Maggie SMG C

EndersShadow
EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
edited May 2012 in 2 Channel Audio
How much would you pay for a *mint* looking SMG C maggies?

Also what kind of power would you want to make sure you can drive them right. I know Maggies tend to dip below 4 ohms toward 2 so I want to make sure I have the right power to do them justice.

Thoughts appreciated.
"....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)
Post edited by EndersShadow on
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • script56
    script56 Posts: 11
    edited May 2012
    1000
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • chumlie
    chumlie Posts: 8,658
    edited May 2012
    script56 wrote: »
    1000
    What u trying to sell ?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited May 2012
    I think they retailed for around 1000, so they should go for less than half that now. A pair recently sold on audiogon where the asking price was 340, so they may have actually sold for less than that.

    As with any older maggies, de-lamination is a concern. Make sure you audition them with material that spans the entire frequency spectrum and listen for any weird vibrations.

    Looks like they're rated at 4ohms nominal with a 90db sensitivity, which is a little more efficient than some of the newer maggies. As long as the amp is good with low ohm loads, you shouldn't need a whole lot of watts. Something like an Adcom GFA-545 will do very well.
    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
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited May 2012
    falconcry72 wrote: »
    I think they retailed for around 1000, so they should go for less than half that now. A pair recently sold on audiogon where the asking price was 340, so they may have actually sold for less than that.

    Yeah I cant see more than 200 myself as when you add shipping of like 40 they are starting to get in the range you can get used MMG's for...
    falconcry72 wrote: »
    As with any older maggies, de-lamination is a concern. Make sure you audition them with material that spans the entire frequency spectrum and listen for any weird vibrations.

    Cant audition them unfortunately, otherwise thats the first thing I listen for. Normally its in the low end stuff you hear it best so I bring some good low end music. Based on the pictures they do indeed look mint, but we as all know looks mean nothing. Seller says their is no buzzing at all which, but would he say if there was lol
    falconcry72 wrote: »
    Looks like they're rated at 4ohms nominal with a 90db sensitivity, which is a little more efficient than some of the newer maggies. As long as the amp is good with low ohm loads, you shouldn't need a whole lot of watts. Something like an Adcom GFA-545 will do very well.

    Yeah I know you dont need a bunch of watts, but I also know they tend to like wattage lol..... How low do they tend to dip as I know 4 ohm speakers can dip to like 2 ohms and last thing I want is to light an amp on fire lol....
    "....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)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited May 2012
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    ... How low do they tend to dip as I know 4 ohm speakers can dip to like 2 ohms and last thing I want is to light an amp on fire lol....

    I can't find an impedance graph for those SMG's, but Magnepan's in general present a relatively easy to drive load, for a 4ohm a nominally rated speaker. The reason for this is that their impedance magnitude is very smooth, with no wild dips down to the sub 4ohm range, like you mentioned above.

    Here's the plot for the 1.6's:

    Mag16fig1.jpg

    Compare that to something more complex, like a Lsi-7:

    PolkSI7Fig1.jpg

    Or something harder to drive, like this Thiel 3.6:

    Cs36fig1.jpg

    Note that while the Thiel is rated at 4ohms, it spends a lot of time closer to 2 and 3 ohms. Not the case with the maggies I've seen graphs for. The 1.6's never even quite get down to 4 ohms. The graphs for the MMG's and 3.6's are very similar.

    I recommended the Adcom GFA-545 because, 1) it does very will with low ohm loads... better, in fact, than it needs to if the SMG's have a similar impedance response to the newer Maggies, and, 2) because I've used one to drive my 1.6's and even 3.6's. It did well and didn't catch on fire. lol.

    I mean, if you want to ball out and get some crazy amp, then great, but in that case a price range will be necessary to make recommendations. The 545 will do great and you can pick one up for 100-150 bucks.
    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
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited May 2012
    falconcry72 wrote: »
    I can't find an impedance graph for those SMG's, but Magnepan's in general present a relatively easy to drive load, for a 4ohm a nominally rated speaker. The reason for this is that their impedance magnitude is very smooth, with no wild dips down to the sub 4ohm range, like you mentioned above.

    I recommended the Adcom GFA-545 because, 1) it does very will with low ohm loads... better, in fact, than it needs to if the SMG's have a similar impedance response to the newer Maggies, and, 2) because I've used one to drive my 1.6's and even 3.6's. It did well and didn't catch on fire. lol.

    I mean, if you want to ball out and get some crazy amp, then great, but in that case a price range will be necessary to make recommendations. The 545 will do great and you can pick one up for 100-150 bucks.

    Nah, nothing crazy, just thinking about the Carver M1.0t I want to get to see if it could drive them. That way I could put them downstairs out of the way in a corner and when I want to listen to em just disconnect my LSi 15's and run them with that....

    I will look at that Adcom for sure. Any suggestions on what to set the crossovers for them at? Eventually they would go in my office in a 2.1 setup off the Integra I have now (once its replaced) with a dedicated amp...
    "....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)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited May 2012
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    ...just disconnect my LSi 15's and run them with that...

    If an amp can drive the 15's well, then it can drive the Maggies well.
    Any suggestions on what to set the crossovers for them at?

    I don't have any experience with that particular speaker. If I were to use a sub with my 1.6's, I'd cross them over around 40hz.
    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
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited May 2012
    falconcry72 wrote: »
    If an amp can drive the 15's well, then it can drive the Maggies well.

    Gotcha, thats kinda what I was figuring....
    falconcry72 wrote: »
    I don't have any experience with that particular speaker. If I were to use a sub with my 1.6's, I'd cross them over around 40hz.

    Gotcha, I was figuring somewhere in the 50-60 range since they are rated: 50 - 24 kHz +-3 dB. Also looks like they are not 86dB / 500Hz / 2.83v, not 90. Shouldnt make too much of a difference...
    "....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)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • IRLRaceFan
    IRLRaceFan Posts: 172
    edited May 2012
    falconcry72 wrote: »
    I don't have any experience with that particular speaker. If I were to use a sub with my 1.6's, I'd cross them over around 40hz.

    A little off topic, but didn't you have 3.6's???
    Why did ya switch?? I've been thinking about moving up in the Maggie line....
    HT
    Onkyo TX-NR1008 | Magnepan 1.7 | Polk LSiC | Polk VM20 | Polk DSW microPro 2000 | Parasound HCA-2205A | Oppo BDP-93

    2-Ch
    Cary SLP 30 Tube Preamp | Polk LSi7 | Carver M1.5t | Audio-gd Digital Interface | W4S DAC-2 | MAC Mini | Denon DP300f & Pro-Ject Debut III TT's
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited May 2012
    IRLRaceFan wrote: »
    A little off topic, but didn't you have 3.6's???
    Why did ya switch?? I've been thinking about moving up in the Maggie line....

    Yea, I had a pair of 3.6's for a while. I sold them to fund the purchase of the Usher Dancer Mini-2's. Now I go back and forth between the MD-2's and the 1.6's, The 3.6's are superior to the 1.6's, no doubt. I may go back to them, or I may save up for the 3.7's..
    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
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter