Mini Maggies ?


Enter that in the search box here and nothing comes up ? Is any one using these ? What size room do you have if you are ? Impressions ?
maplegrovemusic

Showing 7 responses by josh358

Another possibility that audiophiles don't usually consider, perhaps because they think they're only for home theater, would be the Magnepan on-walls. They're apparently comparable to the 1.7 when paired with the DWM woofers.
I think there have been threads. If not, try Google, I know there have been threads on other forums. General imressions seem to be --

- Amazing on the desktop
- They can be used in a smallish room but they're near-field monitors and aren't a replacement for the full-sized models in a big one
- Dealer demos aren't a reliable guide to their sound because few dealers have the right environment to demo them, they tend to get stuck on a shelf. But Magnepan has a "dealer direct" program now where you can try them yourself for 30 days at home
They haven't given a specific figure, last this was being discussed (a while back) they were still waiting for reports from the field on where they might work outside the near field. You could try calling them and asking whether they think it will work.
I think it should be emphasized that the CES demo was just that, a demo. They used every trick they knew to overcome their limitations and get them to work in a large demo space. (They were using a 2 kW Bryston on them, BTW, and double DWM-1 woofers.) Unfortunately, it worked a bit too well and people got the impression that they could be used as far field speakers in large spaces. But they have limited power response, the tweeter beams vertically and they don't sound as good as the full-sized models in a larger room. Also, people don't always set them up right, on a desktop they're turnkey but in a large room you have to make sure that the woofer and mid/tweeters are in phase at the crossover point.

Anway, just wanted to warn you that all I've heard from Wendell Diller at Magnepan is concern that people will try to use them in circumstances for which they aren't appropriate, or set them up wrong. Naturally, he doesn't want disappointed customers. It isn't that he's opposed to experimentation, in fact, he's asked for reports on what sized room you can use them in successfully, but he doesn't want people to try it with the expectation that this is guaranteed to work. You're using them in a situation for which, as near field monitors, they weren't designed.

One thing you might consider trying if your setup allows is using them as near-field monitors in a larger space, e.g., on stands close to you as if you were sitting at a desk. Even on a desk, they're apparently best used with the desk out from the walls, for the same reason as with any speaker, to keep the first reflections from room surfaces at least 10 ms out (5 feet from a surface) so they provide a sense of depth and space rather than shifting the image.
If you're using them as nearfield monitors, the room can be any size, because most of the sound you're hearing is coming from the speakers themselves.
I don't know because last I heard, Magnepan themselves didn't know and was asking people who tried it for feedback. Maybe you should call Wendell . . . he may know more now about what's likely to work than he did when they were first released.
Maplegrovemusic, here's a new review that goes into use of the Minis in a larger room. He gives some figures on maximum recommended room size and general setup guidelines.

http://www.avguide.com/review/magnepan-s-mini-maggie-speaker-system-revisited-playback-53?utm_campaign=Weekly%20Email&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email-331&utm_content=Mini%20Maggie%20system%20revisited%3B%20Amps%20%26%20DACs%20from%20ADL%2C%20Antelope%20%26%20Musical%20Fidelity%3B%20Sony%20earphones