Random impulse speaker purchase

AsSiMiLaTeD

Well during and after LSAF this year I started thinking about upgrading my main 2 channel rig, that's the effect those damn shows tend to have. I heard so many setups at LSAF. Skip's Ushers, Ron's Dynaudio, and Rus's....well whatever the hell those were...all sounded superb and in different ways. Any one of those three would have been an improvement over my PSB (and don't get me wrong I love my PSB but they are simply not in the same league as any of those). There were other great sounding speakers, but honestly nothing else really jumped out at me like, say, those Elemental or SoundField bookies did last year.

So I left the show with expectations to check out a few specific speakers (Ushers, Russ's build and wanted to talk to the SoundField guy about building me a pair of those KEF based bookshelfs he had there last year), and I do still plan on doing that.

Then I woke up yesterday morning and for some reason decided I wanted a pair of Maggies. Totally random, yeah I've heard them before but not lately and not at the show and I have't thought about or talked to anybody about buying a pair. This was a total random impulse purchase that was made easier by the fact that I found a good deal on a pair locally, and it has turned out to be the best speaker purchase I've ever made.

I ended up with a pair of freshly rebuilt Magnepan 1.6 (new wiring kit and socks) for $750. It's not the deal of the century or anything, but I think I got a great deal for a minty fresh pair.

These aren't the best speakers I've ever heard and probably not even the best I've ever owned (the B&W 804 probably get that award), but they are my favorite. They don't do everything well, but what they do well they REALLY do well. I won't go into a full review here as those are available online. They struggle a bit with some rock and really complex or dynamic music like classical or some movie scores...but they do vocals, jazz, and lighter music better than any speaker I've ever heard. They do need a sub though, at least on my rig.

Right now I'm running them on my Pioneer SC-25 using the ICE amps, and am looking around at separate amps to drive these (actually any thoughts there would be appreciated). I will probably also need a sub to round out the bottom end.

Here's a quick pic of the new setup, still playing with placement and learning my room all over again. This is fun!

nooshinjohn

Sunfire 300/2 would pair quite well with these. Congrats on a nice set of speakers.

eclypse

Would be nice if the audio gods would pay me a visit in my dreams and i'd wake up with an answer of exactly which amp to pair with my speakers! haha.

Nice grab!

polkfarmboy

Anthems can be had for cheap, they double down hard for diff loads and have alot of detail but bass might not cut it. I think $750 is a steal on those, congrats

B Run

Congrats man that's a nice looking pair of Maggies for a great price, sounds like it was meant to be!

AsSiMiLaTeD

Actually right now you'd want to hear Mark's as his are on better gear at the moment, I plan to rectify that soon though

Irrenhaus

Congrats!

Here in My area I saw an add in the morning for a pair of MG-II for $150.00 add was up a 6:47am and gone before 9:00am dammm I sleep in late that Sunday.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/ele/3778221431.html

Cheers

[Deleted User]

Danny,

Was good to see you at LSAF. I left that place with a crazy hunger for tubes. Congrats on the purchase man, would love to hear them some day. Speaking of, I need to get some ears on my setup.

Halen

AsSiMiLaTeD

DSkip wrote: »

Danny, I've seen those Maggies for a while and they were calling for me. Glad you snagged them so temptation will pass. I guess now I can just head over to your house. Who needs Mark anyhow?

Skip, based on your music taste I'm not sure how much you'd really enjoy these speakers. With stuff like Muse, Depech Mode, Metallica, etc I think your Ushers are more dynamic and sound better. I don't know and am not saying that's your entire collection, but with the material we heard at your room over the weekend I think your Ushers are a better match.

That's at least true now, until I'm able to find a good deal on an amp...

Dawgfish

Awesome! I'm new to the Maggie family myself as I bought John's MMGs on an impulse buy also. I've only had them for a couple of days but I like them very much. I'm finding the exact things to be true with the MMGs that you are finding with the 1.6s. I have to say though, that I'm very surprised with the bass that they do put out. Based on the reviews I've read, I wasn't expecting much bass at all, so I've been pleasantly surprised with them. They definitely don't dig deep and they are not the most dynamic speaker I ever heard, but the bass that is there is very well defined and actually has more impact than I thought it would.

I'm running the MMGs with a Primaluna Prologue 4 tube amp rated at 35 wpc and it is having no problems driving them to loud levels. Don't know if this would be the case with the 1.6s since they are a good bit larger. I found a good deal on a NAD 2600A Power Envelope amp and pulled the trigger. I read that the older NAD PE amps have huge headroom and drive difficult loads with ease. I also read they were a good match with Maggies. We'll just have to see how it sounds. I'm kind of becomming a die-hard tube guy and love the power of SS, but I much prefer the liquidity and smoothness of tubes. At least there will be a tube Pre in the mix. After I have I chance to listen, I'll let you know if they are a good match or not (at least with my setup).

Face

I've heard maggies with Wyred 4 Sound amps and thought they were a good combo.

