Maggie update - Page 45

Re: Maggie update

Hi Charles....

Great choice on the MMGs. I think you're okay with the HK at first as long as you know full well that you won't be hearing the Maggies full potential until you add the amps. I loved my Outlaw monoblocks when I had them, but if you're planning to use your MMGs for music as much or more than for anything else, then I think you could do better. I would suggest that you take a close look at the hybrid amps of Van Alstine (www.avahifi.com). I've talked with several people who went that direction with their Maggies and said they have amazing synergy. If you can get Dean to speak up, I think he's got some ideas with regard to amps, too.

The saving grace in that size room will be the ceiling height. I think with 8' ceilings you'll probably be okay with MMGs, particularly since you said you aren't looking to rock the house.

Just my $.02

Re: Maggie update

The system is TOTALLY for music. My HT system is a completely separate system except that the bass from both systems gets played back from my IB, but main speakers and amps-wise, they don't mix.

Also, while the room is large, I'm not actually sitting 30 feet away obviously, so there is that. Bass is difficult in a room that large but as I mentioned, I have taken care of that. The MMGs would probably not be permanent. If I like them, I would probably go for 1.6s with the upgrade plan, and if not, something else, so it is sort of stop-gap.

Re: Maggie update

Well, don't be surprised if the Maggies ruin ya for most every other speaker By the way, regardless of what you may feel about break-in time, I strongly suggest giving them PLENTY of break-in hours before you do any real critical listening. My MMGs sounded quite harsh out of the box, and it took a while for them to really come into their own.

You may want to peruse the planar forum at www.audioasylum.com, too. That's where the people who are most knowledgable about Maggies reside, IMO.

Re: Maggie update

So you think that the MMGs wouldn't be such a compromise in my largish room as to be a waste. Obviously I can wait if that's going to be the case and save up for 1.6s but with the dealer trade-in (has anyone done this? how does it work and are dealers OK with it?) I can save a couple hundred bucks a month pretty painlessly to get the 1.6s later on.

Re: Maggie update

Oh yeah, I almost invariably recommend people start with the MMGs. The trade-up program is awesome, but it also gives you an easier time as it pertains to learning about the speaker. Chances are you'll find that the best position for the MMGs will be very close to the best position for any larger Maggies you may end up with. They're very easy to move around, and you can also have plenty of time to experiment with different audio gear since we're only talking about a $550 speaker pair. I just think it makes the transition to larger maggies much easier.

I could be wrong, but I really don't think the MMGs will suffer in that room. In fact, you may even find it's a plus since they'll have more room to put on their disappearing act. I even remember reading about someone who had a room not much smaller than yours putting his Maggies (I think they were 12s) right in the middle of it and sitting with the nulls of the speaker aimed at him. It sounded like a really weird configuration, but supposedly it sounded awesome. But the bottom line is that I have not heard much about large rooms being a problem for Maggies. Rooms that are too small? Yep. The larger Maggies need room to breathe. But I wouldn't be surprised to hear you report back that they sound pretty damn good, even in a room that large.

The way the dealer trade-in works is you have up to a year to trade up for a larger model. The year is broken up into periods where you get so much of a percentage based on how long you wait to do this. Magnepan will send you a sheet that breaks it all down for you so that there are no surprises. If you decide to upgrade, you purchase from your local dealer, and then send your receipt and the MMGs back to Magnepan. That's how it worked last I knew, but if you give them a call the lady who answers the phone is very nice and helpful.

Magnepan is one of the great American audio companies, and I think it's great that so many people seem to be discovering them as a result of these forums.

Re: Maggie update

Yeah, what Z said.......Maggies Rule!!

Re: Maggie update

Thanks for the responses Z and for the ditto P. Interesting about the trade-in. Maggie makes it sound like its 100% within the first year. Well, I guess it might be 100% at some POINT within the first year. LOL. I'll keep you guys posted. If you search for MMG here on the forum, you can find a thread started by me considering getting a pair ages ago. Probably a year or more ago.

Re: Maggie update

Charles: It actually IS 100% up to a certain point. I think it may be the first three months (??)....not exactly sure. But it also depends on what model you're going to jump into, too. If you skip over the 12s and go into the 1.6s, and you happen to be a little past the deadline to get 100%, just call them up and talk to them. You might be surprised The MMG program is basically their appetizer program. The whole goal is to help you get into some Maggies initially, and then end up with one of their more meatier offerings. I think you'll find it's a very fair program.

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No, it does sound fair, I just was curious what the details where. Obviously Magnepan is the best to ask.

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Fantastic plan. You'd wring some more performance with other amps, but they can only get so loud anyway. Folks have had some success with the newer digital receivers over at audiocircle.com. One thing about planars/line sources, they maintain loudness much better as you increase distance, so I think you'll be ok as long as you know their limits. I'd cross 'em over ~100Hz, or even experiment with a dipole sub at some point.
The trade-in program is very cool, too...almost no risk/loss involved. I find the big leap/epiphany occurs going from dynamics to the MMG...going to the larger models is more of an incremental improvement in those things the MMG does well. While the 1.6 is obviously better than the MMG, the gulf is less than that from most dynamics to the MMG. There's no mistaking the family resemblance.

