Picking speakers 3000-5000 budget

unclewilbur

I have heard talk of this strange and mysterious Maggie.

Just kidding,I have never looked at them for some reason,I was always under the impression they cost big money.

I will take a look at them.I was hoping to keep the cost on the amp to under 5,000,but I guess If I can save on the speakers it's all good.

Us there a useful life span on these,as in what is the cut off on the age of these before I should stay away from a particular pair.

 

@twangy57 

It's hard to say how long Maggies last. 

I've never experienced a failure. But there are used Maggies on ebay that are more than twenty years old. Just don't drive them too loud. I'd say you can safely drive them to 90db. I think if you drive them above 100db you'll shorten the life span, just like all speakers. I guess if you use them reasonably at 70db to 80db, and occasionally 90db, you'll probably get 15 or 20 years out of them. But if you overplay them, repairing Maggies isn't too hard if you're handy. Just re-glue the wires onto the mylar.

 

After saying all that, I would suggest buying only the newest models because they are improved. Here is a list of the newest models. The "i" and "+" designates the new improved versions. 

LRS+

.7i

1.7i

2.7i

3.7i

20.7

30.7

And all these speakers (except LRS+) can be upgraded by the factory (by replacing all of the components between the speaker cables and driver with superior parts). ...crossovers, better wires, simpler circuits, etc. The upgraded speakers are designated with an "x" ...1.7x or 2.7x ...

 

So, finally, here's the pros and cons of Maggies. 

Pros: 

Transparency that no box speakers can produce. 

Details that will amaze you. Clarity that will ruin every box speaker experience for the rest of your life.

Very smooth if you choose upstream components wisely. These speakers provide sound that depends on amps and sources. They tell the truth, but they are not unforgiving. Sound stage can extend well beyond your room if the recording and everything is right. Sound will almost always come from the soundstage that surrounds the speakers and very seldom come from the speakers (bad recordings sometimes occasionally emit sound from the speakers.) The bass is tight and natural. 

● 1.7i 40-24 kHz 

● 2.7i 40-30 kHz +/- 3dB 

 

Cons:

The bass won't blow your dress up over your head. ...or pants, whatever. Use a REL if necessary, but many/most don't want a subwoofer because the bass sounds natural for most music, especially acoustic. These speakers are inexpensive compared to boxes because boxes can be tricky to build well. But they need amps that can produce high current, and these amps are usually more expensive. These speakers don't play extremely loud -the safe limit is probably around 100db for the 1.7i and 2.7i. These speakers need space, so put them out into the room about three feet from the wall. Getting them in their ideal position in your room will take some experimenting. They're light, so putting them toward the wall after use isn't any problem at all. One last problem is that Maggies are not their best at very low volume. They come alive at about 30 or 40db.

 

For me, the benefits are very significant!!! 

For me, the problems don't matter because they are so transparent. Music sounds natural. When you hear music without resonance from boxes you will understand. 

 

Of course you may disagree, and that's ok too. 😊

Don’t forget the power cords. They make a huge difference.

I have the Tritons. They are great. Sometimes I wish I had bought the B&W or Revel, but the Tritons work great.

Maggies - and planars in general - are kind of a love / hate thing, so I would strongly recommend an in-person audition before you commit. 

@unclewilbur mentioned the weak bass. Subs are a must, and so is DSP because planars are so fast that you need to delay them to give the woofers a chance to catch up. 

What wasn’t mentioned is the, uh, directionality of planar speakers (it’s bad form to say beaminess). Here you have to examine your use case. If you’re the kind of guy who sits at length in a one-person chair, you’re golden. If you like to move around the room, or enjoy having people join you on a large couch, planars are probably not going to be ideal for you. 

I love the transparency and airiness of planar speakers, but I can’t live with the mediocre bass response and mandatory head-in-a-vise listening position. It’s a matter of your personal and musical tastes though. Most planars have plenty enough bass for quiet singer-songwriters playing an acoustic instrument or light chamber music.

Look for used Wavetouch audio Antero V2 speakers. Absolute best sound spkrs regardless of cost. The room in below video is 14' x 22' x 8'. They sound great in my shop (32'W x 40'L x 12'H). Alex/Wavetouch

https://youtu.be/LlYlIvmmg3c?si=fDA2rnJg30fRyIGC&t=153