Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo Magnepan MG1.6

I have the Epic 80 package in 5:1 = 2 M80, 1 VP150, 2 QS8, 1 EP500, purchased in early 2006. I think they are all v2.

I have a 16'x14' HT with 7.5' ceilings. Prepro/amp are the Outlaw 990 and 7125.

I'm eagerly awaiting the release of the new 997 preamp so that I can appreciate the new HD codecs. I am also being tempted by the low prices on the Denon 3808 ...

Maybe if I get the Maggies, I can get the 3808 to power the HT set-up and use the Outlaw components in my home office/study with the Maggies in stereo. Hmm, might need to get a new sub, ch-ching, ch-ching. This hobby is fun but goes through the bucks. Time to pimp more Rx!

Many two channel guys have mentioned the Magnepan's are great for two channel setups and work especially well with live recordings, giving a almost being there aspect. I have never heard of people setting these up for home theater use. What do you guys think?

- Nick

Hi all,

Magnepans are planar dipole radiators, so the back wave is out of phase with the front wave (that's why they don't have any bass from the flat planar driver, because the back wave and front waves cancel each other out at low frequencies). Like other dipole and bipole speakers (the old Mirages), depending on the room setup and speaker placement, they can generate a big, diffuse soundstage that can be very flattering, especially in stereo. Imaging tends to not be as precise but it doesn't matter at first---the big wide soundstage is very seductive.

It's a quite different presentation from conventional direct-radiating speakers. Some love it, others find it overly large and unrealistic. I don't think they are suitable at all for home theater because you want precise imaging across the front soundstage. The Magnepans, like other planar speakers, have serious limitations in dynamic abilities at loud listening levels. If the mylar/plastic diaphragm moves too far, various unpleasant-sounding things may occur. Still, it is fun to explore the different presentation of a planar flat panel.

Regards,

Alan

OK, now I'm really looking forward to the audition.

It's set up for Saturday at 2 pm.

Magnepan, the company, has some cojones, it seems: on the web page for their MG 20.1 model, they call it "The Finest Speaker in the World."

At 2", they are close to be the finest!

HA!

My system includes axiom and magnepan products so I feel qualified to comment.

My front speakers are heavily modified MMG speakers. The sub is an EP500. I had MMGW rears but have ordered QS8s to replace these. For a while I had M22s and a VP150 in the system. I preferred the MMGs for music and the M22/VP150 combo for HT. In the end, music won out. I would have kept the VP150, but I couldn't get it to blend well with the maggies. I use a phantom center.

You will probably want to use a subwoofer with the 1.6s for most applications. That said, maggies aren't bass shy. The mmg bass extends to 50Hz. I have the xover set to 60 Hz. 1.6's will go lower.

Maggies require power to sound their best. I went from 120 W to 1000 W (ICE class D) and there was a big improvement in dynamics.

Maggies respond well to modification. These range from the simple (bypassing fuse, more rigid stands) to the complex (complete wooden frames, new crossovers, bi-amping). This can become a hobby in itself.

Maggies have low WAF. They need to be placed away from the wall and are fairly huge.

The optimal setup for me would be a dedicated magnepan stereo room and an axiom home theater. Unfortunately I would need to buy a new house to have that.

That's an interesting perspective. Just quickly looking around and they would seem on first blush to be the ultimate in WAF. I wonder how many people bought them with that in mind and then were disappointed in the sound due to improper WAF friendly placement.

Has anyone compared Mag's against comparable Martin Logans?

Is there a doctor in the house?? Helloooo! It's reviewin time!!