dig it, matter of prference is all. Adding subs to the Maggies may very well be up your alley, but if you like the slam of the Polk big boys, there are lots of speakers out there with slam and a good top end like the Maggies.....admit however, that the Maggies top end presentation is rather unique to them. What they do up there is hard to duplicate. The only other speaker I have heard to date that compares is the Quads, but also suffers the same fate as the Maggies, the low end. Maybe check out some Wilsons, Montana's, Legacy, Vons, Saulk, Just to name a few. Good slam, with an open airy top end was my route when looking, maybe it's yours too I dunno. Anyway, enjoy your journey, if anything, it's sure darn fun trying out new gear and finding what floats your boat.

Some people just like having different cars (and can afford too). One that the family can ride in, one for hauling a load, and one that you can "go fast" in.

For my situation I'd like to find the one-size-fits-all speaker but I have a feeling that either it doesn't exist, or that if it does it would be far beyond my price range. Right now the 2BTL's are holding me over

Sweet review, I'm lookin' forward to the rest of it!

tonyb

LOL...Yeah, John may have the coinage for mutiple setups, and thats cool. I could just never figure out how you go into one room to listen to classical, jazz, and then have to go to another room to listen to rock. I think Johns just having fun on the journey is all, but I have a feeling it will end for awhile once he gets a taste of some other speaker makers....and hooks up those monster tube amps of his....which one day I'll steal. I am Italian after all.:biggrin:

jon s

I tried using a carver c-9 with a pair of maggies... it made the imaging worse... the dipole design does not go well with phase shifting of the carver...

Being on the subject of Magnepans... I am buying a pair of 2.7QRs. They are three-ways that are the same size as the 3.5s but still using the QR tweeters iso true ribbons like the 3-series and up.. They are about 14 years old. The buyer had them in storage in an air conditioned since he bought them. They is no sign of delamination, there is no sound of buzzing. But the speakers seems dull to me compared to my 1.6s. It could be because they haven't broken in (the boxes for the speakers were still there so they were never really used. When I shine a flashlight through the fabric, the light appears green from the other side (which I am thinking is not a good sign). I am paying $300 for the pair. Any ideas?

drumminman

nooshinjohn wrote: »

Having spent a month with my new (to me) Magnepan MG-20's in playing trim, the time has come to post a few thoughts and a comparision to the SDA's I have experienced.

The Massive MG-20's are not properly set up at this time due to size constraints, but I have spent significant time dialing them in as best as possible. These speakers are the best imaging speaker I have ever heard from top to bottom. Guitars come to life in such a way that they are actually in the room with you. Female vocals simply melt into the air with so much airiness that I can close my eyes and feel her presence.(not at all a bad image if Beyonce is on the yturntable:cheesygrin:). They are powerful yet detailed and refined in the way they deliver music in a realistic and believable way. In short, they deliver in ways that stock SDA's cannot, BUT they also lack that visceral feel of a punch in the gut that SDA's have. This is perhaps due to the fact that the MG's are a planar speaker and lack the air moving abiliy of the cone/passive design of the SDA's.

I have had both the 1.2TL and 2.3TL's and I prefered the 2.3TL's to the big dogs. In a head to head between the Maggie and the TL's, the maggie is so very good from 60htz and up that I don't think a fair comparison could be made, but down low and being able to deliver on a live event type performance, the Polks win that battle all day long. The Magnepan is my speaker of choice for much of the music I listen to, but another set of hot-rodded SDA's will be in my future for other types of music.

Both speakers get a GIANT thumbs up from me.:cool:

Thanks for the post. An interesting comparo would be your maggies versus some hot rodded and burned in SDA's, 2.3TL or 1.2TL.

nooshinjohn

That showdown is in the works... we may be having another San Diego meet in the near future, and I can't wait to hear the side by side with my old SDA 2.3TL's. Should be interesting:cool:

audiocr381ve

nooshinjohn wrote: »

That showdown is in the works... we may be having another San Diego meet in the near future, and I can't wait to hear the side by side with my old SDA 2.3TL's. Should be interesting:cool:

Count me in for this meetup!

erniejade

nooshinjohn wrote: »

I am toying with the idea of getting a Carver C-9 Sonic Holograpy generator and running that with the big Maggies... any input on that?

As far as the crossover point, if it is to work for my ear, the transition needs to be absloutely seamless. I would like to get that viceral "slam" that I got from the SDA's along with the transparency and depth I get from the Maggies. I wonder if 450 watts of tube power will help in the "slam" department.:biggrin:

When I ran the carver amazings, I didnt care for the c-9 effect on them. What made me say wow to them though was a BBE processor. It was like taking the socks off and opened them up even more. It didnt sound fake or just add more bass or treb ( although it can do that) but, it just seemed to open it up. Hard to explain. If you see the home version of a bbe, pick one up and try it on the maggies. I did NOT like the bbe on my 2.3 ot 1.2's but, on the amazings it was a great match.