MMG Purchase?

[lewburgh]

I am strongly considering buying a pair of MMGs for my new house. I have a great room upstairs (well I am hoping it is a great room) that is 36 x 16 where I am thinking of setting them up. The home is a cape cod style and the room is in the upstairs. The ceiling is the roof in this room and is about 10-12 feet in the middle where the roof comes to a point. The room is finished and the floor is carpeted and there is dry wall up throughout. Will this room be a challenge acoustically?

I am thinking of pairing the MMGs with an Onkyo TX-8522, Marantz CD 5001, and my Velodyne DSP 12. The Onkyo is rated at 135 watts per channel at 4ohms so I am hoping that this will be enough power for the maggies. I am keeping my existing system for home theater purposes only and want to use the maggies for two channel audio music only. I love jazz and am hoping these speakers will bring my better recordings to life. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Harman Kardon AVR525
Marantz CD 5001
Samsung DVD HD-850
Toshiba 51H84 HDTV
XBOX 360

Acoustech HT-75 fronts
Acoustech HT-65 center
Athena AS-R1 rears
Velodyne DPS-12

Canare 4S11 and Belden 5000 series speaker cables
Audioquest Copperhead interconnects
ATS Acoustic Sound Panels

[Carl Reid]

Sounds like you have a large enough room for planars (though I'll let the experts answer your question about whether the room will be acoustically challenging)...

Have you listened to planars before though? I'm a big fan of listening to products before you buy.... since you might find that you don't really fancy the planar sound.... But the good thing about the MMGs is that you get an in-home trial... though you will want to keep in mind that you will still have to pay shipping to and back if you don't like them....

[lewburgh]

No I have not heard them before. I found a dealer close and am planning on auditioning them there. From what I have read thus far for jazz, classical, piano, and any wood instruments including any acoustic music these have a great sound.

[blackraven]

Your velodyne sub will not sound very good with the MMG's. The bass will lag behind and muddy the music. You really need a non ported sub with an 8-10" driver to keep up with the Maggies. And trust me, the MMG's need a sub. The Martin logan Dynamo fits the bill for a relatively inexpensive sub. If you use the 12" velodyne, turn the output level of the sub way down and set the crossover to 50hz, no higher than the bottom end of the MMG's for best sound IMHO and experience with these speakers.

If you can swing it, get the MG12's which can get by without a sub and will be a better fit for your size room.

The 135wpc from that Onkyo will be more than adequate. I used a high current JVC receiver rated at 120wpc without any problems with my MMG's.

[Mike Anderson]

If you decide you like the MMGs after auditioning them, let me save you some time and money:

Just buy the 1.6QRs.

For the money, these are the finest planars on the market. Magnepan only makes the MMGs easy to buy so that you'll get hooked on them like crack, and eventually trade up to a higher level.

I went from MMGs to 1.6QRs, then to 3.6Rs. The 3.6Rs are better, but I think the 1.6QRs are where the best value for the money is (especially since you need top notch amplification to make the 3.6Rs sound their best.)

[Florian]

I personally recommend that you try some Acoustat 1+1 or 2+2's, Maggie 1.6 OR if your budget is higher there are fully waranteed Apogee Caliper Signatures with upgraded crossovers and new ribbons for sale in the US for 5.5k. In terms of dynamics, resolution there is no Maggie that will contest IMHO but these will need seriously top notch stuff.

And if money is too big of an object then maybe a used MG12?

Cheers

[Feanor]

I am strongly considering buying a pair of MMGs for my new house. I have a great room upstairs (well I am hoping it is a great room) that is 36 x 16 where I am thinking of setting them up. The home is a cape cod style and the room is in the upstairs. The ceiling is the roof in this room and is about 10-12 feet in the middle where the roof comes to a point. The room is finished and the floor is carpeted and there is dry wall up throughout. Will this room be a challenge acoustically?
...


I think your rooms is too large for the MMGs; if you can swing it, go for the MG 1.6QR's, around $2K new, which are the biggest bargain in hi-fi today -- yes! a bigger bargain than the MMGs themselves. For classical, jazz, and other accoustic music your will be well pleased with Magnepan planars, so skip the MMGs if you can.

If you must go for the MMGs, you will need a subwoofer for sure in such a large room. N.B. what will work best by far with MMGs is to used some sort of active crossover with high-pass as well as low-pass, both set at 80 Hz. Perhaps your sub or receiver has a high-pass: if so, use it to keep the low frequencies out of the MMG and let the sub carry them instead.

[E-Stat]

The room is finished and the floor is carpeted and there is dry wall up throughout. Will this room be a challenge acoustically?
Well, all rooms are a challenge to a degree. Large spacious rooms with non-parallel walls serve bipolar speakers well generally speaking. Count on leaving at least three or four feet from the speaker to back wall. More would likely be better.

Power should be ok so long as you aren't part of the 100 db crowd. I'm certainly not. I'm with others in suggesting that if you like the Maggie sound, you may end up with 1.6s in short order.

rw

[GMichael]

I think that you have started down a path that there is no turning back from. Enjoy the journey.

[lewburgh]

Thanks for all the great info everybody!

