Planar Speaker Asylum

Welcome! Need support, you got it. Or share your ideas and experiences.

Return to Planar Speaker Asylum

Message Sort: Post Order or Asylum Reverse Threaded

Magnepan color recommendation

184.59.210.184
Posted on July 5, 2017 at 19:50:32
4everyoung



Sorry about the blurry photo but here's where I will be placing one of the Magnepan 3.7i's I'm planning to order.

I'm thinking black cloth with cherry trim because of the red brick in the fireplace. I also like the grey cloth but think black/cherry might work better on that wall.

What do you think?

 

Hide full thread outline!
    ...
RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 5, 2017 at 20:28:51
BDP24
Audiophile

Posts: 1070
Location: Vancouver, Washington
Joined: September 12, 2013
 If you want the speakers to "disappear" visually, you could go with the off-white cloth. I think your choice, black cloth and cherry trim, is the most elegant and expensive looking, but with that choice the speakers will dominate that end of the room. Are you aware that the 3.7 will really benefit from being further from the wall behind them than your current speakers are now? Three feet an absolute minimum, five feet better.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 5, 2017 at 20:55:44
grantv
Manufacturer

Posts: 7728
Location: B.C.
Joined: January 15, 2002
 I'd go dark cherry and off white cloth in that room.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 5, 2017 at 21:52:34
Desafinado
Audiophile

Posts: 183
Location: Alberta
Joined: March 10, 2013
 I think Grant nailed it!

Dark cherry with the off-white cloth will look awesome in that room.

 

It's so personal, posted on July 6, 2017 at 09:21:39
M3 lover
Audiophile

Posts: 6604
Location: SW Mich
Joined: May 29, 2005
Contributor
  Since: July 4, 2007
 I've never cared for the "2001" black monolith look. For my taste the only place black speakers anywhere near the size of the 3.7 work well is in a dark-walled room set up for home theater.

Otherwise choose something which can blend in and not call attention to itself. This would not only be more visually pleasing for me but it should better assist the sonic experience of the music floating in space. When the speakers are more visually transparent they might also be more sonically transparent.

For these reasons I too would go with Grant's suggestion.

And to expand on BDP24's point about placement, unless you will have adequate dispersion or absorption treatments on the front wall behind the speakers they should be positioned at least 5' out into the room.

Have fun.

"The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing, if you can fake that you've got it made." Groucho

 

Agree, away from back wall is a must with Maggies.. nt, posted on July 6, 2017 at 10:23:41
3+4=5
 .

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 6, 2017 at 11:15:40
4everyoung
 " Are you aware that the 3.7 will really benefit from being further from the wall behind them than your current speakers are now?"

Yes. My listening room is 15 x 24. Five feet from the wall will be no problem.

I auditioned Magnepans in the old place but couldn't get them far enough from the wall to sound good. So I know how unimpressive Maggies can be in the wrong room.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 6, 2017 at 16:42:20
4everyoung
 "I'd go dark cherry and off white cloth in that room."

I might just paint the bricks in the fireplace gray. Certainly would give me a few more options.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 6, 2017 at 17:54:39
JBen
Audiophile

Posts: 3082
Location: South FL
Joined: May 18, 2008
Contributor
  Since: July 26, 2010
 Mmmm, Magnepan may not like me saying this. But I fear that those 802's are going to feel rather happy, and even stick their tongue at the Maggies if you don't choose "wisely", and I don't mean the color.

Please check with Josh. He had a fireplace issue in one room. I even modeled it for solutions at my home and it was not easy, though it could work. The problem can be that hole, as "seen" by the back of planars. Your situation may vary depending on other elements in that room.

One though is that you could try the 1.7i trial offer, or borrow a pair of large Maggies. This would be just to see if they work well enough there. If so, then the 3.7i can work fine.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 6, 2017 at 21:33:08
4everyoung
 Are you saying my room is not Magnepam worthy? I spoke with Wendell a number of times and he was not concerned with my room or the fireplace.

Wendell was more concerned about driving the Magnepans with a Class D amp. He did not feel Class D would be a good match at all. So I have also been considering other amplification as well.

BTW, that speaker is a B&W 800D that I had here for review a number of years ago. I wish i did own them.

