Magneplanar MG12: good for my room ?


Hi,
I'm thinking about Magneplanar MG12, which impressed me when I listened to them (twice, in different setups and listening rooms), but I know they're very sensitive to positioning and to the listening room's features.
My listening room (which is my living room) is 4m x 8m, about 3m tall (13.3 x 26.6 x 10 feet) and I would position the MG12's along one short side. The rear wall would be about 1m distant (or something more, maybe up to 1.3-1.4m), but I have some problems with the furniture: the panels could not be placed at more than about 2m center-to-center, thus 2.4m tweeter-to-tweeter, because right on the external side of the right speaker there's a low (say 50cm) shelter, where the 37" TV is placed upon, whilst on the left of the left speaker there's the sofa.
But what's most is that behind the left speaker I have a window (with curtains) and behind the right speaker there's the same low piece of furiniture above mentioned, that 'makes a 90° bend' around the speaker.
I don't know if I've been clear enough: I have some photos and even am AutoCAD picture, but... er... I don't know how to publish them here.

Do you think such configuration is suitable for MG12's, or do you think they would sound as a pale shadow of what I heard and liked so much ?

thanks, ciao
daniele
daniele_g
I use MG12's in a room that is roughly as long as yours and about 2 feet wider with an 8 foot ceiling, and they work really well. They really didn't open up, though, until I brought them out to about 5 feet away from the front wall. I also have my audio rack and a 46" TV on a stand against the front wall. The speakers are about 8 feet apart and my listening position is about 10 feet away from the speakers. Consider adding a subwoofer. It adds alot to the overall sound.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I get better results with the tweeter panels toward the inside.
The easiest way to publish your room photos and auto cad pic is to create a system page and put them there.
As for the MG12s, in a room that size why not opt for a used pair of 1.6s? They are really priced well after the release of the 1.7.
My MG12's are only 63 inches apart (tweeters on outsides) but 7 feet from the wall behind them, my room is 12.5 feet by 15 feet by 8 foot ceiling (short wall placement) and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM.
But my listening sweet spot is only one cushy chair wide.
Chair is about 18 inches from back wall.
I did find that a power amp with SERIOUS quality and power made a HUGE improvement even at low listening levels. The maggie MG12's are not the last word in bass slam, but they seem to be really there for ability to transduce high end rythym and harmonies provided you have the source components that can deliver those qualitys.
sorry for answering only now.
I have an ARC 100.2 solid state power amp (200wpc/4ohm); preamp is an ARC LS7, sources Naim CDX2 and Pro-ject RPM9.1x with Lyra Delos.

do you think the amplification matches well with the MG12's ?

@Timrhu: I don't have room enough on the speakers' sides for 1.6, unless I keep them very close to each other. my concern is that even 12's may be too close.
MG12 are a suberb set of speakers... hard to equal.
Just remember that they are VERY directional. In other words, you hear them how you face them. If you have furniture obstructing your view of the panel in the sweet spot, forget it. There are other speakers to consider... Vandersteen, Rega (especially if you are in europe) for high rewards and little budgets.
I did audition the MG12s in my room for about ten days as I was considering buying them. Glad I did as they were not at all to my liking. The comment above about being in the sweet spot is right on. If I got up from the chair and walked around the room the sound was terrible.
I think my room was too small for them so they went back to the dealer.
tahnks for your answers (and I apologise for answering so late, but I seldom connect).

@Chrisr: I don't have any piece of furniture between my listening position and the speakers, but I do have some behind the speakers and right on their sides -though they're quite low, say 30-40cm, while the side walls are more than 1m away.
if I knew how to post a picture or a drawing, I could show it to you.
Daniele, agree your room is a suitable size. Low furniture seems to cause less of a problem than high furniture. If there's furniture behind them and up near ear level, they'll probably still sound good, but the imaging won't be as good. It really depends on the size/shape/and position of the furniture.