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Magnepan announces its demo at the LA Audio Show

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Posted on May 17, 2017 at 09:16:09
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 Just got this press release from Wendell. Sounds like fun and I wish I could be there to hear it!


Visit Magnepan's room for something different

Writing show coverage is not easy.​ ​

​For something different​, ​Magnepan​ decided on an educational ​and entertaining demonstration.

We are all familiar with very tall line-source speakers ​(such as the Infinity IRS ​). But, most audiophiles do not understand power response and the role it plays in the perception of live music (in particular, large scale acoustical events such as an orchestra or piano).

A narrow floor-to-ceiling dipole line ​source is probably the best way to achieve good power response. But, if a tall line-source sounds good, is it because it is expensive and well-designed? What role does an ideal line
source play in the perception of "live"?

We​ took our modest little .7s and stacked them. ​You definitely​ will want to hear this ​ regardless of what you are covering at the show.​

 

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Stacked .7s are just a bit taller , posted on May 18, 2017 at 09:04:41
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37607
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 than my Acoustat 1+1s.

I've always found tall line sources more realistic sounding. :)

 

RE: Here you go, posted on May 18, 2017 at 09:53:57
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 My ceiling is too low for Acoustats. :-(

OTOH, that means it's a better height for Tympanis . . .

 

Same here, posted on May 18, 2017 at 11:35:10
Satie
Audiophile

Posts: 5426
Joined: July 6, 2002
 Considered tall ESLs but can't even fit the height of a 20.1 with headroom to move it around.
But it does make the TIV close to a floor to ceiling line source.

 

RE: Here you go, posted on May 18, 2017 at 15:40:20
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 Convenient how that works, isn't it. :-)

 

RE: Magnepan announces its demo at the LA Audio Show, posted on May 19, 2017 at 07:14:47
Davey
 Stacked MMG's have been done years ago. I hope this configuration is not new to Wendell. :)
The MMG's are a much better platform to accomplish this since they're less than half the price of 0.7's.

I have no doubt this LA demo will sound terrific.

Dave.

 

RE: Here you go, posted on May 19, 2017 at 07:59:33
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 I know that Wendell has experimented with stacked MMG's in the past. I think that his goal here is an interesting demonstration, rather than a commercially practical configuration. Floor-ceiling line sources are ideal, but their wife acceptance factor is zip . . .

 

RE: Here you go, posted on May 19, 2017 at 08:37:37
Davey
 An extended version of my MMG framing project would be an excellent way to implement the stacked approach. There would be just a couple of inches between transducers in the middle, but that would be acoustically transparent.

The wife acceptance factor is near zip on all these speakers. If the wife doesn't like it, I say trade her in for a more practical configuration spouse. :)

Dave.

 

RE: Here you go, posted on May 19, 2017 at 10:28:57
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 LOL

I think the question is whether, assuming you've suitably modified your wife, it would be worth it to stack MMG's, or whether it wouldn't make more sense to get a pair of .7's or 1.7's instead, since they have their own advantages like QR drivers and the supertweeter . . .

 

WAF? Just need to start them off correctly :), posted on May 19, 2017 at 19:23:01
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37607
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 I had 2+2s when I married and thirty years later wifey has no difficulty living with (somewhat smaller) monoliths in what is primarily her HT. :)


 

RE: Here you go, posted on May 20, 2017 at 08:34:22
Davey
 I still like the concept of stacked MMG's. More radiating area (for increased SPL) than either 0.7 or 1.x models, and they are closer in concept to the idealized floor/ceiling line source. And, as noted, two pairs of MMG's are less than either of those systems. Yes, a user needs to perform some work to construct the system, but I don't include that into the value computation.

The super tweeter of the later models is just a marketing gimmick.

Dave.

 

RE: Here you go, posted on May 20, 2017 at 13:23:01
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 Definitely not a marketing gimmick -- they conducted a blind AB test with a listening panel before Mark Winey agreed to add it to the 1.7.

As I see it, the MMG's tweeter is too wide for optimal dispersion and power response -- it beams and there are side lobes. Also, the super tweeter segment has lower mass than the entire tweeter.

The question for me is whether the better power response and higher output of a floor-ceiling MMG provides more sonic benefits than the quasi ribbons, supertweeter, and heavier frame. There are other differences as well, e.g., the .7 and 1.7 have more bass extension. But on the other hand, with the shorter models the sound seems to be coming from too low -- I'd expect stacked MMG's to have better imaging, just as MMG's do when you raise them up and orient them vertically (losing bass in the process).

 

RE: Here you go, posted on May 20, 2017 at 13:56:15
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 That's the trick -- train them when they're young! :-)

 

RE: Here you go, posted on May 20, 2017 at 15:10:29
Davey
 Sorry Josh. An inside joke there that you missed. :)
Yes, you are correct it's not a marketing gimmick and there are definite technical advantages to the super-tweeter approach.

