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Anyone send back Magnepan MMG's?

I'm currently trying out some MMG's under their 60-day money-back trial period. I'm two weeks into it and I've already made up my mind that they're going back. The presentation is interesting, but the soundstaging is no better (perhaps even worse) than my trusty Audio Physic Tempo's. There is a problem in cohesion from midrange to bass, and this manifests itself quite frequently when I play 80's rock and pop (Pat Benatar especially). And they get congested with complex orchestral music. Granted, with simple chamber music or guitar solos, they sound pretty good. But they just can't handle the gamut of music that I play like my Audio Physic speakers.

There are those who may claim that perhaps my amp isn't up to the task of powering the Maggies. I have an Innersound ESL 300 which is designed for planars and electrostats, being able to double down twice to 2 ohms, and still stable at 1/3 ohm impedance. It should be more than enough to drive the Maggies.

And some will claim that the MMG's don't adequately represent the abilities of Magnepan's higher-end offerings. I've heard a 3.6 previously, driven by Classe electronics, and while it sounded OK, I wasn't thrilled with it. Which surprises me, because I tend to gravitate toward electrostatics, and I thought I'd gravitate towards planars as well.

And I will admit, my old Audio Physic Tempo's originally retailed for $4000, which is substantially more than the MMG's $550. But still, even at their entry level, the Magnepan's should be hinting at something that those box speakers can't quite do. But I'm not hearing it. I came into this with a very open mind, and I'm somewhat surprised that the speakers are likely getting shipped back to Magnepan.

Has anyone else come to this conclusion?

Michael
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cytocycle
1,043 posts
 
I loved my MMG's which I bought used and I owned SMGa's before and it took me about 3 months to loosen them up.... before they opened up or they sound congested... get a break in CD or some Techo and and crank it when you leave the house with the cd player on repeat... They have to loosen up. Magnepan's only care about 4ohms.. they don't drop below and they don't vary.. but as with all magnepan's more power is better no matter how much.. You should have plenty.. I didn't didn't care for Classe electronics powering my IIIA's, I tried a CA400 and it was definitely too bright.. the ribbon tweeter is extra sensitive to bad SS..... might sound find on other speakers but not magnepans.

I owned SMGa's and then traded them into the dealer and bought IIIa's and years later I tried out two pairs of 1.6's in my hometheater setup.

Also the key to making magnepans sound great is 3-5 feet behind them, if you can't pull them out into the room then you will never realize the magic.... For larger orchestra you will need 1.6 or at least a subwoofer (tight low 40-60hz steep crossover) with the MMG's. this is where you are comparing fuller range $4000k speakers to $600 speakers..

But unless you get like 2-3 weeks of continuous playing at really loud levels you will never understand that magnepan magic...... I prefer buying Magnepan's used for this reason..

Keep playing the hell out of them..... you have time for the 60 day return policy..
abramsmatch
61 posts
 
Michael-- listen to me. I want you to do something with the positioning of the MMGs-- it is very important they are listened to on the vertical axis (standing straight up and down).
Look at ALL the higher up Maggies starting from the 1.6 on up. Notice what's different? Other than size, they are all standing straight up and down.
You can accomplish this by putting some small blocks of wood etc. under the ends of each metal stand to tilt the speakers forward some (careful-- not too far or the cat/small children may be in for a world of hurt when the things land on them).
Even better -- actually MUCH better-- is to mount them on stands/brackets (available at home depot) that not only make them stand up straight-- but raise the bottoms of the MMGs like 6-8 inches off the floor.
I heard all about this on the audio asylum Maggie forum-- and was skeptical as usual. But-- for like 40 bucks in parts (some metal shelf brackets and bolts) I did it.
FRIGHTENING. That's the only word for the difference. I suddenly went from a nice warmish planar sound to like.... uh... a Quad 63 with whomping bass and balls. Awesome!! I shall never listen to a Maggie tilted back again.
I sent my MMGs back though because they were taking up about 97 percent of my apartment and in the words of my girlfriend (whom I havent yet sent back) looked RIDICULOUS.
But ohhhhhh what 5oo bucks in speakers can do when implemented properly. Those things are a lesson in value and with the proper stands-- a lessen in the LACK of value of many competitors.
heavystarch
34 posts
 
Abramsmatch is really right about raising your MMG's up off the floor about 6-10" (depends on your listening height but have your head at the center of the panel).

Also once they are raised up off the floor make sure they stand up perfectly straight. Abram is spot on with this comment - the MMG's change dramatically with these two little changes. It really is night and day.

I did not send mine back - I just upgraded to the 1.6's
dweller's avatar
dweller
3,781 posts
 
I owned these around 1986 for about two years.
After hearing a really good dynamic speaker (Conrad-Johnson Synthesis) in a dealer showroom, I couldn't get rid of them fast enough.
lindisfarne
511 posts
 
I think if you stop listening to Pat Benatar, that would help.
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