 

RE: fireplace, posted on July 6, 2017 at 22:03:01
Satie
Audiophile

Posts: 5426
Joined: July 6, 2002
 The fireplace can be dealt with if you can either pull the speakers far into the room and away from it, or can place a pair of fake ficus trees behind the speakers to diffuse the backwave before it hits the mantle and fireplace.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 6, 2017 at 23:42:02
JBen
Audiophile

Posts: 3082
Location: South FL
Joined: May 18, 2008
Contributor
  Since: July 26, 2010
 LOL, "Magnepan worthy" is being added to my list of terms. If Wendell said your are good, then you are. In my book that would also mean they can go back to Magnepan if they can't be made to work with reasonable effort.

Yes, he may be right. I've yet to hear a good set of Maggies do their best with class D amps...but there may be some out there. BTW, you may have heard from the gang here about the Sanders Magtech amp. A really impressive combo they do make with the 3.7/i. This pairing has shown me the best 3D imaging -- in a huge sound stage -- that I've yet heard from any Maggies or speaker in a Demo room.

Oops, the 802D were on my mind when I meant 800. I was more worried about your next purchase being properly qualified. The former are what I recommended to a close friend so I could get to listen to music on them regularly :-)). Actually, that's his joke but they are a better fit for him than Maggies, and I do get the extra frequent benefit. Can't blame you for liking the 800D.


 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 6, 2017 at 23:46:39
emailtim
Audiophile

Posts: 5500
Joined: July 2, 2017
 Did Wendell give you any specific amp suggestions for the 3.7i's ?

Cherry styles with either black or light gray.

TIA
.

2022/03/30 Historical Records CENSORED

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 6, 2017 at 23:51:23
pictureguy
Audiophile

Posts: 22597
Location: SoCal
Joined: October 19, 2008
 I don't mean to open the Can Of Worms that is a discussion of 'D' amp, but any feedback on the nCore stuff from hypex?

That being said, i had some ASP module ICE amps for a couple years but traded for something a little more to my liking.

I'm thinking a pair of the nCore 400 amps and a MiniDSP in each of 2 enclosures.....one for each panel. Given bandwidth limiting TO the amps, that's gonna be equal to at least a KW per speaker.
Too much is never enough

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 7, 2017 at 03:07:51
4everyoung
 "Did Wendell give you any specific amp suggestions for the 3.7i's ?"

No, Wendell did not have any specific amp suggestions for the 3.7i. The discussion about class D came up when I mentioned I had a pair of Gilmore Raptor amps that I heard might be a good match. I didn't get the impression that Wendell had anything in particular against the Gilmore amps, but rather class D in general.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 7, 2017 at 07:35:17
JBen
Audiophile

Posts: 3082
Location: South FL
Joined: May 18, 2008
Contributor
  Since: July 26, 2010
 A few folks around here, including the late Al Sekela, to whom I owe much for some of my system's attributes, drove their large Maggies with Raptors for a while. Al held them in high regard, though I think his were in multi-amping duty. At least someone else loved them with his 3.x Maggies for a while, and may have had to pay good money for a suitable upgrade.

If you already own them...

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 7, 2017 at 08:24:45
Satie
Audiophile

Posts: 5426
Joined: July 6, 2002
 The ribbon maggies reveal the grain in most class D amp's top end. However, there are several kinds of class D amps. NuForce and NuPrime (same engineers) use a 600khz sine wave modulation, while B&O and Hypex NCore and Ucd use 400khz triangle wave carriers. The top end of the NuForce amps is better, their midrange is impeccable. The top end is not on par with a good tube amp or a great SS class A amp. The lack of compression on the Devialet and other feed forward amps and on the NuForce/Prime is very impressive. Well executed class D based on the other OEM boards can do great from midbass to midrange.

In the deep bass, class D amps tend to fail in maintaining current due to insufficient storage capacitance to bridge the 60hz at high current. Maggies being current hogs at low frequencies really show up the class D amp's limitations.

With these observations I have no trouble understanding Wendell's issue with class D. But try to drive your speakers with your current amp first and then line up some class AB candidates to try out to see if you can do better.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 7, 2017 at 09:04:56
emailtim
Audiophile

Posts: 5500
Joined: July 2, 2017

I have never heard anything bad about the Gilmore amps.

W4S has designed and built their own Class-D amps in their upcoming Signature line. From one pre-review that I read, they will not be licensing their digital switching amp technology to others like what ICEPower and NCore does. It will be interesting to see how they preform when they finally are released for sale.

.

