Magnepan MMG review (First few days)
I really am not that good at doing reviews, but here is my best stab at it. Oh, and I am not sure how welcome a MAgnepan review is here at Polk, but it is audio, and we are all interested in that, right?
Anyone not familiar with the internet only deal Magnepan offers for their MMG speakers go to this link www.magnepan.com and click The offer we hope you cant resist, basically you order the MMGs for 550.00 delivered, have 60 days to play with them, return them for full credit or within a year trade them in at a local dealer for up to full credit (I am sure that would mean you get the full credit if you buy the more expensive models, and less for the lower models.)
Out of the box
Unpacking these was quick and easy, shipping weight is only 40lbs. total, and a small compact package at that. All you need to do is attach the supplied legs. These are easy to move around and place, they are only 20 lbs each, and measure 14.5 wide, 48 tall and ONLY 1.25 deep.
Connections
An amplifier rated for 4 ohms is a must, and a good quality one is needed as these are rather power hungry. Magnepan speakers have a flat impedance curve, so even though they are 4ohms, they do not dip down or rise up, and this is good news for your amp. Magnepan uses a unique connection, that takes either bananas or bare wire, there is an adapter you can buy from Magnepan that allows you to use lugs. Single wire connector only.
Placement
By nature of their design the MMGs are dipolar (sound radiates from the front and rear, the rear being out of phase to the front) and need to be placed away from the rear wall. Place them too close and the sounds brightens and becomes too forward, as you move them away from the rear wall the bass starts to soften, so far that has been an endless adjustment. Three feet is a good starting point, spacing is up to you and your room.
These are mirror imaged pairs, as the quasi-ribbon tweeter is along one side, this allows you to place the tweeter either on the inside or outside by swapping the L and R speakers. The sound of the MMGs change with EVERY move you make, spacing between them, distance from the wall, your distance from the speakers, degree of toe-in, tweeters inside/outside, it is very neat and at the same time kind of tiring wondering if they are placed how they should be.
Break-in
I have bought more than my share of speakers, and 95% of them have been used, so for me to have brand new speakers that need broke in is a new challenge for me. Patiently waiting for these to loosen up is not in my nature, and Magnepan states full break-in is achieved after six weeks. First night - first few CDs, well there is sound coming from these, but no bass and the treble in not really extended, the soundstage is rather shallow and narrow. Second day/night - played them all day, medium volume, played everything through them, CDs DVDs and kids cartoons, anything to keep them playing. By evening when I could sit down and listen, I really heard a lot of improvement, but there is still limited bass and a little bit of edge in the highs, getting closer. Third day/night Again had them on all day, low-medium-high volume. They are getting smoother and the bass is coming in more and more. I sat down and had the longest listening session so far, very good results, but I am sure there is more improvement to be had with more break in.
Now after 4-5 days and nights of working these little gems, I have bass that is as good as any bookshelf speaker, may not impress some of you that a floor standing speaker has bass on par with a small speaker, but Magnepan is known for their lack of bass, it comes with the territory. I will say this, what bass is there is VERY good, not deep maybe lower 50s, but it is very nicely done, and should improve over time with more break in. The treble is light and airy, but I still hear a tiny bit of bite to the uppermost frequencies, again more break in should smooth out that last tiny bit (might be my CD player and/or interconnects?). The midrange, the shinning star of these speakers, even now with limited break in, the midrange is magnificent, better than any speaker I have had in here (except for the Magnepan 3.5Rs I had for a week) vocals, guitars, drums hell you name it, all sound life like and real.
Soundstaging and imaging
Off the charts here, these are in another class than what I have ever had. They create a very convincing 3 dimensional soundstage, placing images correctly left, right, and dead center. The most noticeable distinction is front to back placement of instruments or singers. I not only know that the background vocals are back there, you hear how far back they are.
Ramblings
First off, these are planar ribbon speakers, and are very different animals than ANY speakers you may have heard before. Again go to the Magnepan site for details on the construction and design. The sound you get from these is VERY revealing of your equipment and your software, the old garbage in garbage out is in full force here.
The ribbon/planar drivers sound wonderful, no shrill of harsh tweeters, very smooth and airy, acoustic guitars vocals all sound lifelike, bass is another story. Even though the bass these produce is tight and accurate, it is not very deep. I want a subwoofer. Switching from the ASL tube amp to the McCormack improved the bass greatly, but I still want more.
