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Post by fishhead on Nov 30, 2009 19:58:47 GMT -5
Can anyone give me some feedback on Magnepan Speakers? I just heard the 1.6's at a store in Tampa last Friday and was really wowed by them. I listened to some $30K Wilsons also, but actually preferred the sound coming from the magnepan's better. I mostly listen to vocals, acoustic, jazz, and classical. Anyone know how the MMG sound compares to the 1.6's? or is the step up to the 3.6's the way to go.
BTW, I just got a pair of XPA-1's, and all i can say is WOW!!!! I've been having a blast listening to my favorite old music with them and my old DQ10's(re-capped). Would love to move up to some even better speakers.
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Coach P
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Post by Coach P on Nov 30, 2009 20:50:55 GMT -5
I've auditioned all three. The 1.6 is a marked upgrade to the MMG. The 3.6's are enormous in size and require a very large room. You will need a powerful amp to drive the 1.6 and 3.6.
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Post by nickwin on Nov 30, 2009 21:01:42 GMT -5
I own MC1's which are wall mounted speakers, but very similar to the mmgs (although they don't do down as deep). IMO the smaller maggies are somewhat limited in dynamics and a little thin in the mid range (especially for HT), but for the types of music you listed, I think they are hard to beat, especially at there price point. They are extremely detailed and open sounding. They like LOTS of power, so they should sound amazing with XPA-1's. I have not heard the mg12s or 1.6's, but I have heard the 3.6s and mg20's. The 3.6s and mg20s have a "true ribbon" tweeter which IMO is the bees knees and is well worth it if your using them for serious stereo listening, and have high quality source equipment. Whether or not you are planing on using a sub will make a big difference also. The 3.6s and 20s go plenty low without a sub in most situations, and the bass is great, but with the smaller speakers you will probably want a sub. In summery, if you can afford it I would go with the 3.6s, especially since you already have plenty of power to drive them. Keep in mind though, that if your room doesn't fit the bigger speakers properly , and/or your audio gear isn't up to par you probably will not notice that big of an upgrade over the mg12s or 1.6s. Hope this helps!
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Post by strindl on Nov 30, 2009 22:07:32 GMT -5
I've owned multiple magnepan speakers going back to 1978. I currently have a pair of 1.6's in my living room system. The 1.6's are a real audiophile bargain. They do something magical handling vocals especially. They do need power. I drive mine with a Threshold s500e...rated at 250/500 watts per channel at 8 and 4 ohm respectively. An XPA-2 would be perfect for them. A pair of XPA-1's even better.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2009 22:20:29 GMT -5
I own a pair of MG12's. I used to own MMG's so I can tell you that the MG12's give you more of the Maggie magic than the MMG's. I have an almost all Maggie HT system aside from the Emotiva ERM-6.3 for the center channel. Powered by an XPA-5.
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jlafrenz
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Post by jlafrenz on Nov 30, 2009 22:29:13 GMT -5
I have demoed the 3.6's a few times. The more I listened to them the more I liked them. They were powered with a custom built 50w tube amp and had a very wide sound stage and easy to listen to. The room wasn't really deep enough for them and the dealer told me they would benefit from a longer room. He also demoed the 1.6's for me with a sub. Not a bad little 2 channel setup. I think my personal preferences were still for the 3.6's though.
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Post by dreadpiratemarc on Dec 1, 2009 0:27:59 GMT -5
I have a friend that has a pair of 1.6's driven by a pair of XPA-1's just like you're considering. I have to say, I am impressed! They sound great! Personally I'm partial to electrostatics like Martin Logan, which are similar but they have slightly different strengths and weaknesses. His Maggies can produce detail, though, that I can't I think mainly due to his extra power vs. my XPA-2.
If you make the jump into the world of planer speakers, you'll never go back. They all have an openness... some characteristic I can't really describe, that no box speaker, even really good ones, can reproduce. It's not that they're better or worse, just different. And if you like that sound, whatever it is, then you're hooked for life.
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Post by slbenz on Dec 1, 2009 0:30:33 GMT -5
I have heard and owned several of the Magnepans you mentioned. If you have the room, then the 3.6 would be my choice. Currently I have the Magnepan IIIa which uses the true ribbon tweeter. It is definitely a step up from the quasi-ribbon of the 1.6 which is no slouch to begin with. Your taste in music is the same as mine and that is why I went with Magnepan. The sound they produce sounds like live music and not out of a box. Either XPA amps you have will power any of the Manepans you listed. But if you decide to purchase a set of Magnepans, you definitely need to order a set of Mye Stands with them. It will increase the resolution, detail and provide more of an even sound, especially if you go with the 3.6s. If you need more information on Magnepans, you could always go to the Magnepan Users Group (MUG) Forum. Go with the 3.6s if you have the room. Since you have the XPA-1, you have the power and grace.