2022/03/30 Historical Records CENSORED

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 7, 2017 at 09:10:15
emailtim
Audiophile

Posts: 5500
Joined: July 2, 2017
 AbeCollins has posted about the NC400 and said they were not quite there. He did give the NC1200's high praise when mated to a friend's 3.6's. Apparently, the NC1200's are not available for DIY and have a manufacturer's minimum fixed price policy from what I have read.
.

2022/03/30 Historical Records CENSORED

 

I am totally happy with my Bryston 4B-SST² with my 3.6, posted on July 7, 2017 at 09:43:37
3+4=5
 I might be buying a new 4B³ if I go for the 20.7s..
I am trying to decide of upgrading is audiophilia madness or just something to do... Last time I jumped on a new car (I really did not need) instead of buying the 20.7s.. That car is two months away from being paid off.
Then.. do I buy the amp first? or the speakers... Refinancing the car is the easiest way to gain instant cash on hand.. It should still be worth $18K as collateral..

For YOU, I would certainly LISTEN to the new speakers with your current amp. Other folks biases do not make for realistic decisions.
As for amplifiers.. When I was going for the 3.6.. I did some reading, and Bryston was the #1 'recommended' choice.. I owned a Forte'4a then. But thought the little 50 watts/channel Forte' was too small. As I have upgraded other bits, the Bryston amp has clearly been able to let the better sound flow through it. SO I think the Bryston has been a great choice for me.

IMO the fireplace is not a 'big deal' acoustical problem.. It is more of a 'so what'. LOL

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 7, 2017 at 09:47:10
pictureguy
Audiophile

Posts: 22597
Location: SoCal
Joined: October 19, 2008
 I very Briefly heard the nCore1200 several years ago at THE-Newport. But not long enough to form an opinion and I don't even remember the partnered speakers or front end.
I did speak with Bruno for a few minutes. An interesting, intense fellow.

The only bit of nCore for the DIY crowd is the 400. The rest is all for the OEM installer.
Too much is never enough

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 7, 2017 at 09:55:07
Davey
 "In the deep bass, class D amps tend to fail in maintaining current due to insufficient storage capacitance to bridge the 60hz at high current. Maggies being current hogs at low frequencies really show up the class D amp's limitations."

That is a power supply issue, not a Class-D issue. There are numerous Class-D amps (both commercial and DIY) that utilize linear power supplies with large capacitance reservoirs.

You should read up on the switching frequency and type of modulator used in Ncore technology. (The white paper has been available for a few years now.)
https://www.hypex.nl/img/upload/doc/an_wp/WP_Ncore_Technology.pdf

Dave.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 7, 2017 at 10:42:08
Satie
Audiophile

Posts: 5426
Joined: July 6, 2002
 There are class D amps with linear supplies that should not have the problem. I have not heard any of them since the HCA2.

I perused the Ncore white papers looking for an attempt to get better resolution. Instead they spoke about the tradeoff between better resolution and power performance and they pushed for the power side. So I dropped the Ncores as uninteresting and spent no more time looking at them and the commercial designs that use them. I follow the occasional review of Ncore or UCD amps but that is as far as it goes. I must say that they get very good reviews.

 

RE: I am totally happy with my Bryston 4B-SST² with my 3.6, posted on July 7, 2017 at 11:06:07
JBen
Audiophile

Posts: 3082
Location: South FL
Joined: May 18, 2008
Contributor
  Since: July 26, 2010
 "IMO the fireplace is not a 'big deal' acoustical problem.. It is more of a 'so what'. LOL"

Oh well, happens when I worry for stupid reasons :-))

Happily, 4B's can help those puppies of yours create their own combo charms.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 7, 2017 at 13:02:13
PhilJ
Audiophile

Posts: 2826
Joined: January 20, 2002
 I find the black to be a bit overwhelming during the daytime (monolith! but it blends in ok during the evening).

I chose white for my MG12s because they seem less imposing

plus they are less evil ;)

my two cents

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 7, 2017 at 14:27:18
golgi
Audiophile

Posts: 275
Location: midwest USA
Joined: January 29, 2004
 I've seen Maggies in several color combos and IMO the ugliest is the off-white color. It makes the speakers look...well...kind of pathetic and weak. To me Maggies look best in dark colors. Yes, they tend to look imposing with the dark colors as well they should.


