LRS Unsquashed!!
Got the grill off of the panel after several 3M tape (gently pressing down with a new soft bristle paint brush) pulling sessions over the weekend.
Huge shout out to
Eric Norgaarden at Magnepan.
He called me first thing this morning to assess the situation.
NOTE: Eric said to avoid applying/pulling tape from the areas directly stuck to the panel. Instead, work from the edge area in towards the stuck area.
He was concerned about me having to work the stuck areas but approved my tape applying method using the brush.
After making sure nothing else was damaged and that they are hooked up and playing, he concluded the call with break in procedures (just play them) and placement resources.
Although it took nearly 4 months (placed order late November 2019), Eric made it an overall positive experience!
Glad the "eyesore" is gone!
|
@helotech In my situation with my room being over my garage I have my .7's 48" from the knee wall and that gives me eleven feet to my seating position. Unfortunately I have my couch up against the other knee wall. My ceilings are sloped also. So it was suggest to set my speakers eight feet apart and angled toward my listening position. Plus because of the sloped ceiling, set the .7's vertical. I have my tweeters on the outside. With this setup I have a nice wide soundstage, and depending on the recording the singer is mostly front and center with the addition of amazing inner detail! I'm going through all my long term recordings and I'm amazed just how good they all sound!
|
I haven't encountered any big debates regarding tweeters in vs out. Personal preference is all that matters.
It is more difficult to achieve the recommended time/distance alignment with the tweeters outboard, though I no longer concern myself with the time alignment of the bass/treble sections and simply place them by ear.
For my ears, I do find tweeters outboard preferable with both my .7s and the 1.7s I owned a couple years ago. I find tweeters inboard results in too narrow a sweetspot and despite Magnepan's claim, I find tweeters outboard provides the best imaging focus, if at a small detriment to soundstage depth. Tweeters inboard makes many vocalists sound as though they're standing many feet behind the rest of the ensemble. I don't find this to be the case with any other speakers I've owned, which leads me to doubt that's a trait faithful to the recording. Since when does a rock band's front man stand many feet behind the guitarists?
That's my take on it but again, all that matters is what you like. These speakers are so sensitive to placement changes that you can experiment to almost no end. I like to use a good vocal track like Ballad of the Runaway Horse to lock in the imaging and tone. Once I get Jennifer Warnes' voice sounding most life-like in size and presence, that's usually a good placement for everything else.
|
@ketchup
Not sure about the LRS but my 0.7's had a metal strip 1 1/4" wd x 30" long down the center of the speakers that made the cloth stick to the inner ribbon. Not sure the purpose of them, maybe for shipping purposes ??
@bob540
For $650 USD the LRS are hard to beat, just don't expect a lot of slam. Plus they really perform well and come alive with lots of power/current So one must consider a capable amplifier. The 0.7's I bought are the next size up and cost $1,400 USD |
@bob540 - Yeah, these are the LRS. The only Magnepans selling for under $1000 USD I believe. If you’ve never heard Magnepans before, I strongly urge you to.
I have a small room (10 x 12 minus closet space) and am really amazed with these speakers.
If you have the room (as I wish I did), I’m sure the larger models will amaze even more. I have heard older 1.6 and 2.6 versions in audiophile shop listening rooms. But most everything in there was impressive.
First time enjoying them (smaller versions) in my own home without the expensive room treatments and mortgage worthy running gear.
Good luck (and Good Listening!) with your not-too-distant future equipment! |
This doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. How exactly does the fabric come into contact with the panel during shipping? Does that mean that part of the packaging was pressing against the fabric that was in turn pressing on the panel? That does not seem very good for the panel at all and seems like pretty poor packaging. I would be very concerned about how much pressure the packaging put on the panel during shipping if that's how it all occurs.
|
Hleeid: $650? I was under the impression that Magnepan’s cost thousands of dollars. I spent several hundred more than you did for conventional towers.
Enjoy your new speakers — looks like you have some nice equipment there. I hope to hear some in the not-too-distant future. |
60%-70% of the volume you would normally critically listen to them at. Just use a constant volume setting, no need to raise or lower it.
Play music. No need for a test or burn-in CD with sweeps. Music works best. |
Is there a volume setting/range for breaking in? Is it good to keep changing the volume during break in? Like varying engine rpm breaking in a new motorcycle?
Filtering through all the debates about break in, white/pink noise, etc. when googling can be quite daunting!
|
I've heard they really need 400 hrs for proper breakin. Can anyone confirm this?
On the smaller models, 200-300 hours. The larger models, 400-500 hours. |
Just recieved my Maggie's 0.7's about two three weeks ago and had the same issue, cloth stuck to the internal ribbons. Like other's have said use tape. What worked best for me was clear packing tape. I gently applied tape on the edge of where the cloth was sticking to the internal ribbon and gently pulled and worked my way to the center of the panel (patience is a virtue) and within 20 minutes the outer cloth was totally free from the ribbons.
