The Official Magnepan Owners Thread - Page 57

Notice the conductivity of the components of solder:
Lead 7
Tin 13

or lead-free solders:
Tin 13
Copper 89.5 - 100
Silver 106
Bismuth ?
Indium ?
Zinc 28.2
Antimony ?

Solder itself is not the best conductor. That's why professionals recommend making a good physical connection between wires or between components and PC boards first, before applying solder.

When I was running the stock connection plates on my MMGs, switched to these posts (Cardas Patented style). Really nice design, to be used with spades, or just plain looped wire.

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/3075/p1000147id0.jpg

Stuck with them when I went to an exterior crossover box and modded series crossover (Jantzen inductor, Obbligato and Mundorf caps, and Duelund resistors)

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/9259/p1010411d.jpg

Right now using 16 gauge magnet wire as speaker cable, but have some Alfa Core Goertz on order to try.

when I added the PG XOs and wiring to my 1.6QRs I used mil spec crimps and silver soldered them,, if they could transmit sound any better I have yet to hear,,


Derry

I just used solder with mine (Cardas), but from what I understand, you did it right. One should crimp and then solder, not the other way around.

Very positive comments. This isn't in a place to which I can link, but a few quotes follow.

Re integration of speaker elements
"With the 3.7 continousness is so flawless that the speaker sounds as if there are no crossover points."

Re detail and accuracy using Mercury CD of The Composer and His Orchestra
"When the different ensembles (strings, reeds, brass, and percussion) played, individual instrumental details and overtones, formerly lost in a tangle of conflicting sounds in the louder passages, became, so to speak, separated and untangled, clarified, not hyped up.
...
the percussion section gets a muscle-building workout and each of the instruments used here (consider the tambourine and its 'pop,' for example, or the 'shimmer' of the cymbal) comes strikingly alive".

There's also a humorous comment from Wendell Diller in the Manufacturer Comments:
"Harry, you are obviously a very talented and experienced reviewer (especially when you like what we have done). Joking aside ..."

excellent. sounds like a nice review. i'm gonna go listen to the 1.7s again today

My dealer has received their 3.7. Unfortunately I won't be able to make it in for a listen for at least a week. However, they did tell me that aluminum is also available in a black satin finish.

The 3.7 manual is now on the website. Less spec detail than in previous models, but what's there is essentially the same as the 3.6. No mention of biwiring/bi-amping so appaarently they did drop that option, a shame but not critical to me at the moment. I liked my old IIIa's bi-amped, but they sound good to me now driven by a single amp.

Any news on when 3.7,s are shipping? I have a pair on order and my dealer has been quiet. I should be low in the order queue.

In another thread on the subwoofer forum I got some advice from quite a few people that I need to get a receiver and amp for my MMG's. Currrently I have a panny xr-57. It never gets very warm at all, but when I listen to music at around 85-90db it does sound loud. I don't hear any distortion or anything, it just sounds too loud if I approach 90db. Is this a sign of a lack of power?

In other threads I've seen multiple people using these digital panny's to drive their maggies and say they have no problem, but maybe their room is smaller or something. My room is 22 x 17.5 x 8 (almost).

Here's a picture, what do you guys think? By the way, I ended up ordering a Captivator to replace my SVS.

I believe an earlier post in this thread said the first batch should ship in March, with more general availability around May. My dealer won't even be ordering until they have sold their last 3.6's...

. . .

Wondering if I could get some feedback: I know most of you reading this are partial toward Maggies, but I hope you can might have some insight.

I'm thinking of replacing some large-footprint front stereo speakers (a combination pair of JBL 630Ts and a pair of Polk bookshelfs).

The other speakers are Athena AS-R1 surrounds and AS-C1 center, and a Velodyne 10" active sub. I also have a M&K V75 active sub that I could pull out of a closet and put to use. These are driven by a Yamaha R-V1105 receiver, which gets its input from an Oppo BDP-93.

I'm looking to replace the front R & L speakers with either the Magnepan MC1s ($850 pair + tax), or the Mirage OMD-15 ($1,000 pair), or the Infinity C336 ($1,000 pair) or Cabasse Kis, and I'm having a very difficult time parsing the reviews (and without hearing them in my living room) to determine which is a better choice.

The only reason for replacing them is the amount of space they take up. I have no complaints about the sound, but that may be because I've never had Snell, Magnepan, or Bang & Olufsen Beo speakers in my living room! And I certainly don't want to replace them with anything worse.

I gather that the MC1s have a very realistic sound, as `though the instrument[s] was in the room. But, I also hear similar comments about the realism from the Mirages. I have read that the MC1s lack in mid and high bass, and I'm not sure that turning up the xover frequency on the 10" Velodyne will end up muddying the bass and still failing to adequately supplement the Maggies.

Does anyone have any ideas, suggestions, or opinions?

You're probably ok for now, especially if you are rolling off the lows of the MMGs to go to the sub. One can always spent more $$ for better equipment, for better sound, it's up to you how far you want to go.

For a while I was using Sound Anchor stands, my wife said the maggies looked like "robots" :^) Sure made it easier to move them around.