Re: Maggie update

Hey Jack. I have an IB sub so hopefully with the tightness, speed, and low distortion, it should blend well with Maggies.

I just pulled the trigger on the MMGs. I'm going to keep my current speakers until they come so I can do some comparisons.

I also got the detail on the upgrade plan in case anyone is curious.

60 days money back no questions asked.
120 days 100% credit from the factory regardless of what you buy.
1 year depends on what you buy. For 1.6s you'd get a $400 credit on the MMGs from the factory.

You are responsible for shipping in all instances.

Re: Maggie update

You should be golden. I find that dipole bests even IB in terms of perceived "speed", in that it's not a monopole and as subject to the vagaries of the room, but my room's dimensions are much tougher than yours seem to be.

That's not just fair, it's downright generous.

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Well lets be honest, it benefits them too, but it is a super deal for people like me who can set aside a specific amount of money for an upgrade each month and not lose 50% of the value of the component via an audiogon sale or something.

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Surely it benefits them, but I'm not aware of a policy that benefits the consumer quite than much.

I wonder what happens to all the returned MMG's (if there are many)?

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I have wondered the same thing. Paradigm forces their dealers into a similar upgrade trade-in offer (or at least 2 out of 2 Paradigm dealers I've worked with) so that's pretty nice, but you're right, it is very rare.

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from what I can tell, a lot of people do end up keeping them. Hell, I had mine for almost two years and then just put them up on audiogon. They sold almost immediately.

You can also order a pre-owned pair of MMGs for your in-home trial period. I think they're like $75 cheaper or something like that.

Charles: I just saw pics of your room....some bigger Maggies would look great down there flankign that pj screen

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Hell yeah. My room would definitely be good with a bigger pair of Maggies. I think ultimately 1.6s will be the minimum but I'm taking steps.

BTW, does anyone recall how long it takes to ship these bad boys? I know its not a one man shop but its also not a huge company either. I'm so close to where they're at that there's a slim chance they could get here on Sat even shipped ground if they go out tomorrow morning.

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I had mine in three days, IIRC, Charles. If you ordered after 3pm their time today, then they'll be shipped tomorrow. If before, then there's a chance they went out today. The should send you an email with your shipping info and tracking number, but it may not hit your email until after midnight on the day they ship.

Just remember that they might sound a bit shrill out of the box....don't fret lol

By the way, the only time I've heard Maggies in a room your size was when demoed the 1.6s at my local dealer. The room was about the same size as yours but the ceilings were much higher....maybe like 15'. They were running some MC1s in back on stands (as opposed to having them wall mounted) and I was very impressed with the system. They were playing a Diana Krall multichannel audio disc and it was very nice. I had them toss on a dvd (all they had was Battlefield Earth.....mmmmmkay!) and though they didn't want to run things too loud since there was no subwoofer in the system at the time, I was very pleased with how things sounded.

If you end up becoming a fan, keep the idea of Mye stands in the back of your head. The Maggies are a pretty light speaker in terms of weight, and the more stable you can keep the panel the better they will sound - particularly in terms of dynamics. The Mye stands are not inexpensive ($300-450, depending on what model Maggies you have), but they can make a significant difference. Just something to keep in mind for down the road.

Hope you enjoy them!

Hello All

After reading this forum and other sites/reviews I finally ordered a pair of MMG yesterday. These will initially be used primarily for music, as I already have a satisfying HT system consisting of Pioneer receiver, DVD player and Bose Acoustimas (bought before I became wiser), and a Sanyo Z2 FP. Home made screen.

For my listening pleasure I currently use Athena ASF2, and I am quite happy with them. I am trully a sucker for cheap speakers that get good reviews.

Over the last few months I have been reading about the MMG and my curiousity finally got the best of me. I have always though my music was missing something and I finally think I know what it is: SOUNDSTAGE AND AWESOME MIDRANGE. I am hoping that the MMG which I will receive in the next few days will change that.

I plan to start off without a subwoofer as my current listening room is very small 8x10. Do you think this would be too small? I could use my HT room for this purpose.

What would be the best value receiver (new only) for 2 channel to drive my MMG and same criteria for a future subwoofer??

Looking forward to future postings. Thanks for your input and advice.

IE

Re: Maggie update

I've had both, and you won't have regrets I think. While the F2's have the obvious edge in high-level dynamics, bass, and efficiency,I think you'll find what you're looking for as regards SOUNDSTAGE AND AWESOME MIDRANGE. The Athenas aren't bad, but the planar wavelaunch and lack of box has a lot going for it.

As long as they're out from the wall a few feet, you're ok. For music, they do well with no sub, at least I didn't find them lean-sounding. Don't compare directly to the F2, of course. It's not just that the Athenas go deeper (they do), but the dipole MMG lack much of the room-boom that can be missed in its absence...even if it's a distortion.