I then ran my Maggie's continuously for 100 hrs for break in before any serious listening. Of coarse I had to listen to them right out of the box and must say, there is a big improvement in sound quality in every respect after breakin
I've heard they really need 400 hrs for proper breakin. Can anyone confirm this? Also I'm driving them with a Spectron MK III D class amp
with 500watts@8ohms 650@4ohms & 1,200@2ohms........boy do the Maggie's love this amp! With this much juice (65 amps for 500 milliseconds) makes something as unassuming as a small bell in the background have amazing energy that I've never heard before! |
I'm just so overwhelmed with moving things around, hearing the many differences. Haven't even gotten around to seeing what I really prefer!
Was kind of cool having to draw attention to the cables coming from the back to 3 different people who didn't believe they were speakers!
At first they put their ears close to the other speakers in the room that weren't playing. Then over to the LRS and started walking around them, listening from the back, etc.
Then came: "$650? Really? That all? Where can I get a pair"
I started saying something like: "Yes, just $650 but wait! You need to understand the importance of amp requirements, room dimensions/acoustics, placement options, etc."
Realizing that's about as far as this newbie could/should answer further questions, I told them to check out Audiogon.
For me, jury's still out on tweeters inside or out, ...
|
I could also notice swapping the panels (ribbon tweeter inside vs outside) changed the "shape" of the presentation.
In the Maggie community, this is debated almost as much as Analog vs. Digital or Tube vs. Solid State. I have setup well over 100 pairs of Maggies in all kinds of environments. I can count on one hand the number of times tweeters out worked better than tweeters in. These were in really large rooms with lots of room to the sides and rear of the speakers, but I know some owners really like the tweeters out. Not me, but that's just me... |
As a former Maggie owner, this is normal and does not indicate anything wrong. The advice given is perfect.
|
Glad to hear the speakers are working well. Though I have Vandersteen, I would have opted for Maggies if I had the room. I can still remember being mesmerized by the sound they put out. And, that was 30 years ago.
I am not trying to offer any kind of evaluation as I am clearly not qualified/experienced/etc.
Hey, if you have a pair of ears, your experience is as good as any. In any case, Enjoy! B |
@helomech1 - Thanks! I was just about to ask about that!
Will give it a try. |
IIRC, the manual states that you can use a piece of masking tape on the grill to pull it away from the panel. I stuck the tape against the cloth and pulled one end vertically (in parallel to the cloth surface), similar to removing one of those 3M Command strips.
just be careful to not press hard when applying the tape to the cloth or risk touching and damaging the diaphragm behind.
|
Thanks for the replies!
Well they are hooked up and playing (beautifully through a new Hegel H190).
But the cloth is still stuck. Especially tight on the three round
protrusions (?) that are vertically aligned along the upper middle of the panel.
Looks like it might be a little less around the flat areas since yesterday afternoon though.
Other than that, what an amazing experience! Especially for this newbie who never owned magnepans before (only listened to larger ones in audiophile store listening rooms).
The wisdom found in this forum certainly rings true. I truly appreciate the value in not just basic speaker placement, but also in fine tuning (tilt, minor toe adjustments, distance from front and side walls).
Such seemingly minute changes really have a noticeable effect with the LRS vs the dynamic speakers I have been using.
Oh and the sound stage! My room is only 10 x 12 but I hear instruments now that seem to be way behind the speakers. Even beyond the front wall!
Something about the imagery,... Can't find the correct words to describe. But noticeably different with the different tilt angles afforded by the pivoting adjusters.
I could also notice swapping the panels (ribbon tweeter inside vs outside) changed the "shape" of the presentation.
I am not trying to offer any kind of evaluation as I am clearly not qualified/experienced/etc.
Just a newbie here sharing my immediate impressions on the differences I heard in sound characteristics.
My dynamic speakers used to compare:
Kef LS 50 non wireless
Ologe 5
B&W Matrix 801 S2
Amplification:
Living Room
- Ampzilla 2000 Second Edition monoblocks
- Bryston P26 Pre amp
Office:
Hegel H190
Thanks again for the helpful replies!
|
@OP,
Both audioconnection (John Rutan) and mofimadness have given you great information.
Trust it implicitly, and congrats on the new speakers.
Bob |
I was a Magnepan dealer for many years. That happens every once in awhile.
The cloth just gets stuck to the panel. Play the speaker and it should release after a short time.
|
It’s just the Grills touching the panels from packing and compression nothing
to be concerned.
if you allow things to get to room temperature it should relax . Put The bases on tweeters on outside and enjoy it will fix itself by the time you’ve read this you can try a hair dryer to warm the panel but don’t get too close and burn the grill.
JohnnyR |