I am weighing my options and thinking of maybe waiting a bit longer and saving some more cash for the MG12s or 1.6s. I am feeling that maybe the room maybe to large for the MMGs and I would like to avoid buying a new sub if possible. I'm not really a bass guy so I think I might be able to get by without a sub with the MG12s or 1.6s. I'll be sure to let you all know when I make my decision.

Any suggestions for speakers cables for the maggies?

[Florian]

Yep, DIY ribbon speaker cables :-)

[lewburgh]

I found a guy on Ebay selling a pair of Magnepan MG 1.4s
What do you guys think of these?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=015&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=250098610074&rd=1&rd=1

[Feanor]

Thanks for all the great info everybody!

I am weighing my options and thinking of maybe waiting a bit longer and saving some more cash for the MG12s or 1.6s. I am feeling that maybe the room maybe to large for the MMGs and I would like to avoid buying a new sub if possible. I'm not really a bass guy so I think I might be able to get by without a sub with the MG12s or 1.6s. I'll be sure to let you all know when I make my decision.

Any suggestions for speakers cables for the maggies?

The MG 1.6QR's are much more viable without a sub than the MMGs. Furthermore I advise that you ought to try them with your existing sub. For example, I use my 1.6's with a PSB Subsonic 5; I run the 1.6's full range and the PSB with a 50 Hz low-pass. The integration is remarkably good. In my case the sub is only providing the bottom octave.

[markw]

I may be repeating what others said and that's not to be taken as a slight to them.

If you've never experienced them before, then MMG's are a fine way to see if you like 'em or not. They are not everyone's cup of tea.

The MMG's are too small to fill that room with satisfying levels. But, they are excellent to see ifthe planar sound ids for you. Try 'the MMG.s and, if you like the planar sound and can live with their unique needs, trade 'em in for at least the 1.6's. If not, get your money back.

Maggies need room. A few feet away from all walls is recommended and it takes a few days of fiddling to find their sweet spot.

And, while you can get sound with a little power, the more the merrier, particularly when talking 1.6's and up. For MMG's, the receiver will most likely suffice, but for larger maggies, I'd suggest a hefty power amp.

Their bass is different from monkey coffins. You may think them lacking and a sub may be in order. I use the same method Feanor does with a Velo VA-1210

But, if you can live with' em, your tastes in music will be well represented, IMNSHO.

[lewburgh]

Thanks again everyone for your insight!

Would I be able to use my Velodyne DSP12 sub with the MMGs if I were to try them out for the trial period? I know that it may likely lag behind some with the music, but I plan on setting the low pass filter at 50HZ. I am currently using the sub for my HT set up and am using LFE. Do they make a switcher so that I can use the sub for my HT and two channel audio set up? Or should I run speaker cables throught the left and right channels of the sub from the Onkyo then out to the maggies. Can I use the LFE and sub cable for HT and at the same time run speaker cable for the left and right channels through the sub to the MMGs?

HT
Harman Kardon AVR525
Samsung DVD HD-850
Toshiba 51H84 HDTV
XBOX 360

Acoustech HT-75 fronts
Acoustech HT-65 center
Athena AS-R1 rears
Velodyne DPS-12

Music
Onkyo TX-8522
Marantz CD 5001
MMGs, MG-12s?

Canare 4S11 and Belden 5000 series speaker cables
Audioquest Copperhead interconnects
ATS Acoustic Sound Panels

[Carl Reid]

Thanks again everyone for your insight!

Would I be able to use my Velodyne DSP12 sub with the MMGs if I were to try them out for the trial period? I know that it may likely lag behind some with the music, but I plan on setting the low pass filter at 50HZ. I am currently using the sub for my HT set up and am using LFE. Do they make a switcher so that I can use the sub for my HT and two channel audio set up? Or should I run speaker cables throught the left and right channels of the sub from the Onkyo then out to the maggies. Can I use the LFE and sub cable for HT and at the same time run speaker cable for the left and right channels through the sub to the MMGs?

HT
Harman Kardon AVR525
Samsung DVD HD-850
Toshiba 51H84 HDTV
XBOX 360

Acoustech HT-75 fronts
Acoustech HT-65 center
Athena AS-R1 rears
Velodyne DPS-12

Music
Onkyo TX-8522
Marantz CD 5001
MMGs, MG-12s?

Canare 4S11 and Belden 5000 series speaker cables
Audioquest Copperhead interconnects
ATS Acoustic Sound Panels

First off let me give this little disclaimer: I am Not a Planar Guy....

But I did audition the MG-12s recently... and though they were not the right choice for my taste in music for various reasons.... Lack of bass response was not one the reasons.

I found the Bass from the MG12s to be clean and fast (better than bookshelves but not quite as deep as floorstanders, well large floorstanders anyway)... The bass would probably be satisfactory for most people who aren't obssessed with Bass...

So my point is that you may not even need a sub with the the MG12s..... No idea about the MMGs though...

[Florian]

Buy the subwoofer, cut the maggie off at 70Hz and watch its dynamic power grow. The Velodyne is better in the bass then Maggies, cleaner and will play much much lower. Its not about speed, its about the room interaction and distortion levels of the subwoofer which counts for integration. The Velodyne and a 1.6 that is cut off below 60Hz or so can be a giant killer.