.
Main system- Rotel RCD950/Topping D90, Schiit Freya+ (GE 6SN7GTB tubes), Rotel RB981, Magnepan 10QR, Martin Logan Dynamo sub

Headphone system- Little Dot MKIII, Sennhesier HD6xx & HD 580,
iFi iPhono, Technics SL1210 MK2, Denon DL103R

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 7, 2017 at 16:11:02
4everyoung
 I kinda like imposing :-)

The only speaker I ever turned down for review was a behemoth pair of single driver horns that I would have had to climb over to get to my kitchen. I'm getting too old for mountain climbing.

Black maggies might be a good balance for the black leather couch across from the fireplace. I have to be honest. I'm not a big fan of the off-white color either.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 7, 2017 at 16:15:14
emailtim
Audiophile

Posts: 5500
Joined: July 2, 2017
 The off white maybe harder to keep "clean".
.

2022/03/30 Historical Records CENSORED

 

to be honest the triple black maggie wouldn't have been my first choice, posted on July 7, 2017 at 19:22:50
Green Lantern
Audiophile

Posts: 16952
Location: San Diego, Ca
Joined: November 12, 2002
Contributor
  Since: June 17, 2003




But I ended up with a pair because the price was right.

I've always admired the black with the cherry stiles though.

One good thing about the 'midnight maggies' is they tend to disappear in low lit rooms resulting in less distractions away from the music. But-to each his own :)











 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 7, 2017 at 22:18:20
Davey
 Since the HCA-2? Maybe it's time for you to revisit this technology? :) It's no wonder you experienced "grain in the top end" with that POS amp as your most recent listening reference.

Regards Hypex, if you became uninterested that was a mistake. The Ncore amplifiers push the bar higher than it's ever been for Class-D performance......both from an objective testing standpoint and from the subjective evaluation side. (IMHO on that second part.)

You seem to have an answer for everything on the PSA. I think you should actually get some experience with these type of amplifiers before offering any further opinions on them.

Dave.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 8, 2017 at 01:53:25
Audiophilander
Audiophile

Posts: 30200
Location: Fort Worth (D/FW Metroplex)
Joined: March 31, 2000

Black cloth with cherry trim is an elegant choice, IMO. This combination on the 3.7i matched the barrister wood veneer in our home, but that combination goes well with everything.
The grainy, dark image is due to my iPad. The room isn't well lit because of the HT screen. I'd take some proper photos, but I get preoccupied listening to music.

 

RE: to be honest the triple black maggie wouldn't have been my first choice, posted on July 8, 2017 at 13:44:19
Joe Appierto
Audiophile

Posts: 1051
Location: Central NJ
Joined: January 3, 2004
 As do the XLO cables with their grey and violet combinations. In low light you don't notice them and they just kinda fade in the background, both visually and sonically.
Joe

 

In your room, posted on July 8, 2017 at 16:57:45
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37666
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 I would likely choose light grey to blend with the walls and traps.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 8, 2017 at 17:08:08
Satie
Audiophile

Posts: 5426
Joined: July 6, 2002
 I may be out of date. The technology continues to improve but I have not sampled recent designs. Any suggestions on linear PS class D amps I should seek out?

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 8, 2017 at 20:12:40
Davey
 Yeah. The new Ncore-based ATI amps.

Dave.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 8, 2017 at 22:06:14
emailtim
Audiophile

Posts: 5500
Joined: July 2, 2017
 There seems to be radio silence on ATI's new NCORE amps. Not much posted out there.
.

2022/03/30 Historical Records CENSORED

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 8, 2017 at 22:38:41
Davey
 They're newer models. Also, ATI doesn't have the audiophile nose-in-the-air appeal many "high-end" amplifier manufacturers have so they will never garner widespread interest from that niche.

However, there are reviews and usage reports already available.
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/ati-at527nc-and-at524nc-amplifiers-review

Dave.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 8, 2017 at 22:49:43
emailtim
Audiophile

Posts: 5500
Joined: July 2, 2017
 That was the only review I saw. It was more a home theater review.

ATI apparently owns Theta, so they should have some audiophile chops.

Their AT542NC appears to be 4 Ohm stable, not 2. Would Maggies put them on the edge ?
.

2022/03/30 Historical Records CENSORED

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 9, 2017 at 08:22:18
Davey
 My Maggies are not on edge.
Do you have some two ohm Maggies?