As far as the low end goes, a nice sub will help much more than any amp.

Dawgfish

^^I bet^^. I can't wait to hear these paired with my REL sub.

zingo

Congrats and Maggies are very enjoyable, and a fun change in reproduction style.

AsSiMiLaTeD

This question may get lost in all the replies here, but I'd like to get some feedback on amping the Maggies.

Right now they're being powered by the Pioneer SC-25 ICE amps and they actually sound quite good, but am wondering how much more they're capable of. Specifically, my two issues are their bass response and they're not quite as dynamic as I'd like and get lost with really complex music. The bass response should be easy enough to rectify by adding a sub, but I'd like to 'untangle' their sound a bit if I can.

Here's the deal though, this being totally impulsive and not completely thought thru, I don't have alot of extra cash on hand for an amp especially after I add the sub. So, I have maybe $600 to spend on an amp right now and given that I have two choices:

1 - Live with what I have until I can afford $2K for a better amp
2 - Get something I can afford now and upgrade down the road

In my price range I've found things like the Parasound A23 and the 2125 (2x). Those are the main two I'm considering right now, either get the A23 or get two of the 2125 and run those in mono.

Any thoughts on those specific Parasound amps? The A23 is rated higher per channel, but if I run the 2125 each in mono I can get more power feeding each speaker. The 2125 are only 35 amps though which I don't think is enough, does that number also double up if I run them in mono, or only the wattage?

Any help or other thoughts given my budget are appreciated.

EndersShadow

PM NooshinJohn, he's your go to guy on these.

Dawgfish

I have a NAD 2600PE on the way that I picked up pretty cheap. I've read a lot of reviews saying that the older NAD Power Envelope amps match well with Maggies. We'll see when it gets here. It might be a stretch for me because like I said, I'm a tube guy. As mentioned earlier I'm running my MMGs currently with a Primaluna 35 wpc tube amp. Last night I was listening to Mussorsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and Night on Bald Mountain and it actually sounded very nice. It did not sound congested at all and had more dynamics than I was expecting. The PrimaLuna impresses more and more everyday. I'm just saying this to say that quality amplification may go a long ways toward relieving the congested sound you are describing. I'll let you know how the NAD sounds with the Maggies after I get it and play with it for a bit. I only paid $170 for it shipped, so I'm not expecting too much.....

Dawgfish

Well I got the NAD 2600PE in and hooked it up to the Maggies. I have to say I am very impressed with it. I have read several reviews that stated the older NAD Power Envelope amps were great matches for Maggies and I have to agree. The highs are also not as bright as I thought they would be and are quite pleasant. Soundstage depth is not as good with the NAD as it is with the PL tube amp, but it's still quite good (they are Maggies afterall). I would definitely put these on your short list if you are looking for something to drive the Maggies without breaking the bank. I know there are better amps out there, but it really does seem to pair well with the Maggies. For what I paid for it, its's a no brainer. In fact I may buy another one of these to bi-amp with.

AsSiMiLaTeD

I ended up going with the Parasound A23 (Halo series) and really like it. I've used the ICE amps in the SC-25 for a couple years now and it's a great amp section, but the Parasound is much better in every conceivable way.

I was looking at the 2250 (New Classic series) as it has more power (and I know the Maggies love power), and found a good deal and was actyually settled on that amp at a couple hundred bucks more than the A23. I would love the A21 but it's out of budget right now. After talking with Parasound and a couple dealers locally thought I ended up going with the A23. The general consensus is that with the 1.6 and in my medium size room the A23 would have plenty of power and offer a little sweeter sound than the 2250, if I move up the line in Magnepan or end up in a much larger room I'll get the A21 and move the 23 to the back for surround duty.

Without actually hearing the 2250 I can't really say if I made the best decision, but I can say that the A23 sounds absolutely fantastic in this setup! It's still breaking in and will get better with time, but already I can tell this is going to be a good match for me.

I'm still futzing around with placement and trying to work a sub into the mix, and am considering looking at a preamp (which I totally cannot afford right now) with HT bypass to improve the 2 channel performance. I'm still getting a little congestion with really complex music, but once I get that sorted out I'll be good to go.

marvda1

danny,preamp?
http://app.audiogon.com/listings/solid-state-belles-soloist-3-class-a-preamp-2013-05-05-preamplifiers-98019

AsSiMiLaTeD

Dammit you had to post that didn't you...

Somebody needs to buy some of my other gear so I can get that preamp!

Dawgfish

Nice! Belles makes some great stuff! I would love to have a 21 tube amp. A good pre will probably go a long way towards helping the congestion issue. Congrats on the A23! That and the 2125 were on my short lists as well as the NAD. I jumped on the NAD because of the deal I found.

