Smod, The 3.7's are the sweet spot in the range in terms of value but if you can find a pair of 20.7's used in good shape for decent money by all means. New 3.7's vs used 20.7's.
Good luck,
Mike
Good luck,
Mike
Which Magnepans for my small room?
I'm thinking of Maggie's because of the huge amount of praise I see for them especially for the money. My room is 12x16x8 feet and I already have two 18 inch PSA subs. Right now running paradigm signature s8 v2.
I ideally want something significantly better. What would be the right Maggie for my space? I'm thinking Max I would go to Mag 20.7 and get it used.
I'll be driving them with dual bryston 4bsst with 4bsst2 motherboards which are class d and rated at close to 1000 watts per channel in bridged mode.
Also any kind of cover you can recommend to protect them from my cats?
I ideally want something significantly better. What would be the right Maggie for my space? I'm thinking Max I would go to Mag 20.7 and get it used.
I'll be driving them with dual bryston 4bsst with 4bsst2 motherboards which are class d and rated at close to 1000 watts per channel in bridged mode.
Also any kind of cover you can recommend to protect them from my cats?
26 responses Add your response
@OP, As far as cat protection goes, I have used this to keep animals away from my gardens: https://www.amazon.com/Patriot-PE10B-Battery-Fence-Energizer/dp/B00GY0YVOQ/ref=sr_1_42?keywords=battery+electric+fence&qid=1568410261&sr=8-42 It only takes one zap to get the message across... Bob |
mijostyn Would the 20.7 or 3.7i be a step up from what I have now ? |
I upgraded from 1.7i's to 3.7i's. My cats gave a little attention the the 1.7's. I now use tall scratching posts on either sides of the speakers and they have not touched them. They use the scratching posts all day long. There is a product called Feliscratch that can be used to direct the cats to the posts. I love the 3.7i's. I have 2 REL S5 SHO's coming next week. |
The max you would go to is the 20.7? That model IS the max Magnepan, except for the new 4-panel 30.7. I don’t recall what size room Elizabeth has her pair of 20.7 in, but 12’ x 16’ may not be big enough for the 3.7, let alone the 20.7. Either would need to be on the short wall, firing down the 16’ room length. Assuming you place each 18"-wide 3.7 panel 1’ from the side walls, that would put the inside edges of the panels only 7’ apart. Being only 1’ from the side walls, the tweeters would need to be on the inside, making the left-to-right tweeter separation about 6’---not much. Have you seen the 20.7 in person? They are HUGE! They would absolutely dominate if not overpower a 12’ x 16’ room, but then so would the 3.7. The 1.7 would look more room size-appropriate, as would the similarly-sized Eminent Technology LFT-8b. |
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Smod, They are very different speakers than you have now. They will not go louder but they will go loud more effortlessly. With your subs they will go loud enough. I do not think anyone can argue about the high frequencies. Many think the Maggie ribbon tweeter is the best made. They will cast a larger image. Like being in row 6 instead of row 20. This alone impresses a lot of people. Some think the image is too big. I am not one of them. Bass is detailed but does not go down that far but you have that covered. They are dipoles and should be off the wall at least 3 feet. Place acoustic foam tiles on the wall directly behind the speaker for the best imaging. Planar magnetics like the Maggies are usually mentioned in the same breath as ESLs. Both have their proponents. They give you the same perspective on the music. I personally think full range ESLs have an advantage. No crossover, much lighter diaphragm and total control of the diaphragm down to the molecular level. They tend to be more expensive and bigger. I would give a look at the SoundLabs 545 which I believe is in your price range. Mike |
This thread caused me to revisit the Magnepan site. For the 1.7s they recommend moving the tweeters to the outside to improve off axis imaging. I believe this is a substantial improvement in my listening room. I knew of this option but failed to experiment previously. These are amazing speakers and smodtactical will be very pleased with whichever model he selects. He also has plenty of power to drive them. I’m not sure he needs to or should bridge his amps however. |