@esoxlucios: The Maggies would sound great assuming you have a good place to set them up (wall or use stands as I and others have done). It is a very different sound and you would be best served listening to some, or some type of planar speaker, to see if you like them. They have cleaner sound than most conventional speakers, may not play as loudly as others (but are plenty lound enough for me), and provide a very different soundfield.

The MC1's are rated to 80 Hz so are lacking in deep bass, but not much more than the other speakers. You'll be amazed by how clean they sound above that.

Of the remaining speakers, I like the Mirage, have not heard that particular Infinity but others and would rank it second, and am a little nervous about the small drivers in the Cabasse's but have never heard them.

HTH - Don

Thanks, Don!

Just to clarify, you'd still pick the smallish MC1s over the Mirage (i.e., not comparing the larger Maggies)?

Sean

That comes down to your tastes so I couldn't say. I have MC-1's but as rears and surrounds; I prefer the larger Magnepans for mains. I really think you need to listen to them if at all possible. The Mirages will be much more similar to what you are used to hearing from speakers while the Maggies are likely to be a whole new experience.

You asked what I would do: I would save up for a pair of 1.7's, or look for a used pair of 1.6's. But, I have a lot of experience with Magnepan and prefer their sound. The only Mirages I have spent much time with are the older larger towers, and a Mirage setup I used for a couple of years but is now in storage (pair of OMD-5's, four Nanosats, center, and 10" sub -- they aren't bad but my Maggies plus Rythmik system blows them away, albeit at a much higher price point).

my dealer told me to expect that the first shipments will begin in march, going to dealers, tests, evaluators, etc. someone here has mentioned that his dealer just got some, i believe for demo. i also have a pair on order. i sent an email to my guy, asking for an update on their status. i'll let ya know what he says

One of my 1.7's just went out last night. What's weird is the midrange and tweeter went out but I can still hear sound from it from the upper half opposite the tweeter. It sounds like a really ****** internal computer speaker from like a cellphone or something.

My dealer doesn't open until Tues. Anyone had any experience with warranty from Magnepan? I bought the set new in November.

Thanks, again, Don. And I hope others will chime in here, too.

When I'm in my car, I listen to my music way too loud; when I'm at home, I rarely do so. We live in a townhome, so I can't crank it too much. I rarely turn my Yamaha R-V1105 beyond 25 or 30% (although I realize this also has to do with the loudness and impedance of the speakers, and the room size), and it's already seems quite loud enough. Also, our living room is open --i.e., it is combined with the dining room for a total of about 14 X 19½ feet, and only three walls (it opens up into the hallway and kitchen), and has wood floors.

The type of music I listen to is Rush, blues, and jazz. No metal. Bass is necessary for those Moog pedals and Neil's kick-drum, and mid and upper bass is essential for Geddy's bass guitar.

Also, the claims I've heard from others regarding both the Maggies and the Mirages that piano sounds like there's one right there in the room is really enticing. I remember that experience in 1986 when I walked into a hi-fi store on a Saturday and heard someone playing a grand piano. I walked all the way to the back of the showroom only to discover that it was a pair of Bang & Olufsen Penta speakers. I was 16 at the time, and believed that when I got older and had "arrived," I would have something like that.

Now, I'm 40, but I'm in law school and have three kids, ages 2½ through 15, so I'm limited on how much I can spend on hobbies. Hence, I can't spend the $$ on the bigger Maggies, and they'd be a little too obtrusive in size.

So, based solely on online research, I've eliminated the Infinity and Cabesse, and am down to the Mirage OMD-15s and the MC1s. Problem is, I will never be able to demo the Mirages (unless there's a "Magnolia" facility here in town -- I haven't looked). But there is a Magnepan dealer and, further, the Magnepan hdqts is just ten miles from my house. Assuming, arguendo, I could demo both speakers, it would be at two different locations, probably on different days, and I would have no control over the room acoustics or source material. Indeed, it looks like I would have to go through the hassle of buying both ($1,000 each pair), and returning the loser.

One concern I have is whether I can properly integrate the MC1s with the subwoofer I have (a Velodyne VA-1210, which uses a front-facing 12" active woofer, and down-facing 12" passive radiator), to perform double duty (i.e., providing coverage up to 120Hz to compensate for the MC1s, whilst continuing to provide the 20-80HZ coverage). I've read through some of the many discussions in this and other forums about which subs to use with Maggies. As noted above, it's not in my budget at this time to go purchase additional stereo subs. Another reason for avoiding the purchase of two more subs is because I'm getting rid of larger speakers to make room, not to be replaced with even more speakers.

Another concern I have is whether the MC1s can properly integrate with my Athena AS-C1 center speaker, a traditional cone transducer. I've read elsewhere in this owners' thread about difficulties integrating Maggies with cone-transducer centers.

Magnepan is great for standing behind their warranty. How ever if you read page 3 of your owners manual it states that " BURNED OUT TWEETERS ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY " It's probably in your crossover which is covered but if you are one of those that bypassed the 4 amp tweeter fuse thinking there is some audible benefit then your warranty is no good. They know if that tweeter/midrange foil is melted, it's because of an improper fuse or a bypass.