Well I am sure you can tell I am nothing short of thrilled with these speakers. With the right material and equipment the MMGs will blow your pants off, they are so good you will wonder how they do it for 550.00 delivered, you will also wonder if it can be worth the upgrade to Magnepans more expensive models.
Listening material:
Shawn Mullins, Angie Aparo, Peter Gabrial, Dave Mathews, Tool (yes Tool sounded great on these), tons of other stuff.
I will ad any post break-in improvements when that time arrives.
Equipment used:
Pre-amps
Musical Fidelity A3.2cr and NAD 1700
Power Amps
Antique Sound Lab AQ-1002DT and McCormack DNA-125
CD player
Denon 5 disk changer with HDCD ( DMC-370??) all I had folks
Cables
Signal cable, MIT interconnects, Signal Cable and Monster Cable speaker cables
If you have any questions and want to know more, ask away I will do my best to answer.
Anyone not familiar with the internet only deal Magnepan offers for their MMG speakers go to this link www.magnepan.com and click The offer we hope you cant resist, basically you order the MMGs for 550.00 delivered, have 60 days to play with them, return them for full credit or within a year trade them in at a local dealer for up to full credit (I am sure that would mean you get the full credit if you buy the more expensive models, and less for the lower models.)
Out of the box
Unpacking these was quick and easy, shipping weight is only 40lbs. total, and a small compact package at that. All you need to do is attach the supplied legs. These are easy to move around and place, they are only 20 lbs each, and measure 14.5 wide, 48 tall and ONLY 1.25 deep.
Connections
An amplifier rated for 4 ohms is a must, and a good quality one is needed as these are rather power hungry. Magnepan speakers have a flat impedance curve, so even though they are 4ohms, they do not dip down or rise up, and this is good news for your amp. Magnepan uses a unique connection, that takes either bananas or bare wire, there is an adapter you can buy from Magnepan that allows you to use lugs. Single wire connector only.
Placement
By nature of their design the MMGs are dipolar (sound radiates from the front and rear, the rear being out of phase to the front) and need to be placed away from the rear wall. Place them too close and the sounds brightens and becomes too forward, as you move them away from the rear wall the bass starts to soften, so far that has been an endless adjustment. Three feet is a good starting point, spacing is up to you and your room.
These are mirror imaged pairs, as the quasi-ribbon tweeter is along one side, this allows you to place the tweeter either on the inside or outside by swapping the L and R speakers. The sound of the MMGs change with EVERY move you make, spacing between them, distance from the wall, your distance from the speakers, degree of toe-in, tweeters inside/outside, it is very neat and at the same time kind of tiring wondering if they are placed how they should be.
Break-in
I have bought more than my share of speakers, and 95% of them have been used, so for me to have brand new speakers that need broke in is a new challenge for me. Patiently waiting for these to loosen up is not in my nature, and Magnepan states full break-in is achieved after six weeks. First night - first few CDs, well there is sound coming from these, but no bass and the treble in not really extended, the soundstage is rather shallow and narrow. Second day/night - played them all day, medium volume, played everything through them, CDs DVDs and kids cartoons, anything to keep them playing. By evening when I could sit down and listen, I really heard a lot of improvement, but there is still limited bass and a little bit of edge in the highs, getting closer. Third day/night Again had them on all day, low-medium-high volume. They are getting smoother and the bass is coming in more and more. I sat down and had the longest listening session so far, very good results, but I am sure there is more improvement to be had with more break in.
Now after 4-5 days and nights of working these little gems, I have bass that is as good as any bookshelf speaker, may not impress some of you that a floor standing speaker has bass on par with a small speaker, but Magnepan is known for their lack of bass, it comes with the territory. I will say this, what bass is there is VERY good, not deep maybe lower 50s, but it is very nicely done, and should improve over time with more break in. The treble is light and airy, but I still hear a tiny bit of bite to the uppermost frequencies, again more break in should smooth out that last tiny bit (might be my CD player and/or interconnects?). The midrange, the shinning star of these speakers, even now with limited break in, the midrange is magnificent, better than any speaker I have had in here (except for the Magnepan 3.5Rs I had for a week) vocals, guitars, drums hell you name it, all sound life like and real.
Soundstaging and imaging
Off the charts here, these are in another class than what I have ever had. They create a very convincing 3 dimensional soundstage, placing images correctly left, right, and dead center. The most noticeable distinction is front to back placement of instruments or singers. I not only know that the background vocals are back there, you hear how far back they are.
