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Why don't they Include proper stands for optimal performance?

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Posted on October 21, 2016 at 18:52:42
Audiolover718
Audiophile

Posts: 222
Joined: February 27, 2011
 After owning mye stands for about almost a decade, I've come to realize that they are an indispensable part in attaining optimial sound from my 1.6. It seems that keeping the panels perfectly lateraly straight , not talking about tilt, (but I'm sure it must be just as Important) is criticaly important, but magnepan doesn't give any proper feet to achieve this very important task. You would think they would. Just saying. Love my mye stands! Even one degree off can destroy imaging IMHO.

 

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RE: Why don't they Include proper stands for optimal performance? , posted on October 22, 2016 at 05:12:58
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 Back when I had MMG's I also found that lateral positioning improved imaging. However, there's a tradeoff here, in that the short speakers (MMG's and 1.x) freq response can go off if you don't tilt them back so the listener is on axis.

Also, while metal stands improve the sound, they add weight and cost and reduce wife acceptance factor, so I think it makes more sense for them to let the customer add them if he wants.

 

RE: Why don't they Include proper stands for optimal performance? , posted on October 22, 2016 at 05:58:03
Green Lantern
Audiophile

Posts: 16952
Location: San Diego, Ca
Joined: November 12, 2002
Contributor
  Since: June 17, 2003
 The stock stands on the MG1.6 and higher models keeps them straight. The struts seen here I added after the fact.

*sorry for the poor quality pic, taken from a low end digital camera long before cell phones offered them!












 

RE: Why don't they Include proper stands for optimal performance? , posted on October 22, 2016 at 06:51:08
Audiolover718
Audiophile

Posts: 222
Joined: February 27, 2011
 For sure on the MMG'S. I actually have my 1.6 tilted down due to my listening position. Whatever mechanism used, keeping them perfectly laterally parallel to each other, regardless of front or rear tilt is crucial. I just "tuned up" my sound as my floor has settled over the years and found that one Maggie had shifted to the right about 1 degree, and the other left about one degree, and once corrected they simply imaged better and soundstaging became much more coherent. It's hugely important to keep the sides squared up vs. Trapezoidal or parallegram. I would not be able to have done this with the stock feet, and wouldn't have anywhere near the magical sound. Unless your floor is absolutely perfect, which many of us don't have, the stock feet will almost surely keep the speakers from delivering.




 

RE: Why don't they Include proper stands for optimal performance? , posted on October 22, 2016 at 08:02:50
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 I know what you mean -- my floor is absolutely awful, that side of the house is sinking because there's a rotten beam in the frame. Check out the right hand woofer panels, they're actually leaning against the mantle:





For now, I got some stuff to shim the feet with and once I know where the speakers are going to live I'll do something more permanent, and brace the woofers as well.

 

RE: Why don't they Include proper stands for optimal performance? , posted on October 22, 2016 at 08:51:42
Audiolover718
Audiophile

Posts: 222
Joined: February 27, 2011
 Exactly josh! 1-2

 

RE: Why don't they Include proper stands for optimal performance? , posted on October 22, 2016 at 11:21:06
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 I bought a laser measure for doing that and now I can't find it! How the hell can you lose a laser measure?

 

RE: Why don't they Include proper stands for optimal performance? , posted on October 22, 2016 at 22:23:05
Satie
Audiophile

Posts: 5426
Joined: July 6, 2002
 As pointed out by others, though bracing is universally recognized as a necessary upgrade for maggies, the fact remains that it ruins the visuals on the thin planar and makes it (1) more costly to build and heavier, (2) a difficult sale for WAF. Making a more expensive but less marketable product is a no go for a commercial business, no matter how much higher the demonstrable performance. It would have been nice for magnepan to offer an upgrade stand with their own stamp of approval, but you can't sell that as the few remaining buyers would consider a stand less speaker "incomplete". So they are better off letting the aftermarket suppliers like Mye stands, and Soundachors and Lead Baloon of old do their best for those who have more aesthetically forgiving environments,

 

I like the stock stands! , posted on October 25, 2016 at 17:51:44
RealStereo
 I am a contrarian regarding Mye stands.

I think they dampen the frame too much, yielding a more punchy, (but tighter) bass, with a drier, less tone, and less full quality.

May sound better with some rock, but worse with acoustic cello, upright bass, and drums. IMO! YMMV!

