Magnepan needs your help

@richopp, I bought my first Maggies---the Tympani T-I---in ’73, and loved what they did well. But I missed the liquid-transparency and "snap" of ESL’s (the early Maggies were a tad veiled and soft), and the bottom octave (we didn’t at that time know about bracing the panels). So when in ’74 the Fulton Model J was introduced, I sold the Tympanis and bought a pair.

It didn’t take long for me to regret that move: yes, the Fulton was more transparent (those RTR ESL tweeters were about the best available at the time), and had "shuddery"/deep, deep bass, but lacked the wide-open sound (the sound box speakers produce seems to be squeezed through the boxes) and lifesize images (big instruments sound like dollhouse miniatures through small loudspeakers) of planars. I experienced planar-withdrawal! I sold the Fultons and have been a panel-lover ever since (current owner of Tympani T-IVa, Eminent Technology LFT-8b, and original Quad ESL)..

But to get deep bass out of planars, the panels have to be very large (Tympani double bass panels---or the new 30.7, and SoundLab ESL’s). That Tympani bass is unlike that produced by any dynamic woofer I’ve ever heard, until I heard a really good OB/Dipole (there have been some poor ones, like those Gradient made for Quads). For those not having room for the 36" wide (each channel!) Tympani bass panels, these prototype 12" wide Magnepan OB subs are a very welcome alternative.

Sure, the GR Research/Rythmik OB/Dipole Sub has been available for almost ten years (and is fantastic!), but it is available only as a DIY kit, the H- or W-frames the kit (in basic form a pair of 12" servo-feedback woofers and associated plate amp) is installed in needing to be built (there are easy-to-assemble flat packs available). Many audiophiles have no interest in anything DIY, so again, the possibility of a commercially-available OB/Dipole sub, especially one designed specifically for Magneplanar loudspeakers, is of great interest. While no substitute for big panels, an OB/Dipole sub is as close as you can get to the taut, percussive (piano! drums! slapped upright bass! Yo Yo Ma's attack on his cello!) bass impact that planars produce.

Josh, a pair of the 12" woofers is plenty punchy for me, but I don’t prioritize reproducing the hyped-up bass heard in Pop recordings. The planar bass produced by the Tympani-model Magneplanars (and now by the new 30.7) has long been my standard, and the OB/Dipole Sub comes the closest to that I’ve ever heard.

There are some DIYers (and pro speaker companies) using three, four, six, or even eight OB woofers per side! That is useful in a larger room, but a single pair per side is plenty for me. The eight 6.5" woofer per side (four on each of the two baffles of the W-frame, I’m presuming. Oops, I’ve said too much already ;-) in the new hybrid Maggie will grab about the same amount of air as will a pair of 12’s, I believe. I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m mistaken!

And, the 8 woofers won’t have to travel as far to do it, leading to at least the possibility of less distortion. But then, the GR Research/Rythmik sub employs servo-feedback, so all bets are off. If this hybrid planar/OB sub makes it into production, planar lovers will finally have available a speaker with deep bass without needing huge panels to produce it (Tympanis, Sound Labs, etc.). And that bass will be very different from that produced by standard subs: not as "plump"---no added fat; the texture of stringed instruments (upright bass, cello, piano) more audible, as are the end trail of notes, etc. And the balance between speakers and subs will remain stable when listening distance changes. Plus lots more! --- Eric.