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Magnepan 2.7QR owners...please.

A few months back, I purchased a used pair of Magnepan 2.7 speakers for my son's system. Although he is quite happy, he asked some questions I can't answer and seek your help.

What do "Tweeter attenuator" and "Midrange attenuator" mean?
Are the extra speaker inputs for biwiring or are they supposed to just fit the small "U"-shaped metal bars that came with the speaker?
Are there any outboard crossovers available for this model?
For my taste, these speakers are a tad bright although they are remarkably transparent. Can some of this brightness be modified?

Thank you very much for your consideration.
vvrinc
jafox
1,456 posts
 
Vvrinc: Radio Shack sells 1-ohm 10w resistors. They are a dollar or so each. What I suggest you do is buy 4 of these. This would allow you to use 2 per side to try out 0.5, 1 and 2 ohms to find a value that gets the level to your liking. Once you find the value you like, you can find a higher quality "audiograde" resistor to replace the RS parts. There are many online sites that cater to DIY audio hobbyists with high-grade electronic components.

These power resistors have relatively thick leads. You can bend the ends 2 or 3 times and put these directly in the socket currently being occupied by the metal jumpers. There's no need to solder the resistors to banana or other connectors first.

Hope this helps.

John
vvrinc OP
323 posts
 
John,
Many thanks for your guidance. Will post results in a few days. Also thanks to the other members that have helped clarify the terminology.

Best regards,
Santiago
mab2112
3 posts
 
I didn't see anyone mention, you can NOT bi amp 2.7's. I don't know why, but the dealer asked the maggie rep and he said they could not be bi amped.
jafox
1,456 posts
 
Mab: There are a lot of DIY Maggie owners out there who have bypassed fuses and attentuator connections, replaced internal crossover components, rebuilt external crossover boxes, etc. I am sure that with a little effort, anyone could configure the 2.7's to be biamped. It would just void any remaining warranty.
vvrinc OP
323 posts
 
Mab2112, I now understand that they can not be biamped or biwired. However, John's suggestion to use resistors has made an enormous difference in the sound of these speakers. Today we started using 2 Radio Shack 1-ohm/10W resistors per side and my son and I agree that the top end is much more natural. Before, the sound sometimes was eardrum-splitting with many recordings. With the resistors, there is no apparent compromise in sound but all frequencies are much more balanced.

We ordered better (?) resistors from an online company to replace the Radio Shacks eventually. If all 2.7s suffer from this exaggerated top end (that is, unless you like the feel of blood running down your temples), this solves the problem quite nicely.

Thanks to all once again and best regards,
Santiago
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