Ramblings
First off, these are planar ribbon speakers, and are very different animals than ANY speakers you may have heard before. Again go to the Magnepan site for details on the construction and design. The sound you get from these is VERY revealing of your equipment and your software, the old garbage in garbage out is in full force here.
The ribbon/planar drivers sound wonderful, no shrill of harsh tweeters, very smooth and airy, acoustic guitars vocals all sound lifelike, bass is another story. Even though the bass these produce is tight and accurate, it is not very deep. I want a subwoofer. Switching from the ASL tube amp to the McCormack improved the bass greatly, but I still want more.
Well I am sure you can tell I am nothing short of thrilled with these speakers. With the right material and equipment the MMGs will blow your pants off, they are so good you will wonder how they do it for 550.00 delivered, you will also wonder if it can be worth the upgrade to Magnepans more expensive models.
Listening material:
Shawn Mullins, Angie Aparo, Peter Gabrial, Dave Mathews, Tool (yes Tool sounded great on these), tons of other stuff.
I will ad any post break-in improvements when that time arrives.
Equipment used:
Pre-amps
Musical Fidelity A3.2cr and NAD 1700
Power Amps
Antique Sound Lab AQ-1002DT and McCormack DNA-125
CD player
Denon 5 disk changer with HDCD ( DMC-370??) all I had folks
Cables
Signal cable, MIT interconnects, Signal Cable and Monster Cable speaker cables
If you have any questions and want to know more, ask away I will do my best to answer.
Dodd - Battery Preamp
Monarchy Audio SE100 Delux - mono power amps
Sony DVP-NS999ES - SACD player
ADS 1230 - Polk SDA 2B
DIY Stereo Subwoofer towers w/(4) 12 drivers each
Crown K1 - Subwoofer amp
Outlaw ICBM - crossover
Beringher BFD - sub eq
Where is the remote? Where is the $%#$% remote!
"I've always been mad, I know I've been mad, like the most of us have...very hard to explain why you're mad, even if you're not mad..."
Monarchy Audio SE100 Delux - mono power amps
Sony DVP-NS999ES - SACD player
ADS 1230 - Polk SDA 2B
DIY Stereo Subwoofer towers w/(4) 12 drivers each
Crown K1 - Subwoofer amp
Outlaw ICBM - crossover
Beringher BFD - sub eq
Where is the remote? Where is the $%#$% remote!
"I've always been mad, I know I've been mad, like the most of us have...very hard to explain why you're mad, even if you're not mad..."
Post edited by hoosier21 on
Comments
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GREAT write up. The MMG may very well be the BEST speaker deal out there for the money. Show me $550 better spent on a *new* speaker, you can't.
I'm asking Santa for a pair this year.
Cheers,
RussCheck your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service. -
Nice review Hoosier!
Sorry to side track your thread but I have a question about your McCormack amp. I just got a used McCormack DNA 0.5 (which is the same amp as the 125 but the 125 is the 0.5 with the C or B revision from www.smcaudio.com ). Anyway, I was wondering if your Musical Fidelity Pre amp was a good match with the McCormack? I love the sound of my Audio Research pre amp and McCormack but the gain is too high on the AR pre for the McCormack (since the McCormacks were designed for passive preamps). I can get to about 9 oclock on my volume control and it is too loud to listen too. So I was wondering if you had that problem with the MF? do you know the output impedance of the MF? How would you describe the sound of the MF and McCormack combo?
The DNA 0.5 is such a great amp I hate to get rid of it. Then again the AR pre is great too, they just don't work the greatest together. so I can't decide what to do.
Again, sorry for the derail, just wondering about your thoughts...Sony KDL-40V2500 HDTV, Rotel RSX-1067 Receiver, Sony BDP-S550 Blu-ray, Slim Devices Squeezebox, Polk RTi6, CSi3 & R15, DIY sub with Atlas 15 -
Welcome to the world of Maggies!
I started with the MMGs and in 3 months moved to the MG12s.
