B&W DM600 S3 vs Maggie MMG

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  • pjdami
    pjdami Posts: 1,894
    edited March 2005
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    Well, I have in my possession a pair of modified Magnepan MMGs. The mod was a rather simple one. The crossover network is a simple first order type with the cap to the tweeter and the inductor to the midbass driver.

    The caps were replaced with 12.0 uF Audiocap Thetas ($47.60/each) at Parts Express.

    The inductors were replaced with Alpha Core 12 AWG 2.2 mH type ($36.25/each available direct from Alpha Core).

    The owner I bought these from added WBT binding posts. I'll have to redo these though because I'm not thrilled with the electrical isolation he used (electrical tape:eek: to prevent a direct short on the metal binding post plate and the metal on the binding posts). I will want to use nylon washers here for isolation. He also used Sound King copper wire for the "jumper" wires used for the upgrade. I'm thinking of upgrading this to Vampire wire or DH Labs or Cardas. Maybe redo all the internal wiring with this stuff.

    The fuse is totally out of the loop. The original owner says it sounds much better without it. As long as they are amply powered shouldn't be an issue.

    The stands were also upgraded to a beefy welded iron type which stands the MMGs up vertically and about 10 inches off the floor.

    The original owner said these modded MMGs sounded better than the 1.6s and he had to upgrade to the 3.6s to get better sound. He also recommended the Vandersteen sub. I wish I had a pair of stock MMGs now so that I could compare the sound to these modded ones.

    The sound...wow... now I see why people love their Maggies. They image like crazy and HUGE images that extend across the room. I never heard a guitar sound that big before. I think I like the tweeters on the outside better so far. Midrange voices are very very nice. Bass is the weakness as mentioned and trying to get the Hsu to sound coherent with the MMGs has been a challenge although the last setup seems to be working out okay.
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  • pjdami
    pjdami Posts: 1,894
    edited March 2005
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    The only problem is getting everthing to fit inside.

    Tony, just make a external "bridge" and attached the large inductor on the outside with some standoffs you can make out of some rigid plastic tubing. For the bridge you just need a small flat piece of rigid plastic. Then use wood screws to mount. That's sort of what the modded MMGs I have look like.
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  • tonyv1
    tonyv1 Posts: 365
    edited March 2005
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    I got my crossover parts to fit inside, but if I upgrade to the Hovland caps I'll have mount those externally like you said on some plexiglass. I bypassed the fuses last night, sounds a bit more open and the treble isn't as brittle on the some of the songs that I use as reference material whenever I change anything.
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  • pjdami
    pjdami Posts: 1,894
    edited March 2005
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    Originally posted by tonyv1
    I got my crossover parts to fit inside, but if I upgrade to the Hovland caps I'll have mount those externally like you said on some plexiglass. I bypassed the fuses last night, sounds a bit more open and the treble isn't as brittle on the some of the songs that I use as reference material whenever I change anything.

    That's one thing I already know. These things are extremely revealing; not necessarily bright but very airy and revealing. Makes the SDA CRS+ sound warm in comparison (with the Polk upgrade tweeters).

    Bad recordings...well they just sound bad and thin. Good recordings just freeze you in your seat and hypnotize you.
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  • LVB
    LVB Posts: 7
    edited April 2005
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    I have to chime in on this because I just purchased a pair of MMG's about three weeks ago. I had been using a pair of SDA-2's before getting these and they do a lot of things right but the MMG's have totaly changed the way I feel about recorded music. They sound so musical that I can overlook the limitations of the lack of bass and high voluume levels. The MMG has to be the best value in audio speakees period. Its going to be hard for me to listen to a box speaker again, I only see myself buying larger Magnepans. BTW don't try to pair these with low current low power amps, the need and will take all you can give them. I'm using a Mccormack DNA-1 and I still think they can use some more power. I think this is the best $550.00 that I have spent on audio, god knows that I have wasted a lot. I am so happy with the MMG's I think I can quit chasing my tail for now.
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited April 2005
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    Congrats on the Maggies...

    Keep the SDA 2's for when you want to rock...
    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
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  • jdhdiggs
    jdhdiggs Posts: 4,305
    edited April 2005
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    Come now Tour, these rock just fine... :D
    There is no genuine justice in any scheme of feeding and coddling the loafer whose only ponderable energies are devoted wholly to reproduction. Nine-tenths of the rights he bellows for are really privileges and he does nothing to deserve them. We not only acquired a vast population of morons, we have inculcated all morons, old or young, with the doctrine that the decent and industrious people of the country are bound to support them for all time.-Menkin
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  • jdhdiggs
    jdhdiggs Posts: 4,305
    edited April 2005
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    Sorry, wrong directory. Stupid autonaming system... :confused:

    The rats nest has been fixed...
    There is no genuine justice in any scheme of feeding and coddling the loafer whose only ponderable energies are devoted wholly to reproduction. Nine-tenths of the rights he bellows for are really privileges and he does nothing to deserve them. We not only acquired a vast population of morons, we have inculcated all morons, old or young, with the doctrine that the decent and industrious people of the country are bound to support them for all time.-Menkin
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  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited April 2005
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    Congrats LVB. Glad you're enjoying them. I hope to own a pair within a few months or so.

    jdhdiggs,
    Very cool system. Thanks for sharing the pic.

    To the Maggie fans. How does the MMG handle dynamic swings especially in the mids?

    Maurice
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  • LVB
    LVB Posts: 7
    edited April 2005
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    I had to send them back to Magnepan today because a channel inbalance between the speakers. Hopefully they won't take to long to get them back to me, I miss them already and its only been a hour. I guess Ill watch a lot of movies on the HT until my speakers come back for the 2ch rig.
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited April 2005
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    Originally posted by organ
    To the Maggie fans. How does the MMG handle dynamic swings especially in the mids?
    I've got the 1.5's so I'll answer for them. They're very tight and controlled throughout the FR they handle. Lot of area, but not a lot of mass or movement so the inertia is very low. Very "quick/ fast" speakers...
    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
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