They've had success with some of the JVC and Panasonic digitals over at audiocircle.com.

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If you can wait a little while, I'll be powering them with on of HK's two channel receivers (yes, someone still makes one) and I can let you know how it sounds and if I run into any problems.

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Nice choice on the MMGs, gasdoc I don't typically recommend running any Maggies (except maybe the MMG-Ws as surrounds) with a receiver, but I have seen a few people using the Panny receiver that Jack mentioned in a 2-channel manner. I'd go with an inexpensive receiver with pre-outs and then add an outboard amplifier (something used and cheap off audiogon...100wpc min, stable into 4ohms), but I know at least two people who used the Panny digital receiver with success.

How do you like your z2? That's the pj I have, too. It's my first one, and I picked it up last year around the time the z4 came out since it dropped in price. I've been thrilled with it. I put over 3900 hrs on my original lamp and still have it here as my spare, lol. I'm sure the newer models are a step up, but I couldn't be happier with this thng given what I spent. I used some screen goo for my screen (120"), and everyone who's seen it has been really impressed with the picture quality....particularly with HD sports

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Hello friends:

I will keep you updated once my MMGs arrive and have been placed in my music room--I am sure I'll have lots of questions. And thanks for your input!! Please continue in the future.

I love my Sanyo Z2--my DIY screen is made of Parkland Plastic bought at Menards for $12, painted with latex primer and a flat white paint (two coats). The screen is framed with black painted MDF and just about 100in diagnol in a 16:9 widescreen format. The entire basement is painted in dark red with complete light control---wife hates it, but I left the ceiling white: see I can compromise. I have had two Superbowl get togethers and plenty of other sports parties. Everybody has been very impressed and movies are great too. HD from DirectTV/local HD looks fantastic. My Bose Acoustimas 15 sound decent enough with plenty of LFE. A friend bought a Z3 which is very nice too!! He used fabric from Joanne's Fabric for a screen.

This will sound dumb--My pioneer receiver (VSX D912) rated at 110WPC X7.1 has pre-outs (they look like RCA cables can fit in the appropriate channel). Would an amplifier have RCA inputs and speaker outs??? I have tried to Google how to hook up preouts to another receiver (I have a Kenwood and a RCA Dolby Digital receivers) without any answers. Please help.

I hope my Athena ASF2 haven't spoiled it for me. I have told myself I will give the MMGs a full trial after they are broken in. I bought Sennheiser 600 and Etymotics 6Ti and used them exclusively for several months--now all other headphones I try sound like junk. So these headphones were excellent values and I am glad I spent a little more than I wanted to for headphones.

I told my wife I will be getting a large box or two in the next few days with speakers. She gave me a look that reminded me of the girl in The Exorcist tied to her bed about to spew green stuff. I almost asked her if I could paint the ceiling in the home theater dark red, but let it go. For now!!!

Imu

Re: Maggie update

Oh yeah, if you have a receiver w/ preouts, all you do is pick up a stereo amplifier and use (as you suggested) a pair of RCA cables from the preouts on the receiver to the inputs of the amp. Then you just connect your MMGs to the amplifier. That's all there is to it....no special settings on your receiver, just hook it up and go

Re: Maggie update

friends, while I am waiting: what is your absolute best, numero uno CD that you play to show off your MMG or other planars?

I will get it from BB or online so I can impress the Finance Minister at home. Please recommend soon.!!! Otherwise, I get painted with bile. Please help.

Gasdoc--Imu

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Anything by Diana Krall

By the way, if you go to audiogon.com and do a search for B&K, you'll find the amp that I recommend you pick up for the MMGs....either the ST-140 or ST-202 are both good choices and can be had for between $225-325.

There are other choices as well, but I used to own that amp and it's still a fantastic performer.

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thank you AZ.
I'll search the AMPS you recommended. DK it is then!!
Would you recommend the same amps for a larger listening room (my HT) at about 20X30??
Imu

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Try "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" from the Beatles Anthology #3...friggin' fantastic. Slower than "Abbey Road", sparse arrangement. Paul's there, man.

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You guys have some big listening rooms!

yeah, I think the B&K will be a very good, inexpensive choice for the MMGs, and I think it will have plenty of juice to play them at a moderately loud level. I don't advise you to try and rock the house down with Magnepans, though!

Between the ST-140 and the ST-202, if you can swing it, go for the 202 (assuming you find one in good working condition). The extra power will be helpful in terms of overhead. Other manufacturers to consider are Anthem, Rotel, Parasound, and Outlaw Audio. I saw a nice Anthem on audiogon for around $400....it was 200wpc, and I'm pretty sure it's rated down to 2ohms, so it would be a nice choice for the MMGs, too. I just know that B&K builds some damn nice amps, they typically rate their output somewhat conservatively (i.e. the amps are a bit more powerful than they are listed as being), and their customer service is top notch.

Happy Listening

Ps. You could check ebay too...I've just always had success at audiogon.