I have been using Maggie panels for the past 7 years, first with a pair of 1.6 in my small 11' X 17' room. I liked them so much that I moved up to the bigger 3.7, but that was a mistake because my room just couldn't cope with the extra energy, not just in the bass region but all round. I struggled with them for 2 years and finally gave up & moved down to 1.7i with 1 DWM. They were driven by Berning Quadrature Z mono blocks (1.7i) and Plinius SA Reference (DWM). The sound was wonderful but I got itchy and got myself a pair of expensive Raidho D 1.1 bookshelves last month. To my dismay the super costly D 1.1 does not outperform my humble 1.7i across the board. Sure the bass punch is more pronounced but that's about it. Just shows how excellent value Maggie represents.
What are some of the downsides of owning a Magneplanar .7 or 1.7i ?
Thinking of moving up speaker wise, and so am considering the fabled Magneplanar speakers, that is, either the the .7, or supposedly new 1.7i. (BTW, I am not sure the Maggie .7 is necessarily an upgrade, and has less bass than my current box speakers...see below)
Besides "Maggies" having outdated speaker terminals that might be a struggle with banana plugs,, and they are generally power hungry, I am curious if anyone can honestly tell me of any other downsides of this design. For the last 30 years, I have owned several traditional box design speakers.
I currently have a pair of Golden Ear Technology model 7's....which I like and generally sound good However, I would like to confirm what a planar design brings to the table in sound quality. I have read many times about the box-less sound provided by this design, and its wide sound staging and low distortion.
I think I have enough power with BAT VK-200 amp (100RMS) to drive the .7, but not sure that is enough to drive the MG1.7i. to higher volumes The pre-amp is a Conrad Johnson PV-14SE.
The listening room area 12 X15ft, but opens into kitchen/dining area divided by a medium size couch. The rest of the space is approximately 12X18ft behind the sofa with a stupid counter island ( so I cannot move the sofa back any further.. The ceiling is 8 to 9 ft feet high ( not a cathedral ceiling, praise the Lord) . It is a bit of haul to the dealer I bought the Golden Ear T's from who also carries Magneplanar line. All advice welcomed. Thanks, SJ
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- 108 posts total
- 108 posts total