Dave.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 9, 2017 at 08:29:29
Satie
Audiophile

Posts: 5426
Joined: July 6, 2002
 Kessler is a well regarded designer in his own right, and ATI is a big OEM manufacturer. The Theta Ncore Prometheus monos date back to 2013 so they had been at it for a while.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 9, 2017 at 08:33:32
Satie
Audiophile

Posts: 5426
Joined: July 6, 2002
 The Maggie 4 ohm load is mostly resistive without dips. If the amp does 4 ohms well then you are just fine.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 9, 2017 at 10:13:43
emailtim
Audiophile

Posts: 5500
Joined: July 2, 2017
 4 Ohms is supposed to be an average, not the exact value across the entire frequency range. Maggies vary less than Stats from what I understand, but they still vary.

I always try to buy amps with a safety margin and not run them on edge.

Their AT542NC are also bridged at 4Ohms which would appear to also put them on edge.

Maybe I am being paranoid.
.

2022/03/30 Historical Records CENSORED

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 9, 2017 at 11:34:54
emailtim
Audiophile

Posts: 5500
Joined: July 2, 2017
 The Theta Ncore Prometheus uses the NC1200 which are supposed to be stable to 2 Ohms and are not running bridged. I would like to hear these.

The reviewer compared it against his reference ML334 amp (ML's entry level stereo amp against Theta's mono-blocks). A more appropriate comparison would have been against the ML335 or ML336 (similar power and price).

ML334:
Rated output power: 125/250/500
Price: $5,900

NC1200:
Rated output power: 400/700/1200
Prometheus Rated output power: 250/500/850
Prometheus Price: $12,000

ML335:
Rated output power: 250/500/1000
Price: $7,900

ML336:
Rated output power: 350/700/1400
Price: $9,500

I have the ML336 in house and think it would be an interesting comparison.
.

2022/03/30 Historical Records CENSORED

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 9, 2017 at 11:41:24
Satie
Audiophile

Posts: 5426
Joined: July 6, 2002







Looking at the impedances of speakers that were used in the test and comparing to Maggie 3.6 which is the last ribbon for which there are measurements. You can see that the maggie load has a very mild curve and its only fault is the current drain due to low sensitivity and high back EMF at low freq./high excursion.

So if there is a solid 4 ohm rating the amp should not hit any snags driving the maggie till it just plain runs out of power.

 

RE: I am totally happy with my Bryston 4B-SST² with my 3.6, posted on July 9, 2017 at 15:17:04
4everyoung
 I've done similar. Bought a car I didn't need and then sold the car to finance more audio toys.

I've got my eye on a used Levinson 432 amp 400w into 8 ohms and 800w into 4 ohms. Wasn't that a Levinson amp they used for welding?

Yup, I know. Get the speakers first. Best of luck with the 20.7 Maybe I'll come listen to them someday.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 10, 2017 at 09:08:15
Norman M
 3.6 Cherry/Black, Fireplace and all:



 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 10, 2017 at 10:02:17
Davey
 I don't see any claim for 2 ohm operation with the AT54X series amps. The bridged configuration would yield a 2 ohm load on each amplifier with a 4 ohm speaker.
So, I think probably, the AT52X series would be preferable in this application.

The amplifier I have is an NC500-based unit that doesn't have any problems with my (4 ohm) MMG's.

Dave.

 

My apartment has white walls. I like the 'white' (actually a light grey fabric), posted on July 10, 2017 at 13:54:09
3+4=5
 My speakers blend in.
I do not think I would like a black monolith look in my apartment.
IF my space was a lot larger, then the black might be enjoyable.
I think the most beautiful (dramatic) are the dark gray with Cherry sides..

Remember you have to live with them for a LONG TIME....

(though the fabric can be replaced... so the color could be changed, and yes by the dealer... at least in my experience. maybe some dealers would not be willing?) Though I am not sure Magnepan would sell replacement side panels?? if you wanted to say switch to metal sides?

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 10, 2017 at 14:28:27
4everyoung
 Great picture of the black/cherry complete with fireplace. Thanks!

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 10, 2017 at 17:53:46
timm
Audiophile

Posts: 780
Location: Ann Arbor Mi
Joined: January 15, 2008
 Personally I have always liked the black cloth w cherry. That is what I ordered up. But I have a dedicated 17x30 room and the colors of paint and carpeting were chosen with that in mind. LOL. it is a sickness I actually stained my wood posts dark cherry.

 

And these comments just prove once again, posted on July 11, 2017 at 10:34:48
M3 lover
Audiophile

Posts: 6604
Location: SW Mich
Joined: May 29, 2005
Contributor
  Since: July 4, 2007
 how different out personal perspectives can be.