I was basically looking for a good SS amp with adustable gain on the input because as well as using it on the Maggies, I'm also going to try biamping my SRS 2s using the NAD on the lows and one of my tube amps on the mids/highs. I got that idea after reading something from Von Schweikert on an audio forum somewhere stating that he liked to do the same thing with his speakers and matched the gain between the two amps by using resistors. I figured I could try to do the same thing using an amp that has adjustable gain (such as Parasounds, Power Envelope NADs, and some B&Ks). We'll see if it works, may or may not, but regardless I know it sounds great on the Maggies and my tube amps sound great on the SRSs. I have nothing to loose.

BTW regarding the set-up on the Maggies, I was looking at the picture on your set-up. I would try moving the left speaker away from the wall a little more if you haven't already (your probably way ahead of me on this). It may very well work in your set-up and/or you have limited space to set them up in, but I find they sound better being away from the walls (both side and back). Just my dos centavos.

Face

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

I ended up going with the Parasound A23 (Halo series) and really like it. I've used the ICE amps in the SC-25 for a couple years now and it's a great amp section, but the Parasound is much better in every conceivable way.

I would hope so, considering the modules in the SC-25 are mediocre compared to most standalone Class D amps. Regardless, I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the A23.

If you have a place to hide the battery, his 6H30 preamps sound fantastic: http://www.doddaudio.com/for-sale.html

txcoastal1

Damn Danny completely missed this thread...congrats.....you couldn't have pulled this off a few weeks earlier, before LSAF.

Nice new new toys

AsSiMiLaTeD

Dude, I wasn't even remotely thinking about buying Maggies before LSAF! Hell, I wasn't even remotely thinking about buying them the day before I got them. I literally woke up last Tuesday morning and decided I wanted to change to Magnepan, found this newly rebuilt set locally for a great price and decided it was meant to be and within 24 hours had them here.

I'll bring them to LSAF next year, though I can already tell that setting them up in that room is going to be a chore. I need to start looking at acoustic panels before then for sure...

txcoastal1

You got a great deal and look forward to hearing your setup along with Halens...(apologies for Halen).

Always love hearing of great deals on nice gear and the excitement like a new toy at Xmas for a 5 yr old.

I definitely want a pair of ES's someday (just a little green with envy). Audio gear is a double edged sword especially speakers. If you are a multi-genre listener there will always be a a speaker that does one genre better than the other.

My Ushers excel at Jazz and Blues. My Dyn's little more well rounded but don't out do my Ushers in the Jazz and Blues genre.

That's what I love about LSAF especially after hours when we can go just hang out and jam...even your buddies vintage gear...dynamic, no, but pleasurable old school and fun.

Anyway congrats on a great deal.

FYI...look out for the Rooster

Cheers

Ron

AsSiMiLaTeD

How about a one week update...

These Maggies reveal everything! If there is a weak link anywhere in the chain the speakers will expose it and then beat you over the head with it repeatedly while you listen. First the amp, then the preamp (still working on that one), then cables, and now the DAC. And then, when I get ALL that done there's still some really poorly recorded material that'll just never sound good on this rig. Lucky for me, the vast majority of the stuff I'd actually sit down and listen to on this rig is well recorded and sounds great on them.

These speakers are really some temperamental ****, but once you get them dialed in it's like nothing else you've ever heard. I can't guarantee you'll like them, but I can guarantee you they're different

txcoastal1

I like different, but have a lot same issues with my MD2's especially poorly recorded muic

I still want some ES's in my world

EndersShadow

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

How about a one week update...

These Maggies reveal everything! If there is a weak link anywhere in the chain the speakers will expose it and then beat you over the head with it repeatedly while you listen. First the amp, then the preamp (still working on that one), then cables, and now the DAC. And then, when I get ALL that done there's still some really poorly recorded material that'll just never sound good on this rig. Lucky for me, the vast majority of the stuff I'd actually sit down and listen to on this rig is well recorded and sounds great on them.

These speakers are really some temperamental ****, but once you get them dialed in it's like nothing else you've ever heard. I can't guarantee you'll like them, but I can guarantee you they're different

Yup, thats an accurate description of Maggies. Very source revealing. MP3's wont cut it with them lol....

But man do they do so many things right. And my wife likes em which is like 99% of the battle. Some 1.7s in my future someday.

AsSiMiLaTeD

DSkip wrote: »

Is the sub integrating well or have you even tried it?

Honestly I'm still mixed on the sub. The sub itself is actually great, it's the concept of even having a sub that I'm struggling with. On tracks with good bass the Maggies are fine and I actually prefer their bass, but on recordings with marginal bass I find them lacking. I also need to check in with my neighbors downstairs and see how they like it :-) We're in a steel and concrete building, so I'm not sure how much of an issue it is.

I need to send you a check too, shoot me your address via PM and I'll get it out to you.

AsSiMiLaTeD

I got the Oppo 105 installed and its burning in now. Out of the box it was very good but a little harsh at times, 12 hours in and things have already smoothed out. I'll do se critical listening and report back after a few days of burn in.

I've uploaded a couple quick pics of the new setup.