[thrasher521]

So I am selling my speakers and am looking to buy new ones. I currently own a pair of Magnepan MMG's and I'm looking to upgrade. I have a budget of about $2000-$3000. This purchase may also include an upgrade in my amp too, I currently use an Outlaw Integrated Amp. I enjoy the sound very much but would like to do a little better.
 
I play vinyl 90% of the time, with a wide variety of music, but mostly rock, blues and jazz. I would go try them myself except I am on the move a lot and rarely have time to try many different kinds, so maybe with some help I can narrow down what I am looking for. Also, I can go higher with the budget if need be and save a little longer. Any and all recommendations welcome, thank you!

 

[Uncle Erik]

How do you like the MMGs?

A used 3.6 would probably be in your budget. I've always liked those because they have a true ribbon. A new 1.7 might be a good choice, too.

Though some used Quads are in your budget. They're truly fine speakers; I can't say enough about the ESL-63.

If you're willing to stretch a little, you might look at the Linkwitz Orion. If you don't want to build the boards, you can buy a finished crossover. The drivers are around $1,900 and you can order the cabinets for $1,300. You can use the Adcom GFA-2535 amps, which I bought for about $400. If you do some of the work yourself, you can bring them in around $4,000. $5,000-$6,000 depending otherwise. The Orion is considered one of the best out there at any price.

I'm probably going to sell some stuff to pay for the cabinets, and that'll end up around $5,000 total, including power amps. Maybe a little more than you want to spend, but I'm completely sold on them.

 

[thrasher521]

I really like the MMGs. They're really great, especially at that price. Other than on the occasion that I play a metal or hip hop record they work really great for my jazz music. I was actually looking to upgrade to the 3.6s for some added bottom end and the true ribbon design. Have you heard the new 3.7s, if so are they very different from the 3.6s? Also, if I end up upgrading to the 3.6 or 3.7 I may need a new amp that will be capable to run them. I'm afraid my current Outlaw rr2150 will not be able to handle them. Thanks for your input, much appreciated.

 

[batpig]

what exactly do you not like about the MMG's?  if it's just the lack of low end, have you considered adding a nice musical subwoofer (e.g. something from Rythmik) instead of upgrading the speakers themselves?
 
lots of great speakers in that price range so in general you should try to get out and listen at dealers to see what type of sound you like from certain brands.

 

[haloxt]

The mirage omd 28 aren't very detailed in high frequencies, but they are considered good price/performance. I hear some people will simply hate mirage speakers that are bi-polar or omni-polar, and that is very believable to me. But some people like how the highs are easy on the ears and the unique dispersion of mids and highs. A new pair of omd 28 costs $2600 shipped, and there's a black or rosewood finish available atm, no more burled maple finish from vann's. I have the rosewood one which I now realize may not fit most room decor . Imo, they are nice natural sounding speakers, exceptional tonality detail and soundstage, deep reference bass without subwoofers, quite crisp mids, smooth but not exceptionally detailed highs. I think vocals sound especially great because of their carbon fiber midrange driver
 
http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/542999062/mirage-omd-28-black?s_c=site_search

 

[batpig]

I think those OMD's are beautiful, I have always lusted after them!  I hear the 28's require beefy amplification to really sing though....
 
at the closeout sale prices (normally $7500/pair MSRP!) it's really worth considering.

 

[haloxt]

The omd 28 sounds as beautiful as it looks . But just like it doesn't look too functional, it isn't particularly detailed .
 
I haven't tried connecting a low-fi receiver to my omd 28, but I have for my omd 15 (which I got before upgrading to 28). I thought the omd 15 sounded surprisingly good out of a $500 receiver even compared to my $1500 fbi-500, but of course the $1500 amp sounded more accurate and strong in the low end. Their strong point is not in dynamics, detail and control, but in natural/relaxed tone and dispersed soundstage, immersive like in a movie theater. I would guess the omd 28 needs more power and space than omd 15, but I bet it is still forgiving. If you're curious, omd 28 has some notable benefits over omd 15, quite improved depth, control and presence of lows, airy, accurate and sweet mids, but very similar highs.

 

[thrasher521]

I was considering a good musical sub for quite some time, but after researching for one for a while it seems that people have had bad experiences trying to pair a good musical sub with the speakers. While saving for a new sub I decided that it might be better to upgrade my speakers rather than buy the sub. I figured I could probably find a set of speakers that were a bit better for my rock music especially, since the MMGs fall short playing music other than my classical, jazz and folk music.
 
The OMD's look really great, especially at that price. But I would definitely need to upgrade my receiver as well. Spending about the same as on the speakers, would you have any suggestions for a good integrated amp? I've been considering a tube amp for quite some time as well. Any suggestions?

 

[batpig]

sorry, I'm primarily a multichannel / home theater guy so I don't know about high end 2ch gear

  but I'm pretty sure you won't need to spend another $2500 to get nice performance.
 
I still think you could benefit from a good, sealed musical sub to reinforce that bottom octave (and below).  Even the best tower speakers are not going to play with much authority below 40Hz.... a nice, tight sealed sub to give a little extra oomph down there can be a real nice addition.

 

[jilgiljongiljing]

You have a nice setup as it is man. The outlaw integrated (I'm assuming you meant their 2 channel receiver) is quite nice and the advantage is you already have bass management built in. This is a big benefit when it comes to trying to match a sub. While moving up the Magnepan line does give you benefits, you might actually like a good quality sub first. I would try getting a demo unit home from a local hi-fi store, it may not be the exact model or make you want, just a sample, get something that has a good reputation, pay up, bring it home and give it a go. If you find that after tweaking it a bit that you like it or see potential for improvement, then do your research and buy a different one if required or simply keep the one you brought home. Nothing like a home demo for a sub or speakers, you really need to test them in your environment to get an idea on what they can do.

 

[thrasher521]

Thanks for all the input. Perhaps i will do just that and bring home a sub to try out for the time being. If I am not satisfied I can always take the leap and start experimenting with new speakers, especialy since I already enjoy the MMGs quite a bit. Thanks again!

 

[ragtop]

I have PSB Alpha B1's and use Earthquake MiniMe 8 sub and they seamless  together.