So 4ey, you started an interesting discussion but I can't see how it has been helpful to your own situation. Some say toe-may-toe and some say toe-mot-toe. ;^)

"The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing, if you can fake that you've got it made." Groucho

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 11, 2017 at 15:25:45
Green Lantern
Audiophile

Posts: 16952
Location: San Diego, Ca
Joined: November 12, 2002
Contributor
  Since: June 17, 2003
 best music i ever heard was my new MG1.6's flanking a old brick fireplace. Not sure why folks are so opposed to them. Maybe it was the whole 'new Maggie' perception I had at the time; who knows, I just know I was floored, and jaw-dropped on a daily basis.

I'm also convinced Maggie would sound great at the bottom of a dried out well although I don't recommend it!









 

to may toe.. Is that tweeters in? or out? Which is another consideration..., posted on July 11, 2017 at 16:18:02
3+4=5
 When I got my 3.6 I started with tweeters outside.
Soon I tried tweeter in. and loved it.
I would never go back to tweeters out in my apartment.

 

RE: to may toe.. Is that tweeters in? or out? Which is another consideration..., posted on July 11, 2017 at 16:59:01
Norman M
 Another consideration is to toe in or toe out, or parallel to the wall behind them, with tweeters in or out.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 11, 2017 at 17:18:47
Norman M
 GL, perhaps both your and my maggies were/are stupid, being unaware of the presence of a fireplace between them.

 

I have major toe in..So the axis cross in front of my chair, also.., posted on July 11, 2017 at 20:08:43
3+4=5
 I have extensions on the woofer sides. Bare wood (too lazy to stain and all) Red Oak exact height and 3/4" thickness 5 1/2" wide.. on the woofer side just pressed up against the trim, (with steadying board angled behind each... no vibrations)
Adds a little body to the mids, midbass..

 

You guys have no stupid Maggies :-)) , posted on July 11, 2017 at 20:21:02
JBen
Audiophile

Posts: 3082
Location: South FL
Joined: May 18, 2008
Contributor
  Since: July 26, 2010
 LOL Nah, they're not stupid, Norman! If there is any stupidity involved it was my own. In trying to be helpful, I explained too little and rushed to post for the benefit of the OP. Thus, the intent was misunderstood; fully my fault. There was a context to my posting that I failed to include and it may never matter now.

GL said something very relevant which I read earlier today:
"I'm also convinced Maggie would sound great at the bottom of a dried out well although I don't recommend it!"

I fully agree, and I suspect you would, too. In fact, I am not even against the fireplace. It would NOT be enough to kill all of the salient Maggie charms. Even with the fireplace, a ton of magic and virtuosity should remain as to also make this phrase by GL very VERY valid:

"Maybe it was the whole 'new Maggie' perception I had at the time; who knows, I just know I was floored, and jaw-dropped on a daily basis."

Anyway, while my not so stupid Maggies are claiming me back this evening, there is only one reason I posted now, one more coincidence in this amusing saga of the fireplace. I am retuning my system, after months "off the air". Last night I thought I had made major "regains", delightful to my ears. To make sure, this evening, I began to listen simply to confirm that my mind was not playing tricks the night before. Among my test listening selection is this SACD (linked below), which I tried with. And quite frankly...

...there may be some tricks of sorts being played by the brain cell.

Two SACD stereo tracks are used:
-- Right from the start, track #1 tests my Maggies' ability to sustain full imaging on the ample sound stage even with the full-fledged dynamic orchestra, all by themselves (no other drivers). Good, that worked, on to the next one.
-- The delicate opening passage - with the violin section's upper harmonics quite present - allows track #9 to quickly tell me if the beyond-QR performance of the tweeters is still there. Good. They were fine.

As the sweet piece ended, my wife asked me the title of #9, which she loved (she's not normally much appreciative of orchestral music). Well, I actually do not know the titles. Because it is mostly medleys, I often go by track #, from the display on the SACD player.

So, I grabbed the SACD case to find the title. Wow, goosebumps! As I read it aloud to her, the coincidence of THAT title hit me hard. So, I ran to check the thread and found your amusing post.

 

This discussion has been very helpful..., posted on July 12, 2017 at 05:05:31
4everyoung
 ...because I'm paying attention to all the comments, not just color choices. Might come in handy later.

