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Mother Maggi I?
- Thread starter can-man
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There are three issues with Maggies. The first is an problem that all bipolar speakers have, which is that they produce a back wave that is out of phase with the front wave, and reflects off whatever is behind the speaker, and interacts with the front wave. So you have to have them out from the wall several feet, and you have to be willing to experiment with location alot to get the best sound out of them.
The second is a problem all line sources share, which is that they have good dispersion in the plane perpendicular to the line, but almost none in the plane parallel -- by which I mean, if your ear is above the top of the speaker by more than an inch or so, there is no high end at all. So don't stand above them.
The third is a particular problem with Maggies. They are made with wires glued to membranes, and those wires come loose, and rattle. It's horrid sounding. They can be reglued, but it's work, and if you don't know what you are doing, you might not do it well. Magnepan does sell repair supplies and offer advice, but if at all possible, play them loud and listen for rattles before making a decision.
Having said all that -- not everyone likes the sound of planar speakers because there is less sense of bass and more sense of room, which can be disconcerting at first. But if you like them, its very hard to go back to the boxy thick resonant bass of normal speakers.
The second is a problem all line sources share, which is that they have good dispersion in the plane perpendicular to the line, but almost none in the plane parallel -- by which I mean, if your ear is above the top of the speaker by more than an inch or so, there is no high end at all. So don't stand above them.
The third is a particular problem with Maggies. They are made with wires glued to membranes, and those wires come loose, and rattle. It's horrid sounding. They can be reglued, but it's work, and if you don't know what you are doing, you might not do it well. Magnepan does sell repair supplies and offer advice, but if at all possible, play them loud and listen for rattles before making a decision.
Having said all that -- not everyone likes the sound of planar speakers because there is less sense of bass and more sense of room, which can be disconcerting at first. But if you like them, its very hard to go back to the boxy thick resonant bass of normal speakers.
JoeESP9
ESL's & tubes since 83
can-man:
MG-2's are one inch short of six feet tall. Unless you are very tall moving 2 or 3 feet away is sufficient for vertical dispersion. Who listens to speakers real close unless they are near field monitors?
Magneplanars are not line sources. The newer models with ribbon tweeters can be considered line sources only as far as the tweeters are concerned.
If they sound good to your ears that is all that matters. If they need repair that's really not a problem. Magnepan has repair kits and there are plenty of people on this site with experience repairing them.
Beware, if you like the sound of Maggy's, speakers in a box will never satisfy you again. As far as bass is concerned, every Maggy I've heard except for the MG-20.1's could use a sub or two (2 is always better). Actually it wouldn't hurt the 20.1's to use a sub or two. They would have to be really, really good ones. Something that matches a $10K pair of speakers.
All that being said, what does the 6.0 in the FP mean?
MG-2's are one inch short of six feet tall. Unless you are very tall moving 2 or 3 feet away is sufficient for vertical dispersion. Who listens to speakers real close unless they are near field monitors?
Magneplanars are not line sources. The newer models with ribbon tweeters can be considered line sources only as far as the tweeters are concerned.
If they sound good to your ears that is all that matters. If they need repair that's really not a problem. Magnepan has repair kits and there are plenty of people on this site with experience repairing them.
Beware, if you like the sound of Maggy's, speakers in a box will never satisfy you again. As far as bass is concerned, every Maggy I've heard except for the MG-20.1's could use a sub or two (2 is always better). Actually it wouldn't hurt the 20.1's to use a sub or two. They would have to be really, really good ones. Something that matches a $10K pair of speakers.
All that being said, what does the 6.0 in the FP mean?
Maggies can be magical, but beware they are very revealing of upstream equipment and need lows of current to drive properly. Older speakers tend to age dependent upon their care by previous owners. There are a couple of forums where DIY maintenance and upgrades are freely discussed and much support is available.
At $100 per pair they are a bargain if not completely shot. Just understand you cannot run them with a receiver in most cases and being 4 ohms they are not an easy load.
Good Luck!
At $100 per pair they are a bargain if not completely shot. Just understand you cannot run them with a receiver in most cases and being 4 ohms they are not an easy load.
Good Luck!
