Heard Magnepans for the first time today - Page 7

Excellent review! I've been hesitant to try the Maggies b/c I've heard so many people complain about the lack of low-end response, but it's nice to read your impression. I'm looking for a second pair of speakers, and reading yr review, I might try putting the MMG with my Plinius 8150, and move my Harbeths & Leben CS600 into the study, which would neatly solve my problem. With the money back guarantee, I guess I can't stand to lose much!

looks like a perfect solution, I agree!

I can recommend the MMGs without any reservation. the smaller, wall-mounted panels are also good, but need to be integrated much more carefully in any system (fwiw the aforementioned audiophile ended up suspending them from the ceiling on metal rods that usually serve to hang bikes in a garage - painted white they look okay, but their size means that the sweet spot is close to the ceiling: good for a standing party of tall people, not so good for home theater...) my MMG are raised off the floor just a bit by their stands, no toe-in, and if they can stand about 2ft away from the rear wall, and about as far away from each other as from your listening position, you will be happy ;-) of course, the bigger panels have more oomph (and demand more amp) and as you go up the Magnepan product ladder you also get true-ribbon highs, which can be dangerously addictive! ;-)

guys, im new to speakers and looking to pickup my first pair of maggies. couple of questions for you vets. the room i need them for is a 12' x 18' rectangular room with hardwood floor - very nice acoustics and i think the maggies will pair well. I feel like the MMG's will be able to cover the high-mid spectrum without issues, and volume wise wouldnt be an issue, my concern is the lack of bass. alot of my music is rock which doesnt need a TON of bass, but i definitely like some oomph there. my first question is, if i want a bit more bass than the MMGs offer, would i be better off picking up a small 8 inch sub, or simply saving for the larger MG12s (is the bass much better?)? I dont want a ton of bass power, just good solid presence. my other question is, i need an amp to power these guys, i have some DIY experience with amps so ive considered things like a twisted pear audio twisted X overture, which i believe cranks out around 150 wpc or so into 4 ohms, i could be wrong though. im not looking to spend a TON on an amp at this point, i will upgrade later if i really end up getting into speakers (im sure ill eventually upgrade the maggies too if thats the case). so id say im looking to keep the amp <$500. DIY, or gimme some name brands/models that would pair well with MMGs, im new to speakers so im a bit clueless! any suggestions welcome, cheers

consider anything with sufficient output into 4ohm and decent reviews. don't rule out buying used, but do consider the outlaw (comes with a trial period) rr2150 which got good reviews, has the power, and mates well with maggies. others prefer a powerful tube amp with maggies, those are only going to be near your price point if they're used.

Melo: thanks for sheparding this thread. I was distracted by "Mayberry" than caught the flu, and completely forgot about this thread, sorry.

The Maggie IIIs "don't need no stinkin" sub. *warning: anecdote ahead* Believe me, I've been (bass) slapped in the chest a few times by the IIIs.

Every demo I have heard pairing a cone-woofer sub with planar failed IMO. Cones are just too slow. There was more bass but it seemed to muck things up. But I will check out the Outlaw.

You'd be surprised (maybe not) as to how many of my guests do not know the Maggie are speakers until I fire them up. Most think they're quaint living room screen/divider-things.

I think that might be a little overkill for MMGs. I hope you were kidding.

MAtt; I'm thinking of pairing with a good Class A ssa, like the B&K ST140

MMG's in that sized room should be okay, an 8 inch sub however is not. Go for a 10in minimum, I recommend a 12. This assumes a quality subwoofer with low distortion characteristics. Most 8 inch subs and even the larger ones you'll find locally under 1000 are anything but, more like a midrange thumper which doesn't actually go very low. I'm currently using a Rythmik DS12 servo sub kit in a parts express box, and it integrates seamlessly with my MMG's. If I had to pick between using the MMG's alone or with a cheap/high distortion "subwoofer" I'd go without. Set up properly you probably won't miss the subwoofer unless you've heard them with a good one.

all 74 ronin are right to insists that full-size panels don't need a sub, so I hope they won't all rappel down the walls of my house from silent helicopters to enforce purity of concept. I am listening to my 2.5R pair right now, sans sub, straight from the iMod via the Bel Canto amp. and yes, Jack De Johnette delivers plenty of bass drum kicks, for sure... but for certain kinds of music (whether it's TV or film soundtracks, electronica, large classical orchestra, most amplified bands, etc) I still prefer to be able to tweak in more oomph.

Reviving the Magnepan MMG thread!

OK, I'm about to embark on the Magnepan MMG journey. Last weekend I listened to the 1.7s and the MMGs at Audio Perfection in Minneapolis. I am sure I will be buying the MMGs, it is just a matter of if I can hold out for a used pair or become impatient for a new pair. They now cost $599.

When I listened to the MMGs paired with NAD electronics in their small listening room I was pleasently surprised by the flavor of the bass they produce. On Paradise,from Sade's Love Is Stronger than Pride, the driving bass riff was all that I could want at the moment even though I knew it was not the same as that produced by my current stacked double New Large Advents powered by two Phase Linear 400s. However, the overall sound (detail, spaciousness, clarity, pick your adjective, etc.) of the MMGs seems far superior than my beloved vintage setup.

On Keiko Matsui's The Ring all of the electronica, percussion and her piano just worked and evoked the same emotion experienced on my current system even though the sub 30Hz program material I knew was there didn't sound the same. This is when it was confirmed that I was going to use a sub.

I'm looking at a wholesale clearance of my old gear for a new system built around the MMGs. A subwoofer will take the bottom end and allow the MMGs to shine above 50 Hz. To do this I think I will get the Emotiva USP-1 preamplifier with its bass management with a low-pass filter that will allow sending the subwoofer frequencies below 50 Hz and a high pass filter to send frequencies above 50 Hz to the MMGs. The subwoofer must be "fast" suggesting a sealed design employing servo technology. The Rythmik Audio F12G fits the bill and should integrate well with the MMGs. Also considering two Elemental Designs A3S-250s.

To power the MMGs I have been looking at many used power amps (there is a B&K EX442 on AudiogoN right now that has my interest), but may settle on a pair of Emotiva UPA-1 350 watt @ 4 Ohm monoblocks.

Of course once the MMGs are in hand there are the tweaks to consider and I will try several. Thanks for listening!

although you're apparently in or near Mplis (so you could almost walk to the factory where they're made), you can order the MMG online and have them shipped to you, for a 30 day trial period. others, not in the twin cities are, should consider that, unless they can buy used locally.

I have an almost all MN system (anticables from paul speltz in st paul, amp from bel canto in the minneapple), kinda by mistake... (don't miss the snow!) you'll need gobs of current for planar speakers, and many swear by potent tube amps for maggies. consider class D also, though - they've come a long way now.

lastly, I know it's not the most popular rag around here, but stereophile just came out with its most recent list of recommended components, and also discusses subwoofers in that issue, check it out if you like.

Hey jack,

 

Did you ever get the MMG and if so, which amp did you choose?
 

 

My current system consists of:

Magnepan MMGs

Emotiva USP-1 preamplifier

Emotiva ERC-1 CD player

Emotiva UPA-1 monoblock amplifier, pair

Acoustic Research S112PS subwoofer

Dual 1245 w/Shure M97xE cartridge

 

I'm saving up for Magnestands, and will probably be getting a Rythmik F12G subwoofer and a Pro-Ject Debut III or Music Hall mmf 2.2 turntable.  The Emotiva UPA-1s are working very well driving the MMGs.