center channel matches for magnepan? (1 Viewer)

[Sam D]

I have an old pair of Magnepan SMGa's which I really enjoy. I've noticed that Magnepan sells a center channel speaker for around $900 which is very lower bass limited. Seeing as I spent about $300 on my SMGa's about 10 years ago (bought used), that is too much for too little, in my opinion.

So, does anyone own Magnepans but use a different brand center channel that matches the Magnepans well?

Thanks!

 

[David_MSP]

Sam,

I've got a pair of Magnepan MG1.6QR speakers for my front left and right channels. In the center and rear I use speakers made by Cambridge Sound Works. The center channel model number is MC500 and the rears are model number S300. I have found this entire setup to work extremely well together and does not draw attention to any given speaker. I ordered the speakers online and had 45 days to try them out in my home.

 

[Sam D]

Thanks. Another question - do you use a subwoofer?

 

[Luis C]

I use a pair of MG3.6R for the front, a MGCC2 center, a pair of MGMC1 for rears and a pair of SVS 20-39CS+ for subs... incredible system for both audio and HT.

 

[Sam D]

Luis - sounds nice, what crossover points do you use? Do you use one of those outlaw crossover doohikeys?

 

[Luis C]

The Outlaw is a nice unit but I am using a prototype pre-pro being developed for CES release. It has a "true" bass management system where each individual output has selectable crossover points and slope. The center channel is crossed over at 160Hz, the fronts are running full range and the rears are crossed over at 80Hz. The subs are crossed over at 42Hz based on room acoustic analysis.

It is incredibly dynamic, musical and natural sounding, both on music and video. I use this system for everything from multi-channel HT surround to 2-channel and multi-channel music. I couldn't be happier.

 

[Sam D]

slope. The center channel is crossed over at 160Hz, the fronts are running full range and the rears are crossed over at 80Hz. The subs are crossed over at 42Hz based on room acoustic analysis.

In that configuration, does the pre/pro send sound from the center channel below 160 hz to the front speakers? Does this sound natural with dialogue with deep voices (ala James Earl Jones)?

Thanks for the input, I'm still learning all this.

 

[David_MSP]

Sam,

I don't currently use a sub, but am planning on the same ones Luis mentioned. I've heard a setup similar to Luis' and he's very correct. It's awesome for both movies and music. It was just too expensive for me at the time, but it's where I hope to be one of these days.

 

[Luis C]

Does this sound natural with dialogue with deep voices (ala James Earl Jones)?

Ahhh!!! JEJ! He is one of my favorite actors... gotta love that voice too! lol He is wonderful.

As far a playback; One of the nice things about the Maggie's is that no matter the panel size (model), they tend to be "voiced" alike. I.E., they all sound very similar. This cannot be said of most piston speakers, even when they come from the same manufacturer. This gives the Maggie's a distinct advantage in HT setups because the center speaker sounds so close to the fronts and rears that you have a very difficult time distinguishing when the sounds fades from the center channel and blends to the fronts/rears. It is a very natural sound and the blending is virtually seamless. It is a feature I haven't found in almost any other speaker and certainly not at the Maggie price.

 

[Andrew Pratt]

When I had my maggies I used a single MMG on its side. This works really well except that its sweet spot is kind of narrow so if you're room is wide it might not work that well.