First off, stand those MMGs upright, your soundstage will extend deeper. There are lots of tweaks available for Maggies just go to the MUG (Maggie Users Group) site:
http://www.integracoustics.com/MUG/MUG/
I've changed the crossover parts, added Cardas binding posts and built new legs for my girls. Some MUG members even have naked Maggies. -
The legs are something I was expecting to have to deal with ASAP, but Magnepan had added some wire "loops" (best I can describe them) that when you tilt them upright, the loops fall dowm and stand the MMGs upright. I do think I still need to elevate them, so DIY leg/stands are in the future.Dodd - Battery Preamp
Monarchy Audio SE100 Delux - mono power amps
Sony DVP-NS999ES - SACD player
ADS 1230 - Polk SDA 2B
DIY Stereo Subwoofer towers w/(4) 12 drivers each
Crown K1 - Subwoofer amp
Outlaw ICBM - crossover
Beringher BFD - sub eq
Where is the remote? Where is the $%#$% remote!
"I've always been mad, I know I've been mad, like the most of us have...very hard to explain why you're mad, even if you're not mad..." -
Wow. That's an amazing price!! :eek:
I was always under the impression that magnepans were way beyond my price range. It'd be a reach but they are attainable.
Good review. I'm not sure whether or not to laud you or curse you!!
Still based on the info on Magnepan's site, the MGMC1 would probably be the speaker for me. Placement issues would prevent me from getting the MGM. It'd probably have to be a 2 ch. rig with a sub as the centre and the bass management system would break me.
Something to consider but it would appear to be a ways off until I acquire an amp/receiver capable of driving these babies.
Well thanks for another speaker **** site if nothing else.
regards
DaveTime is the best teacher. Unfortunately it kills all its students. -
I will let you know how they do upstairs tonight with the Denon 3803. I want a sub, but you can live with out it for sure, in fact I am worried a sub will add new problems, and only mess up the sound I am getting. Matching a sub to maggies is no small feat.Dodd - Battery Preamp
Monarchy Audio SE100 Delux - mono power amps
Sony DVP-NS999ES - SACD player
ADS 1230 - Polk SDA 2B
DIY Stereo Subwoofer towers w/(4) 12 drivers each
Crown K1 - Subwoofer amp
Outlaw ICBM - crossover
Beringher BFD - sub eq
Where is the remote? Where is the $%#$% remote!
"I've always been mad, I know I've been mad, like the most of us have...very hard to explain why you're mad, even if you're not mad..." -
A good sub that would match up well with the maggies is the Vandersteen 2w. I say that not because I have one for sale but it is one very musical sub. Two are required for best performance. Tom
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Agreed Tom, I've been trying to get Hoosier to go hear ALL the Vandy's - but he hasn't done it yet.Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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Hoosier - Great review....I think it would be nice to read even more reviews of other speakers in here. That is a nice speaker....are you wishing you kept the previous Maggies?
You should think about that sub that Soupbone has, just to drop the last bit of bottom end in there.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. -
I would also like to hear how it compares to the previous ones.
madmaxVinyl, the final frontier...
Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want...
-
Hoosier,
Nice review, glad you're enjoying them.
Try,
Here are the specs for the MF:
OUTPUT
Voltage RMS, maximum > 27 Volts
Power, maximum > 3.5 Watts
Peak-to-peak
output current 0.3 Amps
Impedance 50 Ohms
Frequency response 20Hz to 20kHz ±0dB
10Hz to 100kHz +0, -2dB,
LINE INPUTS
Total harmonic
distortion and noise,
20Hz to 20kHz
> 0.006%
(5 Volts output, maximum volume)
Signal / noise reference
for 1 Volt RMS output
101dB ('A' weighted, at half volume)
Input sensitivity for 1 Volt RMS output 240mV
Input impedance 47k Ohms
Gain at maximum
volume 12.5dB (4.2 times)
Overload margin 31dB
Channel separation > 85dB typical at 1kHz, maximum volumePolitical Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
congrats hoosier and a very nice review. you dead nailed the placement and imaging bits.
love my maggie 1.5qr's. on acoustic whatever, they are soooo sweet. give "blue rondo" on dave brubeck's "time out" a listen and be amazed as you hear paul desmond's alto sax moving in a small circle as he plays... first time i did my jaw hit the floor...
if you have not heard the 1.6's, do so and you'll be using the trade-up option...
also vandy sub's are rec'd by my local maggie dealer as a match for them. something tells me an svs pb1 isd might be a fit as well...More later,
Tour...
Vox Copuli
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb
"Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
"It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
"There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD -
Hi,
Could some kind maggie owners please educate me the nuances of their speakers?