 

Same reason they don't optimize everything in the unit., posted on October 25, 2016 at 20:25:53
kff
Audiophile

Posts: 1033
Location: SE PA
Joined: October 19, 2006
 Magnepan has always been value for the money not the best thing out there. It has been discussed since the 80s or earlier why they didn't use the best parts for every part of the speaker. Price/Performance ratio was the reason. How many would pay twice as much for some of the 1 or 2 series speakers if they had all the good components in them? Would they still be the value they were/are? How many would hear the difference when considering purchasing a pair against a competitive speaker in the soundroom.

 

RE: Same reason they don't optimize everything in the unit., posted on October 25, 2016 at 20:43:28
BDP24
Audiophile

Posts: 1070
Location: Vancouver, Washington
Joined: September 12, 2013
 I think the situation/arrangement of Magnepan building their speakers to a price point, with "perfectionists" wanting even higher performance modifying them, is a fine one. It's just like Chevy hot-rodders bolting a blower onto the stock 350 small block engine, increasing the engine's compression, upgrading the suspension and/or brakes, etc.

 

RE: My mileage does indeed vary!! :-)) ..., posted on October 27, 2016 at 18:39:53
andyr
Manufacturer

Posts: 12551
Location: Melbourne
Joined: September 2, 2000
 Braced stands are a necessity IMO (although I don't use Mye stands). IMO they do not damp the stock MDF frames one bit - they merely reduce the amount of back-and-forth sway, the panels can do. And this sway is reduced to zero when you replace the stock MDF frames with hardwood frames - which I suspect is not something you will ever try?

I curious to know whether you have a tube amp driving your Maggies?

Andy

 

Because...., posted on October 28, 2016 at 17:18:29
slapshot
Audiophile

Posts: 2248
Joined: January 9, 2006
 ...if they did that, Grant would have fewer things to do, and a bored Grant is a dangerous Grant! :)

 

RE: Because...., posted on October 31, 2016 at 03:54:43
rosendds@frontiernet.net
Audiophile

Posts: 599
Location: North East
Joined: November 13, 2010
 Has anybody made DIY stands for 1.7's?

 

RE: Because...., posted on October 31, 2016 at 12:54:38
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=128496.0

Here are some for the 1.6's -- you might have to mod them though if you have the aluminum rails:

http://www.integracoustics.com/MUG/MUG/tweaks/anonymous/panstands/

I'm sure you can find other projects, and then there are the Mye Stands and Sound Anchors if you want something fancier.

 

RE: Because...., posted on November 2, 2016 at 06:47:46
grantv
Manufacturer

Posts: 7728
Location: B.C.
Joined: January 15, 2002
 True, but it's a rare occasion I ever get bored! Right now at my day job for example...
There was 4 of us in engineering/estimating
-Our estimator retired a couple months ago, as times are slow we didn't rehire = 3 of 4
-#2 is having an operation that will put him out for 6 weeks starting today. He was postponed a couple times so we were not sure when he'd actually go in. Today is it = 2 of 4
-A week ago #3 handed in his resignation, this coming Tuesday is his last day = 1 of 4; me. Ouch.

 

RE: My mileage does indeed vary!! :-)) ..., posted on November 2, 2016 at 14:17:28
ghost4man
Audiophile

Posts: 85
Joined: February 18, 2016
 100% agree with Andy on this.

I have personally replaced both the stock MDF frames AND incorporated metal stands into the picture and see huge value.

Maggies are built to a price point. The principle distributor of Maggies here in Australia once said to me that you get a lot of speaker for the price you pay for a pair of maggies.

I recently listened to a pair of 40k B&W speakers and would have no hesitation in keeping my Tympanis.

Pound for pound I think they would be up there.

 

So..., posted on November 2, 2016 at 14:56:30
slapshot
Audiophile

Posts: 2248
Joined: January 9, 2006
 ...what I hear you saying is that working with you is hazardous! :)

 

RE: Because...., posted on November 2, 2016 at 19:02:48
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 Sounds like you could star in an Agatha Christie novel!

 

RE: So..., posted on November 3, 2016 at 12:03:23
grantv
Manufacturer

Posts: 7728
Location: B.C.
Joined: January 15, 2002
 I never thought about it being my fault! :)

 

a better link, posted on November 5, 2016 at 19:53:59
Green Lantern
Audiophile

Posts: 16952
Location: San Diego, Ca
Joined: November 12, 2002
Contributor
  Since: June 17, 2003
 You need'nt go far; click on the link and go about 1/2 down the page to mounts

That integracoustics link below is a take on my own design (well at least the 'grip' anyway) I built way back in '03. There's a wide variety of other styles and designs.

The 1.7 from what I hear is a great design but I doubt if there will ever be another magnificent panel as the 1.6 was/is.









 

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