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Post by dgshtav on Dec 1, 2009 2:25:53 GMT -5
Never got a chance to listen to the 3.6 but I have heard the 1.6qr at someone local. They are the best speaker I have heard so far! They were driven by an Emotiva amp (I think it was the MPS-1) with a dedicated top notch DAC. I believe the Emotiva DMC-1 analog section drove the setup.
With the right equipment, these sounded awesome. The most neutral and resolving speaker I have heard till date.
As someone else noted, the 1.6QR seem to lack a bit in the dynamics and bass. The 3.6 could be a little better!
Had I not been building some line arrays(hoping to get the resolution and detail of a planar with the dynamics and bass of the conventional speaker drivers), I would have definitely bought the Magnepan 1.6QRs. A very high acoustic return for the $$!
With music tastes such as yours and the excellent amplification afforded by the XPA-1s, you might actually want to try the 1.6QR with a sub in your listening environment before considering other larger, expensive options. The 1.6 show up very frequently on A-gon.
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Post by Accurus on Dec 1, 2009 9:37:07 GMT -5
Magnepans are great speakers and I have owned just about every Magnepan speaker or have heard them barring the 20.1s. A lot of folks here are suggesting 1.6s and they are great speaker. I would however also look into the used market for 2.7s. These are the best combination between a 3.6 and 1.6 and in some respects are better than the 3.6s in regard to the coherence between the drivers. The 2.7 was the only 3 way Magnepan ever produced that used a quasi ribbon and this made it possibly the most coherent 3way they ever made.
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bootman
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Post by bootman on Dec 1, 2009 9:52:52 GMT -5
I fondly remember my SMGa's from 18 years ago. The choice really comes down with how much room you have. Maggies need to breathe and when they do, it really is like a siren song. Get the best model that fits in your room.
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ntrain42
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Post by ntrain42 on Dec 1, 2009 16:30:48 GMT -5
You have to be carefull with room size and speaker placement with maggies. Many times SMALLER is better with them. 1.6's themselves honestly need a rather large room to sound their best and setup is 100% critical with them. Depending on your room size you may want to consider the 12's. And yes, Maggies do need a amp with good power to sound their best.
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Post by fishhead on Dec 1, 2009 21:36:29 GMT -5
I sure appeciate the input guys. I do have a large room that the speakers will end up in...about 25x35 with 2/3 of it having a 22 ft ceiling.
One more thing...do these speakers hold up well over time? If I bought some on Audiogon, would the true sound still be there? I'm thinking the mg12 or 1.6's might be a good starting point. Or are the MMG's worth starting with? They have a 60 day trial period at Magnepan. I have a 15x15 loft that I have my 2-channel stuff in for now. Would it be wothwhile to try the MMG's there and then move up a step for the larger room?
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ntrain42
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Post by ntrain42 on Dec 1, 2009 23:30:50 GMT -5
I sure appeciate the input guys. I do have a large room that the speakers will end up in...about 25x35 with 2/3 of it having a 22 ft ceiling. One more thing...do these speakers hold up well over time? If I bought some on Audiogon, would the true sound still be there? I'm thinking the mg12 or 1.6's might be a good starting point. Or are the MMG's worth starting with? They have a 60 day trial period at Magnepan. I have a 15x15 loft that I have my 2-channel stuff in for now. Would it be wothwhile to try the MMG's there and then move up a step for the larger room? In a room that size 1.6's will be fine, you could even run the 3 series as well too, thats a good sized room to work with them. As for durability, Maggies are somewhat delicate. If you have the money I actually recommend a brand new pair. 1.6's arent really that expensive new. The ribbons will need to be replaced over time. The way they are built, they just don't hold up long term unless your very careful with them, drive them with clean power. For those who want a sturdier speaker with that electrostatic/planar/ribbon sound I would actually recommend a set of Martin Logans.
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oneliterpeter
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Post by oneliterpeter on Dec 1, 2009 23:49:27 GMT -5
Audiogon has some really good deals on Martin Logan's.
I bought mine used there for 1/2 of retail and they sound great!
Definitely something worth looking into.