From a hypothetical HT scenario, if I wanted to go with the mgmc1's, I'd need their mgmcc or 3 pairs of mgmc1's for 6.1 setup?
It doesn't sound like you can you mix and match maggies and conventionial speakers (timbre matching) without winding up with the proverbial dog's breakfast?
Getting ready to duck and run for cover now...
DaveTime is the best teacher. Unfortunately it kills all its students. -
Originally posted by F1nut
Try,
Here are the specs for the MF:
Thanks! I looked for them but couldn't find any. I think I may have to sell off the AR gem...Sony KDL-40V2500 HDTV, Rotel RSX-1067 Receiver, Sony BDP-S550 Blu-ray, Slim Devices Squeezebox, Polk RTi6, CSi3 & R15, DIY sub with Atlas 15 -
You're welcome. I should have posted a link for you, so........
http://www.musicalfidelity.com/Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
I looked there, I must not have looked hard enough, that or I was actually working at work, instead of reading about audio equipment...Originally posted by F1nut
You're welcome. I should have posted a link for you, so........
http://www.musicalfidelity.com/ Sony KDL-40V2500 HDTV, Rotel RSX-1067 Receiver, Sony BDP-S550 Blu-ray, Slim Devices Squeezebox, Polk RTi6, CSi3 & R15, DIY sub with Atlas 15 -
To answer the question(s) do I wish I still had the 3.5R's
Sure do, they were Fantastic speakers.
To answer do the MMG's compare to the bigger brothers, well like any speaker line, the higher up you go the better the sound. My memory is not the greatest when asked to compare two speakers that I have heard at different times and in this case completely different equipment, and a different room. But in general, the bigger 3.5R offer a similar yet different and better sound, they have a bigger, deeper, more detailed sound, and had better bass. Now how much better??? again memory does not serve me well enough (and that is a good thing, as I am thinking about keeping these MMG's)
Going to my local dealer was good, but had the usual problem, the 1.6QR's and 3.6R's were in a different room with different equipment, so exact comparasions are hard, but I loved the 1.6R's and said "yep these are what I am going to get" then I went into the other room and was amazed at how much better I liked 3.6R, but was it the better equipment or the bigger more costly speakers????
I will have to say that the 3.5R or 3.6R's true ribbon tweeter sounds better. But unless you do an A-B test in the same room at the same time the differences are small enought that you will be satified with the QR tweeter.
I like the MMG's enough that I am not "wanting or NEEDING" the bigger models (well yet anyway)
When I had the 3.5R's (again for only a week) I said to myself, great speaker, but I think I need a sub to fill out the bottom end.
Sorry to ramble on and on..
My thoughts are for the 550.00 plus a sub, I will be happy for a while.Dodd - Battery Preamp
Monarchy Audio SE100 Delux - mono power amps
Sony DVP-NS999ES - SACD player
ADS 1230 - Polk SDA 2B
DIY Stereo Subwoofer towers w/(4) 12 drivers each
Crown K1 - Subwoofer amp
Outlaw ICBM - crossover
Beringher BFD - sub eq
Where is the remote? Where is the $%#$% remote!
"I've always been mad, I know I've been mad, like the most of us have...very hard to explain why you're mad, even if you're not mad..." -
About three months ago, my neighbor Dean ordered FOUR of those MMG's. In the last few years, he has torn through PSB, Paradigm, Sonus-Faber, and a few others I can't remember. I finally got over there about a month ago to hear the MMG's. I brought over The Boston Symphony recording of "The Planets" cause I hate all the others, and after we listened to Jupiter, Dean put on Berlioz, and then Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto.
After we listened to that stuff, the only thing I asked him was, "How fast did they make you cry?" He said "Immediately."
You CANNOT buy a better NEW pair of speakers for $550. They are very fragile however. Absolutely no kids and no pets.
George Grand (of the Jersey Grand's) -
the owners manual encorages the use of cat repellent around the speakers' bases...Originally posted by George Grand
...no pets.More later,
Tour...
Vox Copuli
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb
"Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
"It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
"There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD -
I would encourage the use of a blow gun in addition to the repellent. They'll learn.
George Grand (of the Jersey Grand's) -
More vigorous than Tool?
Have you heard their music, not to mention the quality of the recording and transfer?
Evanesence? Are you effin kidding me?
You must be high. Tool will be in the forefront of the plothera of demo material at the Texas Gathering.