[lewburgh]

Thanks Florian!
I own the Velodyne DSP12 if that is the Velodyne you are talking about. Keep watching Ebay for MG12s or MG1.6. Found the MMGs for 200. Tempting for that price but am hoping I will come across MG12s or MG1.6 somewhere. The Onkyo TX-8522 and Marantz CD5001 will integrate nicely with the maggies? Anything else I should be aware of or think about purchasing to make the maggies sing? Stands maybe?

[markw]

The Velodyne and a 1.6 that is cut off below 60Hz or so can be a giant killer.That's exactly what I used when I had the sub on the stereo. Lately it's been transferred to full time HT use, and I rarely miss it with the 1.6's. Funny how that happens...

But remember, I feed the 1.6's a LOT more power than a receiver can deliver. Maggie like watts.

[lewburgh]

Would I be able to use the sub for both applications the maggies and my home theater? Right now I am using the Velodyne LFE and HarmanK low pass filter for HT. If I were to purchase the $200 MMGs for a trial period that I found how would you suggest I incorporate the sub with the Onkyo TX-8522?

[markw]

Would I be able to use the sub for both applications the maggies and my home theater? Right now I am using the Velodyne LFE and HarmanK low pass filter for HT. If I were to purchase the $200 MMGs for a trial period that I found how would you suggest I incorporate the sub with the Onkyo TX-8522?I must assume that's a used price from a private seller. If you have a deal with him that you can return them, that's great, but when I bought my maggies from the company 1999, the price was $550, all of which went towards my 1.6's when I upgraded within the time preiod. Of course, you could simply return them and get all your $$ back.

And, I can't think of a convenient way to share that sub with two different systems.

[lewburgh]

Yeah they are selling on Ebay and are now at 260. I'm keeping an eye on them and there is about a day left. Might end up selling for over 400 or so. If that's the case I will go directly through Magnepan so I can trade up.

[blackraven]

Go with the MG-12's or 1.6's if you can. There is a world of difference between those and the MMG's. You wont need a sub with either of those 2. If you go with the MMG's, play around with the crossover settings on your sub. I found for my room which is 17x16 with 9' ceilings that they sounded best with the crossover set at 50Hz but that goes back to individual taste.
With the Q1.6's, I never use my sub except for HT use.

[lewburgh]

Well I finally got a hold of my first ribbon speakers. Was hoping to find a pair of MG 12s cheap but settled for a pair of MG 10 QRs which I am hoping will be compreable. I couldn't pass them up. I got them on Ebay for $385. The speakers were manufactured from 1992 on and were later replaced by the MG 12s I believe? Anyone famaliar with this particular speaker? Really fired up to pair this with my Onkyo TX-8522 and Marantz CD 5001 for two channel audio. I'm guessing I will probably need a sub but was told that with the MG 12s I could get by without one. Was wondering about the MG 10 QRs. I was told they don't produce bass below 80 htz but am not sure if that is true.

[jamesbos]

Hi, I use home made full range planar speakers in my living room, my sun room and in my music room outside in my garage, I have a pair of 4' x 2' x 2.5" planars made with ferrite magnets I am also testing one speaker, the same size but using neodinium magnets, just to check the difference in sensitivity. In my sunroom I did have a pair of 7' x 2' x 2.5" full range planars using ferrites with no crossovers. Then I built a pair of full range ones using neo's size 21.75" x 24" x 2.5" which were 3db louder than the 7' ones. I have 3 pairs of full range planars also without crossovers, 2 with ferrites size 4' x 3' 1 sized roughly 19" x 24" 2.5" in a trapezoid shape using neos instead of the ferrites. 1 pair of the larger ferrite ones have been running for twenty years now, without any problems. 1 of the speakers in the living room were struck by lightening which burnt the aluminium foil in a couple of places and it blew a fuse and a ef86 valve in my diy p/p valve amp. I rebuilt the membrane for about £2 a bit cheaper than a maggy or a apogee membrane. I can recomend these diy full planars using either of the magnet types. Regards Anthony.All my diy full range speakers do not require subwoofers and all go down to about 30hz.

[houston]

Jamesbos

Do you still make planar speakers? Do you have plans that you can share or is this just a hobby?
I’m very interested in making planar speakers. Any info would truly be appreciated.

Thanks

[GMichael]

Hi Houston,

Welcome to AR.
The post you are replying to is over a year old from someone who only made 2 posts in total. My guess is that you won't see a reply here. You could try to email him. He may get that request.
Good luck with the planner building. Sounds like a great project. If you start a new thread here you may get a few replies.

Mike

[hifitommy]

was when you got the maggies. i will bet youre happy as a pig. as you now probably know, the sub doesnt lag so far as to be distracting. i saw you were looking mostly on ebay but agon is another great place to watch for used stuff.

i have MMGs in a fairly large room with a hsu sub and am quite happy. enjoy!

[jamesbos]

Houston if you go to this site you will see all my work up to now.
jamesbos.imgur.com/all/
all the best Henry.