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Transitioning options from Big Maggies

Greetings all. This is a shout out to former Maggie owners and lovers. I have 6 foot vintage MGIIIs. They sing with my tweaked tube phono and pre amps and class A mono amps, vinyl only system. Strings are separated and  shimmer, voice is sweet but not overly romantic. Cohesive, detailed, open and musical. Able to handle complex thick music. Deep unveiled insight into background. Bass shy so that's an area for improvement but may supplement with subs.

They are now assigned to a bedroom/ man cave measuring 11x14 ft. and I am not unhappy but thinking if other options might be optimal.

I would like to hear from other large Maggie owners that have successfully transitioned to smaller quarters as to what kind and name/model speakers that possess these qualities albeit for smaller confines, if there are any. IOW, musical as opposed to analytical, immersive feeling as opposed to listening.

I am brainstorming and wondering what others have come up with. For sake of this discussion, I would not want to transition to smaller Maggie's and the  budget hoovers about $3-4 K max.

Thanks in advance to contributors who can share their successful (or not so) experience. Used older classics, DIY and unconventional designs like full range are definitely options but please explain what is gained or lost compared to the Maggies. Like I mentioned, I am brainstorming but inclined towards tried and proven over latest and greatest.

Please PM me if you prefer.

My best to all. 
derekw_hawaii
13 responses Add your response
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 
Oops, good point @ozzy62. No, no it's not.
tweak1
3,658 posts
 
bdp24

it's KCIIs, not KCH
ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
3,130 posts
 
Is that new magnepan going to fit into the OPs 3-4K budget?

Oz



bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 

Derek, if you're not in a rush, consider waiting for the concept speaker Magnepan is working on, the "Dual Dipole". It consists of a 1' W x 6' H midrange/tweeter panel coupled with a 1' x 3' H triangular OB/Dipole sub. Each sub contains 8-6.5" dynamic woofers, the woofers self-powered and DSP-treated.

The catch is, the Dual Dipole is currently only a prototype design being considered, and may never actually make it into production. Wendell Diller is on tour with the speaker right now, demoing the speaker at Magnepan dealers across the U.S. and Canada.

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 
hth, the Emerald Physics KCH is a great candidate for an OB/Dipole sub. If you're interested, check out the one available from Rythmik and GR Research.
tweak1
3,658 posts
 
I had a love hate relationship with Maggie 3.5Rs. Previously, I owned Accoustat 2 + 2s and am a huge open baffle fan. My room is quite large and I tried various subs with various main speakers. I tried various amps here as well, even biamping the 3.5s tweeter and bass panels, plus the 2 SVS powered 12" subs, but could not get them to blend seamlessly. I also tried active XOs, but the cheap ones kept blowing up and a Marchand XLR was uber expensive.

After considerable research I bought Emerald Physics KCIIs which are open baffle (and considerably smaller ~ 43" tall: 93dB efficient, but can handle big power. I find them similarly open and fast, a touch warmer sounding than the 3.5s.

I gave up trying to use the subs, still, they sound terrific, especially with my EVS 1200 class D amp (600wpc!). They can be a bit overwhelmed with large scale music in MY ROOM, which is 2+xs bigger than yours. EP was running a special at the time, including a BOM (bass management device), but the BOM did not solve the subwoofer integration problem either.
Right now EP is running a factory direct sale with carbon fiber woofers, which should be killer. Price, delivery included, is $1999. That is an amazing bargain


hth
audioconnection
1,271 posts
 
 Preowned Classic Vandersteen Quatros, They will work great in small-medium rooms, 4 inches from the wall,  sounds like panels with precision coherence imaging and stunning dynamics Offer analog in-room tuning to take out any room issues.
 Are also 40 plus years in business with unrivaled support, JohnnyR, Vandersteen, Magnepan, dealer
ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
3,130 posts
 
I would suggest the new Spatial Audio M3 Sapphires as a very valid replacement in that price range.

Oz



derekw_hawaii OP
95 posts
 
Fyi, forgot to say that my present set up mandates the speakers be up against the 11 foot wall. Thanks for the suggestions.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 
True @roberjerman, but do you think the 8b will work in an 11 x 14 room? I guess they could be placed on the short wall, firing down the length. The speaker is 13" wide, and being a dipole (above 180Hz) can be placed fairly close to the side walls. The 14' room length will allow the speakers to be the required 3' minimum from the wall behind them (5' is better), so maybe they will. $2499/pr., plus the cost of the stands Sound Anchor makes for them, about $200 I believe.
roberjerman
4,319 posts
 
The LFT8 is a better choice. Taller - much better image height!
derekw_hawaii OP
95 posts
 
Thanks bdp24. I'll check ET out.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 
A pair of Eminent Technology LFT16A. Each 23lb. 10" x 10" x 22" (height) speaker contains a planar-magnetic midrange driver, a ribbon tweeter, and a 6.5" dynamic woofer. 8 ohms, 85dB efficiency, $1250/pr. 
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