MMG 2.1 setup

The good news is that you don't need a separate amp to drive the DWM! Basically what you do when using the DWM's with the MMG's is to feed your two channel amp to the DWM's inputs, then the DWM's outputs to the left and right MMG. This feeds the MMG's off the DWM's internal crossover.

The clever thing that makes this possible is that the DWM has two separate voice coils, so a single DWM can handle both channels.

I still haven't head the DWM's, but when I had MMG's I used them with an XPA-2 and it was an excellent match. I imagine you could also use the XPA-3 arrangement using the USP-1's bass management. In that case, you just hook up one of the inputs of the DWM.

Thanks a lot Josh!
In your setup, did u use a sub? The more I read about DWM, the more i get confused...the best application seems to be with the magnepan's center channel speaker.
Either ways do you recommend a good sub, in the event my DWM does not work as planned. I guess I am planning way too far before trying (I have a week off & hope to accomplish this setup).
By the way what cables r using in ur setup?
Thanks a lot..

Hi Stat33,

I did get a sub for my MMG's, a Martin-Logan Dynamo, but soon right after I got it I scored a pair of Tympani IVa's here on Audiogon and my sub was too small to do any good with them so I actually never got to try it out.

I can tell you though that if I were doing it today, I would have gone for the DWM rather than the sub. The DWM is just going to sound a lot purer than a dynamic sub and sometimes it can go all the way down to 25 Hz. That's setup and room dependent so Magnepan only states the low limit as 40 Hz. But with the 30 day trial, you can try it out and see how well it works for you. Definitely the way I'd go unless my main priority was big explosions and such and I could budget for a sub that was big enough to go significantly lower and louder than the DWM but also clean enough to blend with the MMG's for music (which usually means a sealed sub).

I'm not a big believer in esoteric cables, because I think they make a subtle difference at best and for most of us, the money can buy more sound if spent on speakers, amps, and acoustical treatment. But I know there are those who feel differently. Maybe they'll chime in with some suggestions.

Anyway, for small subs on a budget, I'd recommend the same Martin Logan Dynamo I got, but you have to find it used since the newer ones are bass reflex. Among bigger subs, the REL's have an excellent reputation for blending well with Maggies. Two subs are better than one.

The DWM has been around for a while and was originally sold for use with the on-wall speakers, the Mini Maggies, and the centers. But at some point Wendell Diller at Magnepan decided to see what would happen if he tried one with the MMG's and was amazed by the results. So now they're being marketed as a DWM + MMG package. This is so recent that I only know of one person who's tried the combo, Steve Ford over at the Planar Circle.

Wow, thanks for your detailed response. I guess I will see what best I can achieve with this setup.
I am trying the monster cables for now.
The last venture of mine was the ML-ESL with Rotel amp with preamp...I just could not replicate what I heard at the audio store. I also auditioned the Paradigm Studio 100's with the Simaudio integrated amp, but the whole deal was costing 5000$ with good cables..
I guess my goal is a warm sounding setup for my tv room, the dimensions of which have been a challenge...and the fact that I am a novice to high end audio with time constraints is not helping this either.

Really appreciate your input!!