Anyone Try Magnepans?

[Hypnotoad]

Anyone ever tried Magnepan's?

Sure they take loads of power and need a big room with the proper placement to shine but when they do they take some beating.

They are a real hit here in the U.S.

There's a saying over here:

Once you go Maggies, you will never go back!

Magnepan has been manufacturing innovative, world class stereo speakers for years since Jim Winey, the inventor of the Magneplanar loudspeakers, first owned electrostatic loudspeakers and began the process of experimenting to design an improved electrostat. In 1969, Jim invented the Magneplanar, a thin-film magnetic equivalent to the electrostat and started the company Magnepan, a speaker based company currently manufacturing home theater system speakers.

http://www.magnepan.com/model_MG_201

[hifi_dave]

Yes, as a dealer back in the 80's and early 90's.

We liked them and sold a few pairs but they were a hard sell as were Apogess and other large panels. Problem is, British rooms. Our demo rooms were always quite large but the average British sitting room is too small sonically and visually for panels. Waaaay too large was the usual comment.

Shame but there ya go....:doh:

[jandl100]

Maggies? Nope - I'm not a fan.

I like panels, but the Maggies I have heard (smga, 1.6QS & 3.6, I think) were distinctly lacking in rez and hi-freq 'sparkle' and quite noticeably coloured in the mids as well. That large expanse of bass driver panel resonates a bit like a drum when thwacked hard with a transient .... that's what it sounds like to me, anyway :scratch:

Once heard, never forgotten. A very distinctive sound with very good scale and presence and large if somewhat unfocussed & billowy soundstaging. Not for me, I'm afraid. Maybe the higher up or more recent models do it better?

[Ali Tait]

Probably a classic case of "sounds much better in a BIG room"

[Hypnotoad]

I never thought of that, my listening room is 4.6m X 6.6m and is not considered large over here.

I kinda thought it was too small for Maggies I was going to buy a pair but they need at least 200w per channel to do there best as well.

[DSJR]

The Maggies I've heard sound tremendous given loads and loads of good quality watts - acheivable with Cambridge Audio at least IMO...

The baby MMG looks to be amazing value, especially for US buyers...

http://www.magnepan.com/model_MMG

[hifi_dave]

I don't think it's the number of watts, it's the quality of watts. We sometimes used them (back in the day) with the likes of Croft OTL (20 wpc) with good effect...:)

[DSJR]

And then you demo'd me MG1C's with ML amps, one double the power (and price) of the other and the difference wasn't small...:ner:

Mind you, my OTL drove ATC 20's surpringly well and didn't blow up either - that came later..................:(

[hifi_dave]

How do you remember all this ? I have trouble remembering what I had for brekkie....:scratch:

Oh yeah - porridge.

[DSJR]

Course I do guv, I very fondly remember all the visits to your various dem rooms over the years and a lot of the more significant stuff you sold at the time..

All this now is all your fault !!!!!!!!! Sincere thanks ;) :) :cool:

[hifinutt]

am i right in thinking they cost a shed load more here than in the usa making them rather poor value here ?