I heard the 1.7i today. It was decent, nice clarity, details and big image but the overall sound was too bright and even sibilant at times. For me bass was lacking. I came away from the demo being a bit underwhelmed. The room was heavily treated and about same size as mine. Preamp was PS audio stellar gain and power amp was s300. I can hear some potential for sure but can't say its better than what I have now. The dealer recommended going no bigger than these in a room my size. Unfortunately they don't have 3.7i or 20.7 for me to hear. |
@smodtactical, if at all possible, try and give a listen to the Eminent Technology LFT-8b. It contains a pair of magnetic-planar drivers (in some ways similar to the 1.7, different in others) for frequencies 180Hz to 10kHz, a ribbon tweeter for 10k up, and an 8" sealed woofer for 180Hz down. You might find it more to your liking that the 1.7i. Pro reviews available on the ET website. |
I just cannot imagine a pair of 20.7 in my room..... After finding a $450 pair of MMGi kicked sand in the face of my old Joseph Audio RM33se " boxes" I have been quite content. With just one ML Dynamo sub I have all the bass I will ever need. And it is so dialed in even staring right at the sub you cannot tell that is where the bass is emanating from. Bright? Sibilant? Not in the slightest. Effortless dynamics and grace. Vocals and acoustic instruments are sublime. Running tweeters out. 4 ft from back wall 4 ft from side walls 10 ft apart slightly toed in The largest sweet spot of any speakers in my room ever. I just cannot imagine how much better going up the range might get but...... As of now zero interest. |
Smod. Just as a fyi, I have an absolutely terrible listening room acoustically being literally 4 walls of glass and a tiled floor and sloping ceiling. I have found most " box" speakers just do not work in here so you have to bear that in mind. But here goes. B&W 803 Wilson witts Focal 1026 Devore Gibbon Joseph Audio RM33se. And a lot more I cannot put names to right now. Out of them all the Gibbons were the best. However the Maggie's are just in another dimension for myself. Now again, this is in my room, with my gear and my ears. Room is approx 18x12 with sloping ceiling from speaker end back to me of about 11ft down to 7.5ft. The layout of room precludes any speakers getting anywhere near the corners which likely hurt all the boxes but is perfect for the Maggie's. Oh btw I like them just a bit....... 😁😁 |
smod, the dealer was just trying to move what he had in the store. The larger Maggies will work fine in your room even the 30.7s. The 3.7i is a much better speaker than the 1.7i. The bass is very sensitive to positioning specifically distance from the rear wall. You can make them have to much bass if you want! Everybody thinks you need big room for Maggies because of their size. This is absolutely not true. A 10 to 15 foot triangle is perfect for them. All planar speakers that do not go floor to ceiling have one problem. They stop being line sources below about 200 Hz. This means as you move back from the listening position the overall balance is going to shift to the high end. So if you are listening in the back of a large room forget about bass without serious equalization. This may also have been the problem at the dealer. 1.7i's are a very intimate speaker like for smallish apartments. According to TAS Maggie was thinking about making the 20.7 floor to ceiling but the marketing guys called it off. If I could not afford the Soundlabs I would go for that in a heart beat. And Uberwaltz, if you can make yourself a 10 foot triangle in your room 20.7s would be absolutely wonderful. Front row, rock and roll!! |
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It’s great just to see so many planar appreciators in one place! Loudspeakers are the most personal of all the links in the music reproduction chain, and from my perspective, I really don’t understand how anyone can spend more than $6k on a pair when the 3.7i is available for that amount. Unless, of course, that someone lacks the space (and/or power amp) to accommodate a pair. But then, like I said, loudspeakers are very personal. It’s like choosing a spouse. |
LOL You guys. @mijostyn Thanks for the advice. I am now interested in the 3.7i and 20.7s for my space. I think I might try to snag a used pair once I sell off my Aria 948s. Something tells me they will sound great in my room. Not to derail the thread though I heard one guy who prefers the Tekton Moabs over the 3.7i so that might be something else to think of. |
Old topic!
And what did you end up with? And are you happy with your choice? I have 3.7i's in a 11.15x17ft wit a sloped ceiling from 7.12 to 10ft and they sound very good allready but I'm going to try and make that 10ft triangle that @mijostyn was talking about. So maybe I won't be playing in the length but in the width of the room.
Best Joost (Netherlands) |