The bass extension thing can be addressed with equalization. This would be another advantage when using the stacked MMG approach since pairs of transducers would provide the extra headroom to be extended lower with this configuration. Stacking MMG's checks a lot of boxes.

Dave.

 

RE: Here you go, posted on May 20, 2017 at 18:35:28
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 Oops. I'm chagrined but also relieved, since that seemed so, shall we say, not like you. :-)

So are you going to do it? Stack MMG's, that is. Wendell would be a great source on this, since I know he's tried it and said it sounds really good.

 

RE: Here you go, posted on May 20, 2017 at 19:59:39
Davey
 See the "What is a Super Tweeter?" section.
http://www.indiespinzone.com/mag/mag1.7.html
Yet another example of the cluelessness of Peter Gunn. He doesn't even understand the concept and result of narrowing the tweeter in this way.

I will put the "stacked MMG" project on my to-do list.

Dave.

 

RE: Here you go, posted on May 29, 2017 at 21:42:48
pictureguy
Audiophile

Posts: 22597
Location: SoCal
Joined: October 19, 2008
 Wife has not blinked over my purchase of maggies in 30 years.

Owned MG1 when married and eventually 'upgraded'.

When she watches her trash TV (any singing reality show) I half expect the neighbors to either bring over some refreshments or burn my house down around me.

whether she knows it or not, she's now accustomed to better sound.
Too much is never enough

 

RE: Here you go, posted on May 30, 2017 at 00:12:03
BDP24
Audiophile

Posts: 1070
Location: Vancouver, Washington
Joined: September 12, 2013
 I'd rather have a stacked wife.

 

RE: Here you go, posted on May 30, 2017 at 13:53:04
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 Well that's a good arrangement. Get them hooked . . .

 

RE: Here you go, posted on June 7, 2017 at 08:45:03
Route 66
Audiophile

Posts: 33
Location: Southern CA
Joined: June 2, 2014
 I asked Wendell at the show what he was powering the 5 .7s (a pair of stacked .7s on either said and a single .7 in the center) with and he said that he was running a 500 watt Bryston amp to each of the .7s for a total of 2500 watts of power.

I believe that's about $25k worth of power amps!

 

RE: Here you go, posted on June 7, 2017 at 08:57:44
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 Impressive! Of course, you can't skimp on power in a large room with an audience . . . or in Satie's listening room. :-)

 

RE: Here you go, posted on June 7, 2017 at 08:59:10
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 BTW, what was your impression of the demonstration? I would have loved to hear it -- there's a bit difference between knowing the theory of something and actually hearing what it does to the sound.

 

RE: Here you go, posted on June 8, 2017 at 08:26:56
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 Wendell just passed along some early show reviews . . . seems Robert Harley gave them best of show for the money:


http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-2017-los-angeles-audio-show/

http://www.psaudio.com/article/a-quick-tour-of-the-la-audio-show/

Still waiting for some feedback, I saw a thread that suggested that one guy at least was confused by the purpose of the demo. It may just be that people have such a high expectation that a show will be used to demonstrate and sell a product that they can't shift gears?

 

RE: Here you go, posted on June 8, 2017 at 09:05:46
Roger Gustavsson
Audiophile

Posts: 2055
Location: Huskvarna
Joined: February 12, 2010

Is this the only picture from that demo?

 

RE: Here you go, posted on June 8, 2017 at 10:24:13
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 It's the only one I've seen, but I haven't spent much time looking at show news.

 

Sounds like 3 Bryston 7B , posted on June 8, 2017 at 12:20:20
Satie
Audiophile

Posts: 5426
Joined: July 6, 2002
 or next up model 28b

 

Pictures of Magnepan demo at the LA Audio Show, posted on June 12, 2017 at 19:39:48
Bibo01
Audiophile

Posts: 648
Joined: December 18, 2008

Here there are pictures of Magnepan set-up at LA Audio Show

It seems a couple of stacked .7 on the sides and a 1.7i in the center.
What are the "wings" at the bottom of the stack?
They are not DWMs... Look at the last picture, on the bottom left, though.

 

RE: Here you go, posted on June 12, 2017 at 20:02:28
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 Interesting, I'm not sure. Maybe to boost the bass a bit?

 

stiffen up the structure, posted on June 13, 2017 at 12:55:59
Satie
Audiophile

Posts: 5426
Joined: July 6, 2002
 So that it does not keel over or sway.

 

RE: Here you go, posted on June 13, 2017 at 12:59:42
josh358
Industry Professional

Posts: 12332
Joined: February 9, 2010
 That would make too much sense. :-)

 

RE: Pictures of Magnepan demo at the LA Audio Show, posted on June 16, 2017 at 09:09:19
Davey
 Well, not exactly what I had mind when hearing about this stacked setup. :) I guess shipping concerns and available tools and time was a major factor here.

Dave.

 

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