I have not listened to the OMD-15's recently enough to comment. My experience says the Maggies will be cleaner while the Mirage's will go deeper. For the musical genre listed I think the Maggies are a great match. If it was all HT and rock, eh, but for jazz and blues you'll love them (IMO).

I would use your existing sub(s) and see how you like them; it's important to note that differences tend to get blown out of proportion in reviews and such. The difference between a good sub and a great sub can be significant, but I don't think it's huge. OTOH, I am not giving up my Rythmiks any time soon... To me, it's one of those thing you probably won't notice until you upgrade, so I wouldn't worry about that.

The MC-1's roll off at 80 Hz, so that's likely where you'll put the sub's crossover, not all the way up to 120 Hz. I would find that too high, personally, but YMMV.

Another consideration is upgradability. In the future, you could move up the Magnepan line and use you MC-1's as surrounds. Ditto getting a better sub.

The center issue is one I have dealt with, moving from a much better spec'd Infinity to a CC3. I found I really like having the Maggie center, but again you probably won't notice until you upgrade. Until then, enjoy what you have!

You should visit the Maggie dealer if you can. Be prepared to walk out with them...

I certainly will visit --this week-- and I'll tell them Don sent me!

Regarding the x-over point, another MC1 owner wrote:

http://www.hometheatershack.com/foru...-needed-2.html

And on other page of this thread, an owner wrote:

He too recommends Rythmiks, noting they can cross over high enough.

And another quoted Sound and Vision's review:


Pretend I had a bigger budget, but wanted to avoid the bigger Maggies: Would I need one or two Rythmiks for high bass (100 - 150HZ), and use my preexisting Velodyne VA-1210 or M&K V75 for <100Hz? Do the Rythmiks have both a high and low-pass filter (bandpass), so that I can prevent them from attempting those rumbling lows?

How 'bout this for a silly idea: Say I bought two "Theater Solutions" sub8s (here) for $100 ea. (see eBay auction here), then sealed off the port (making them acoustic-suspension only), and --assuming the 8" drivers are crap-- replaced them with something decent --perhaps Dayton Audio-- from parts-express.com, and hid them out of the way away as "stereo subs" for use with the MC1s? Their spec sheet claims 35 to 150Hz, yet they have a built-in variable low pass filter that only goes up to 140HZ (at least according to the face of the dial). For another $26, I could install a pair of 100HZ high-pass RCA inline filters, thereby theoretically limiting the cheap subs to 100-140Hz. That leaves only the quality of the amplifier and box construction in question. As to both, not much is being asked of either an amp or a MDF box to reproduce 100 - 150HZ.

Edit: the White Van Junk subs mentioned above were reviewed by AVSforum member here: http://forum.blu-ray.com/subwoofers/...rs-thread.html

Altogether, the expense of limited, stereo subs would be <$300.

Can you describe the circumstances? How loud was that bass... we won't tell

Tell us about the amp/receiver used.

Couple of scenarios - the fuse blew and you weren't aware - the speakers were overdriven either by low watt amp or too powerful amp playing loud low frequencies hence melting the tweet - crossovers tend to be reliable overall.

I'll have to measure the response of my MC-1's (never measured them alone) but my gut says they are well below 180 Hz in my room. The MCACC curves don't look that bad (high). Note that, like most planars, their FR will drop a little as they break in. As for whether it's closer to 120 than 80, I could not say. In my system they are surrounds and rears so I haven't listened to them as mains. What you get is heavily dependent upon placement, both proximity to walls and listening position, and room size.

I think one Rythmik will be all the sub you need. I would not buy cheap subs, or cheap anything -- every time in my life I have done that I have spent more later to get the good stuff I should have gotten the first time around. But, I would start with the Velodyne and see how you like it before spending more, whether you get the Maggies or something else. I will say I lived with a pair of old MG-I's for several years, added a sub along the way (a home-built servo back when servos were rare), and then upgraded to MG-IIIa's when I finished grad school. I knew I was missing an octave-plus of bass but the mid-bass on up was so gorgeous I just didn't care. At that time my music was a mixture of jazz, country, classical, and progressive rock (e.g., ELP).

I have visited Magnepan, ages ago, and the nearby ARC facilities (I used to live in Duluth). It was quite an experience. Really, you should take some CDs you know and love and check them out at the local dealer; that's the best way to know if you'll like them.

Check the fuse.

Magnepan's service is great but won't cover blown tweeters. They are not expensive to replace, however.

Fuse is fine and was not bypassed at all. Music was not overly loud when I noticed the problem. Not sure when it occurred exactly (if it was before the listening session when I noticed it).

My 1.7's are being driven by a XPA-3. Haven't had a problem until now.

Not looking forward to shipping this thing anywhere

You might be wise to ship both – while one tweet may have melted the other may have rippled under stress – I’d call Magnepan today – Karen will instruct on procedure and will ship the MG 1.7 carton if needed.