I am considering gray, but am seeing many different shades of gray. Or perhaps it is just the lighting in the photos?

 

The white is really a slightly silvery light shade of gray. The 'gray' is dark gray, posted on July 12, 2017 at 08:43:27
3+4=5
 And yes the differences in the apparent dark grey are all the photo camera settings.
Hell, even the black look gray in some of the pics.

 

Because they're just another, posted on July 12, 2017 at 17:26:02
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37666
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 assembler of common parts used most often by the DIY community.

What's new to say? Do they have a really cool box?

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 12, 2017 at 17:38:50
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37666
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 4 Ohms is supposed to be an average, not the exact value across the entire frequency range.

While I certainly cannot say that every Magnepan product is like the ones Stereophile tested, the "exact" values seem to not delve into the electrostatic top octave realm.

MG 1.6

MG 3.6

As for me, I find them pretty darn linear in their impedance profile. Apparently, Wendell pulled the plug on reviews afterwards since even JA concedes:

"As I have written before in these pages, measuring physically large speakers with in-room quasi-anechoic techniques is in some ways a fruitless task. The usual assumption, that the measuring microphone is very much farther away than the largest dimension of the speaker being measured, is clearly wrong. "

 

They sure sounded wonderful, posted on July 12, 2017 at 17:43:47
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37666
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 when I heard them at Sea Cliff with McIntosh 2301s.

Mike Hobson happened to be there at the same time and brought some wonderful "white album" 45 vinyl to hear. :)

 

A DIY friend of mine agrees, posted on July 12, 2017 at 19:26:54
4everyoung
 A DIY friend of mine who spends a lot of time at the diyaudio forum and has built a number of class D amps, laughed yesterday when I asked him what was so special about the new NCORE amps. He said there was nothing special, at least in his opinion.

My friend's latest project was a low power class A amp, so maybe he has given up on class D - at least for now.

 

I'm sure that Gilmore Raptors are great amps, but as another option..., posted on July 13, 2017 at 01:45:16
Audiophilander
Audiophile

Posts: 30200
Location: Fort Worth (D/FW Metroplex)
Joined: March 31, 2000
 ...it might be worth your time to check out the Sander's Magtech. This stereo amp outputs 900 watts per channel of clean Class AB power into 4 ohms. Maggie's like to drink current, so it's a good fit. Sound-wise, I'd describe the Magtech as totally neutral, neither warm nor cold. It conveys openness and detail of whatever is in front of it (tubes or transistors) without strain. There are many other fine amps of various wattages and efficiency that mate well with Maggies, but I've had this combination for two years now with no complaints. Also, the Sander's warranty is hard to beat.

Cheers,
AuPh

 

RE: They sure sounded wonderful, posted on July 13, 2017 at 12:22:22
emailtim
Audiophile

Posts: 5500
Joined: July 2, 2017
 For $22K/pair, they should. =)
.

2022/03/30 Historical Records CENSORED

 

RE: I'm sure that Gilmore Raptors are great amps, but as another option..., posted on July 13, 2017 at 12:24:30
emailtim
Audiophile

Posts: 5500
Joined: July 2, 2017
 FWIW, Roger used to offer a $500 discount on large purchases (e.g. amps) if you mentioned you are a member of the Martin Logan Owner's Group or the Planar Speaker Asylum.
.

2022/03/30 Historical Records CENSORED

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 13, 2017 at 12:33:36
emailtim
Audiophile

Posts: 5500
Joined: July 2, 2017
 Some people incorrectly think if an amp can drive smaller Maggies they can also larger Maggies because they are all 4 Ohm and @ 84dB rated.

I have empirically found that not to be true. The spec'd ratings don't account for the wider frequency range and larger square footage of drivers to be controlled. What works well on MMG's or 1.6's may not be able to control larger panels in the same fashion.
.

2022/03/30 Historical Records CENSORED

 

Ok, posted on July 13, 2017 at 13:09:20
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37666
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 I thought the conversation was about impedance dropping below 4 ohms.

Admittedly, I've only heard large Maggies (20.1/3.6/3.7) using either 200 or 300 watt amps.

 

RE: I'm sure that Gilmore Raptors are great amps, but as another option..., posted on July 13, 2017 at 16:32:58
4everyoung
 I took a brief look at the Sander's website. The guys at TAS really seem to like the Magtech. Any Stereophile reviews? I did a quick search and couldn't find any.