Cheers,
RussCheck your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service. -
i think it's safe to say that headbangers need not knock on maggie's door... at least not without a nice sub in their cla... er, hands... More later,
Tour...
Vox Copuli
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb
"Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
"It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
"There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD -
Great review!
I'm glad you like them so much. I keep thinking about getting a pair for my small 2-ch room. I've heard the 1.6's and really liked them. I haven't had the chance to hear the MMGs (only be outbid). I'm glad they didn't fall that far away from the higher models.Make it Funky!
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Originally posted by ATCVenom
Hoosier,
Many people claim this is not the speaker for more modern music, ie: new age rock, etc.. Do you have any in your collection, something a little more vigorous than Tool? ie: Evanescence? Or anything of the sort?
Sean
No I do not have anything more vigorous than Tool. These MMG's did a great job with Tool, to a fairly loud listening level, but Tour is correct, metal and such are not where these speakers shine. If that type of music is your taste, I would look somewhere else.Dodd - Battery Preamp
Monarchy Audio SE100 Delux - mono power amps
Sony DVP-NS999ES - SACD player
ADS 1230 - Polk SDA 2B
DIY Stereo Subwoofer towers w/(4) 12 drivers each
Crown K1 - Subwoofer amp
Outlaw ICBM - crossover
Beringher BFD - sub eq
Where is the remote? Where is the $%#$% remote!
"I've always been mad, I know I've been mad, like the most of us have...very hard to explain why you're mad, even if you're not mad..." -
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3058811541&category=14993
Local speakers, frig this hobby is never ending. MUST quit looking at Ebay and Audiogon.Dodd - Battery Preamp
Monarchy Audio SE100 Delux - mono power amps
Sony DVP-NS999ES - SACD player
ADS 1230 - Polk SDA 2B
DIY Stereo Subwoofer towers w/(4) 12 drivers each
Crown K1 - Subwoofer amp
Outlaw ICBM - crossover
Beringher BFD - sub eq
Where is the remote? Where is the $%#$% remote!
"I've always been mad, I know I've been mad, like the most of us have...very hard to explain why you're mad, even if you're not mad..." -
when f1 and i visted polk hq, i asked matt if he ever played with planars/ ribbons. response was no, but it was clear that he had great admiration for magnepan in general and their typani model in particular.
atc,
for a more versatile speaker in a similar vein, seek out a carver amazing audition...More later,
Tour...
Vox Copuli
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb
"Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
"It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
"There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD -
Originally posted by hoosier21
Connections
An amplifier rated for 4 ohms is a must, and a good quality one is needed as these are rather power hungry.
For all that may consider the MMGs don't let this line in Hoosier's initial post slip by...every review I have read about these says they are a great speaker but are true power hogs. It seems they may be more power demanding than the LSis."Just because youre offended doesnt mean youre right." - Ricky Gervais
"For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." - Stuart Chase
"Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago." - Bernard Berenson -
The other thing that Maggies require is proper placement. You need at least 3 feet of clearance behind and 2 feet to the side. Deciding whether tweeters in or tweeters out depends on whether you are on the long or short wall. Generally long wall is tweeters out and short wall is tweeters in. This has to do with imaging, but the trade off is that the soundstage size is reduced.
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All I can say is that I've had my MMGs for about 6 months and they still amaze me. The bass issue (which they readily admit) is solved with a sub...for me, the Pinnacle SubSonic. (I think the smaller size sub woofer is better and faster in order to match the speed of the Maggies, and does it ever put out tight, fast bass!) My placdement is far from ideal bcause of my room. I have 4 MMGs for SACD surround, DVD-Audio, and DVD. 2 are in corners (right side) and 2 are not, but if you have a receiver with flexible settings, it helps. I just got the B&W 507, but was using my Denon 3801 (which actually worked, but was a little power-shy for these speakers). They still sound like nothing I've heard before! At the $550/pair price, well...what can I say? They're just plain wonderful. I doubt I'll ever go back to box speakers.
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Hey, I'm delighted to see my good neighbor Dean on the forum.
Dean,
If you're going to stick around and even just post infrequently, I wouldn't mind seeing you post your "credentials" for all to see. I think it would help to explain why, "When Dean Rishel talks, I listen."
Just like the old NHT magazine ads used to state, "He knows a pure note when he hears one."
George Grand (of the Jersey Grands)
