[tdogzthmn]

I am interested in the MMG and wanted to know if they work well with a variety of music genres. If not what are some similar speakers around $400 used that are of comparable performance. I am a fan of the sennheiser sound if that helps.

Also can anyone comment on the MMGW which is smaller and more affordable.

 

[Moocher]

Yes. I loved them with everything. You may want to spend some time on avsforum to find a sub that will work. There should be a thread or three.


Mooch

 

[tdogzthmn]

I just want to be sure they are able to deliver the necessary punch when a song calls for it.

 

[catachresis]

I don't want to dissuade you. Maggies are huge quality and extraordinary bargains bought used. I had an older pair, but the model that has a full-length strip tweeter is apparently just phenomenal.

My one serious complain is that, for all their power and punch, they seem to be a-directional. They are dynamic and plosive, but I always felt that everything seemed to come out of a nebulous somewhere straight forward from the panels. I'm not an imaging-fetishist, but they didn't feel entirely natural. I feel very similarly about orthodynamic cans.

After buying some nearly new Aurum Cantus speaks with ribbon tweeters and selling them again, my nirvana was finding an old, cosmetically disfigured pair of floor standing Aerial 7s, that are two-driver--basically stand-up versions of the monitor they still sell--and about as traditional a design as they come. The aerials are bass light, but I've never regretted my purchase. They are dynamic and they are directional. That's just been my personal experience.

 

[wavoman]

A pair of MMG's is absolute magic in a small room. Think about an MMC center channel to go with them if you like trifield or anything like that.

I have mated them with an SVS Sub ... in my small listening room the result is beyond anything I thought could be achieved. MD1032 (John) heard them too, and was amazed. He tunes church organs professionally and has a golden ear ... we listened to recorded organ music, and a bunch of SACDs ... jaw dropping.

Punch? You bet.

I love my Senns -- 600, baby Orpheus, and real Orpheus -- am a major Senn groupie (I actually visit the US HQ for fun) -- so we have similar "voicing" tastes.

Highest possible recommendation for MMG. They changed my (listening) life. Prepare to be amazed. They are the most amazing bargain in all of hi-fi. Bang-for-the-buck is off the scale.

IMPORTANT -- the imaging issue -- easily solved by putting a sound absorbing panel (just a little smaller than the speaker itself) on the wall BEHIND each MMG. These are real cheap on Amazon, they come pre-glued on the back, and solve the problem (small as it is) 100%. Use masking tape to position them before making the bond permanent. Or removable double-stick tape forever if you don't want to damage your walls.

 

[tdogzthmn]

It seems like most who are serious about the Maggies recommend a sub to fill in the lower spectrum. If I were to buy a sub who does it connect to my amp (NAD C 325BEE). My amp only has connections for right and left speakers.

 

[Bones13]

The MMGs are some of the smaller Maggies, and I would suppose would be helped in the low end department. The bigger the Magnepan gets the lower into the bass register it goes.

From the research I have seen, people either piggyback off of the speaker outs to the sub, or get a sub with a high pass filter, that basically takes the speaker inputs from the amplifier, separates out the low frequencies, and sends it on to the sub, and then sends the rest out to the speakers. There are many variations on this theme, with external boxes doing the frequency separation, etc.

As to imaging, and the sound, its all a matter of room placement and playing with them till you get the sound you are after. Being a membrane speaker, a sound wave is sent both forward and back with the membrane motion. You can either inhibit the back wave as mentioned above, or tune the distance to the back wall from the speaker, and the angle, to take advantage of the back wave and use it to improve the sound.

Adding a heavy, stiffening stand to the Magnepans is well known to help the bass production.

Sorry to spout so much, I am researching the Magnepan 1.6 for my speakers when my cat quits living in my study at home.

 

[colleycol]

I would definitely get a fast sub, ie JL audio or REL.

I moved from the MMGs to 1.6 QRs and the bass does increase. I now run a HSU sub and a HT setup with the maggie cc3 center channel. I use MMG-Ws for surround.

Saving my money for the holy grail, Magnepan 20.1s and the associated equipment and cabling.

 

[donunus]

I have always loved the maggie sound too. I heard a 1.6 and they blew me away. I loved them better than any dynamic speaker for under 10,000 bucks

 

[jilgiljongiljing]

You'll need a sub that has high pass filters. So you run the LR cables to the sub, and then take speaker outs from the back of the sub to the speakers. This is the only way its going to work without a receiver or amp without bass management. AFAIK the only stereo amp with bass management is the Outlaw audio one.