Ultimately, of course, we all need to trust our own ears. I was just curious.

 

RE: Ok, posted on July 15, 2017 at 21:04:56
emailtim
Audiophile

Posts: 5500
Joined: July 2, 2017
 E-Stat, Excuse my rambling. FWIW, I have heard them from 100 - 2,000 WPC including passive and active biamping. So far, active vertical biamping appears to be the best that I have heard, but the new *.7(i) series is closing the door to that option. I haven't heard any tri-amping yet.
.

2022/03/30 Historical Records CENSORED

 

RE: I'm sure that Gilmore Raptors are great amps, but as another option..., posted on July 15, 2017 at 21:14:33
emailtim
Audiophile

Posts: 5500
Joined: July 2, 2017
 Read Roger's design approach from his website (including his white papers).

Roger said the best arrangement comes from active vertical biamping if your speakers support active biamping. Each stereo amp becomes a mono-block if you will without the need for bridging. All crosstalk is eliminated, each channel can have it's own AC circuit and you can eliminate speaker cables in exchange for short jumpers. Longer XLR signal line runs are better than the same length in speaker cables.
.

2022/03/30 Historical Records CENSORED

 

RE: I am totally happy with my Bryston 4B-SST² with my 3.6, posted on July 15, 2017 at 21:25:43
emailtim
Audiophile

Posts: 5500
Joined: July 2, 2017
 I think the welding was done prior to the 4XX series. The 4XX series are not rated for 2 Ohms (at least not openly spec'd for it). The 3XX series was spec'd for 2 Ohms and doubled it's power output at each of 8, 4 and 2 ohms. The 4XX series also introduced internal fans. The model 33's were @ 700 lbs if I remember correctly with huge power reserves (@ 1/2 a Farad of capacitance per monoblock).
.

2022/03/30 Historical Records CENSORED

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 20, 2017 at 18:12:30
steve.sukiennik
Audiophile

Posts: 206
Location: Chicago, IL USA
Joined: May 23, 2017
 Hello,
Great question.
Always go black cloth; even though I prefer the white, it yellows & looks old in 6 months. Imagine hanging a white shirt in the same room, in 6 months it'll yellow.

 

RE: My apartment has white walls. I like the 'white' (actually a light grey fabric), posted on July 20, 2017 at 18:21:44
steve.sukiennik
Audiophile

Posts: 206
Location: Chicago, IL USA
Joined: May 23, 2017
 Great question,
White will look best for 6 months, then it yellows quickly. Black will look good for 6+ years though it does look monolithy. MAGS should have removable grill cloth. I had to make my own. Not hard to do. Tired of having to do a full tear-down just to examine 'em. Remember frt ruins a Minnesota repair unless you live near.

 

RE: Magnepan color recommendation, posted on July 23, 2017 at 05:34:23
Mark Man
Audiophile

Posts: 1079
Location: MN
Joined: January 31, 2010






An inmate Ahendler (sp?) Loved his Gilmore Raptors with his 3.6's. He now is running David Berning amps.

I had the Bel Canto EVO 200.6 for 12 years, that being the tripath design and not full blown class D. They ran 1.6's and my 3.7's. They were great amps for the 1.6's, not quite the control on the 3.7's.

I went to Audio Perfection in MPLS, twice and heard the Bel Canto M600's with the 3.7i's, in an all Bel Canto rig and using the their DAC as a Pre...

Very 3 dimensional, imaging is spot on, huge sound stage, tone, textures, everything was there.

Now, I had my 3.7's upgraded to the 3.7i's...(if you search my Moniker, I wrote volumes on this. Before I did the upgrade, I bought the Magtech.)

The Magtech is truly a beast. (have also posted volumes on this amp)
Like Audiophilander, it just very neutral, no grain, it will show you all the upstream warts. I never understood the term "effortless power" until that amp showed up. At any volume, it does not change character and just pumps sound, like it is 6 inch pipe of power feeding the Maggies.

I really cannot tell you the differences between the Bel Canto M600's, But would love to do a side by side in my own rig with the Magtech.

Color wise I am a modernist, the aluminum sides with the gray fabric is just dead sexy, IMHO..

Subs are gone, fake silk fichus work as great diffusors and some absorption. The speaker placement is the HK/Limage. Ask Sadie about that, google or search my moniker.

Congrats on the 3.7i's, you will enjoy them...
take care
Mark


 

Page processed in 0.059 seconds.

[ Top Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]