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Post by slbenz on Dec 1, 2009 23:56:53 GMT -5
I sure appeciate the input guys. I do have a large room that the speakers will end up in...about 25x35 with 2/3 of it having a 22 ft ceiling. One more thing...do these speakers hold up well over time? If I bought some on Audiogon, would the true sound still be there? I'm thinking the mg12 or 1.6's might be a good starting point. Or are the MMG's worth starting with? They have a 60 day trial period at Magnepan. I have a 15x15 loft that I have my 2-channel stuff in for now. Would it be wothwhile to try the MMG's there and then move up a step for the larger room? In a room that size 1.6's will be fine, you could even run the 3 series as well too, thats a good sized room to work with them. As for durability, Maggies are somewhat delicate. If you have the money I actually recommend a brand new pair. 1.6's arent really that expensive new. The ribbons will need to be replaced over time. The way they are built, they just don't hold up long term unless your very careful with them, drive them with clean power. For those who want a sturdier speaker with that electrostatic/planar/ribbon sound I would actually recommend a set of Martin Logans. True, Martin Logans would be more durable over time, but Magnepans are easy to repair. When my Magnepan IIIa midrange panel quit, I contacted Magnepan for the midrange panel kit which cost $50 to repair two Magnepans. Actually, there is enough material to do two pairs of Magnepans and is an easy DIY. I like the idea that I can repair the Magnepans myself and not have to send them in for repairs. Also, to replace the true ribbon tweeter, you need to desolder two wires and the cost of the true ribbon is $99 each. I am still running the original true ribbons on one of the sets I have and is now 23 years old! Having owned a set of Martin Logans, you do need to regularly clean the panels with a vacuum cleaner or you will be hearing arcing sounds because of the accumulated dust which is why a number of Martin Logan owners have an air cleaner in the same room with their speakers.
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Post by strindl on Dec 1, 2009 23:57:14 GMT -5
I sure appeciate the input guys. I do have a large room that the speakers will end up in...about 25x35 with 2/3 of it having a 22 ft ceiling. One more thing...do these speakers hold up well over time? If I bought some on Audiogon, would the true sound still be there? I'm thinking the mg12 or 1.6's might be a good starting point. Or are the MMG's worth starting with? They have a 60 day trial period at Magnepan. I have a 15x15 loft that I have my 2-channel stuff in for now. Would it be wothwhile to try the MMG's there and then move up a step for the larger room? As I mentioned, I have owned 4 different pair of magnepan speakers beginning in 1978. The first was a pair of three panel folding screen type Tympani 1d's. I traded them in 10 years later for a pair of IIIa's with the ribbon tweeter. My tympani's were still in perfect shape when I traded them. I then bought a pair of 1c's for my living room system. I bought those about 1988 and kept them until I traded them in for the 1.6qr's in 2001. I traded my IIIa''s for Thiel 3.6's in 1993. None of my maggies ever needed service. My dealer told me that the ribbon tweeter on the IIIa's needs to be replaced after a number of years...how many I don't know. Mine was still fine after 6 years. It's user replaceable in the field though. The 1.6's do not use that ribbon tweeter. They have what's called a "quasi ribbon" tweeter that does not require periodic replacement.
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Post by nickwin on Dec 2, 2009 0:39:44 GMT -5
[/quote] As for durability, Maggies are somewhat delicate. If you have the money I actually recommend a brand new pair. 1.6's arent really that expensive new. The ribbons will need to be replaced over time. The way they are built, they just don't hold up long term unless your very careful with them, drive them with clean power. For those who want a sturdier speaker with that electrostatic/planar/ribbon sound I would actually recommend a set of Martin Logans.[/quote]
From what I have been told this does not apply to models with the quasi ribbon tweeters. This is from Magnepans website, "Despite the delicate appearance, all Quasi Ribbon models have very high power handling capability and are nearly impervious to abuse."
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Post by slbenz on Dec 2, 2009 1:05:18 GMT -5
As for durability, Maggies are somewhat delicate. If you have the money I actually recommend a brand new pair. 1.6's arent really that expensive new. The ribbons will need to be replaced over time. The way they are built, they just don't hold up long term unless your very careful with them, drive them with clean power. For those who want a sturdier speaker with that electrostatic/planar/ribbon sound I would actually recommend a set of Martin Logans.[/quote] From what I have been told this does not apply to models with the quasi ribbon tweeters. This is from Magnepans website, "Despite the delicate appearance, all Quasi Ribbon models have very high power handling capability and are nearly impervious to abuse."[/quote] This is definitely true. The quasi-ribbon is much more durable than the true ribbon. That is why Magnepan uses a magnetic strip included with each true ribbon in order to protect the ribbon from sudden pressure during transport. That is why Magnepan doesn't recommend vacuuming the 3 series or you run the risk of damaging the tweeter. I owned a pair of 1.5s, the generation before the 1.6 and sold them in 2007. Didn't have a problem with them and they were built in 1991. But as I said before, I take great care with my speakers and I have a set of IIIas using their original tweeters from 1986.
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Post by fishhead on Dec 3, 2009 9:15:26 GMT -5
Thanks for all your help. It looks like I'll start out with a pair of 1.6's. I'll probably head over to Tampa and get a new pair. Looking forward to listening to my favorite music all over again.
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