Magnepan .7 Alternatives


Looking for suggestions…Currently I have Magnepan .7’s and am generally happy but at times they just don’t do it.

I find these speakers to be schizophrenic, sounding great on some tracks and other tracks leaving me wondering what the hey !… I’d say probably 30-40% of the time I’m feeling this way. Either too much treble, not clear or not tonally balanced. I’m no expert but just my opinion, it often comes off as the midrange being pushed to it’s limit trying to be treble. I assume I feel that way being the speaker’s lack of accuracy, although what Maggi’s do they do well, just not an accurate speaker.

I experience this pretty much no matter what source or style of music I play, certainly a non forgiving speaker. Yes, I’ve played around with Toe-In, tried various resistors & jumpers…sounds great on everything I adjust, just not a consistent sounds great.

Lets get it straight, I’m not a “Magnepan Hater”, there’s certain qualities I truly love about my Maggi .7’s, the open sound, the transparency but hoping I may be able to find a speaker that’s not as finicky and can give me the open feel, transparency and clarity that I seek.

My set up consists of:

Odyssey Khartago Extreme Amp

Tubes4hif SP-13 Preamp

Bluesound Node

EAT B Sharp TT w/Sumiko Moonstone Cart

Pro-Ject Tube Box S Phono Pre

(2) REL - T5x Subs

 

Room dimensions: 11.5’ W x 12’ L

10’ Ceilings -

Listening Distance from Speakers

8.5’ - 9’

Carpet, Curtins, (4) 48” x 12”Acoustic panels on wall behind sofa facing my set up.

Not a fan of bookshelf’s and rather would prefer recommendations on

Floorstanders but will listen and research any suggestions you feel would work.

Note: I’m just starting my search, so don’t beat me up if I don’t go right out and purchase your suggestion as others have done in the past.

My Budget is around the $3k mark.

Thanks

🔊

128x128flasd

First off, my condolences for your loss—this is a great hobby—but your family comes first…

Many great thoughts posted thus far but since you seem married to this room, let me suggest a loudspeaker option that could work and falls in your budget.  The Ohm 1000 Tall is a hybrid omnidirectional loudspeaker that should work with your present gear. They like being placed close to your front wall/corners. Should also benefit from your REL subs with some care in placing these subs in your room.

I have owned the Ohm F5’s now for almost one year now and find them to be the best loudspeaker in my room by a long shot.  Ohm’s will energize your room like nothing you have ever experienced. Great company in Brooklyn with a very generous return policy if you don’t like them…

Good luck with the journey…

 

 

rnl997

 What part of this do you not understend?

 With his system, the way it is tube preamp running into a 10 K load kills the extremes.

The same issue will; happen even with different speakers. 

that's why I told him to expose the issue by taking the Bluesound node directly into the amp bypassing the tube preamp.

Cheers

JohnnyR

OP was asking for Maggie alternative. Obviously, building a great system means everything works synergistically—being an audiophile beginning on my journey into this hobby—I’ll trust what you say about preamp impedance matching. I was trying to offer an alternative loudspeaker design option that would work in his room. I believe the loudspeakers are the most critical piece in the puzzle in creating a great system…

@flasd

my condolences on your loss

music, good music, has been very important to my own coping with many of the pressures and vagaries of living life -- hope it offers the same essential solace for you

back to the hifi question you posed... please do what johnny rutan suggests -- much of your sonic issues may well stem from the preamp impedance mismatch

stay well, stay level, and enjoy the music