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Rebuilding a pair of MG IIs

99.57.53.182
Posted on October 19, 2009 at 19:59:04
Old School Audio
Audiophile

Posts: 2
Location: St. Louis Area
Joined: October 19, 2009
 A few years ago I happened upon a pair of Maggie MG IIs that were about to be thrown in a dumpster! I could not let that happen, so I took them in until I could decide what to do with them (one had a bad buzz, hence the death sentence). Recently I decided to remove the old wires and glue and rewire the pair.

I bought the rewiring kits over the summer and now I'm in full rewiring mode. I've already taken the right speaker down, removed the wire and most of the old glue from the mylar. I'll put new wires on about Oct. 24. So here are my questions:

1. The speakers were not damaged or abused and the original frames are in really nice condition for 30 years old. The crossovers are original. Should I replace or upgrade the XOs while I have the Maggies torn down? If I go with external XOs, do I rewire the speakers differently?

2. I'm not into planars (these fell into my lap), but it appears most newer ones are biamped and run with a subwoofer as well. Should I keep these old MG IIs as original as possible and enjoy what I have, or can I get much better sound for not much more effort if I convert them over to biamp mode now?

3. I've been an Allison fan since the mid-70s and have a decent pair of Allison Twos that I use with a Carver 772 receiver I bought a few years ago, and I enjoy the sound. I don't have plans to change my system at this time (recession and spouse being two good reasons), so I was planning to test the rewired Maggies with the Carver. Will the Maggies sound decent through the Carver, or will I lose a lot using the Carver to drive the Maggies?

4. Any other advice or comments on my project, such as rewiring tips, etc.? What about "burn-in" time, what is that all about?

Thanks to all for reading and your comments.

RE: Rebuilding a pair of MG IIs, posted on November 4, 2009 at 01:56:32
Faithless
Audiophile

Posts: 1
Location: South Ayrshire
Joined: November 4, 2009
 I am just about to start a rewire on a pair of MG 2s that I have recently picked up. I am new to Magneplanar speakers and the only info that I have found so far (apart from this site) is here; http://www.integracoustics.com/MUG/MUG/tweaks/peter_gunn/repair.html

I hope this helps and good luck with your project and I will be watching this thread for updates.

Cheers

RE: Rebuilding a pair of MG IIs, posted on October 22, 2009 at 04:49:11
johng@clarkretirement.org
Audiophile

Posts: 18
Joined: April 11, 2001
 Since you're into a major bit of work don't forget to stiffen up the frame. An aluminum (my preferance) or mild steel angle running up each side plus some damping sheet like bad vibes makes the biggest difference. Very easy to do - you don't have to build a frame (hard to do). A Mye or DIY stand also helps a lot. A used 6061 aluminum dealer can be found in any city of 300K population. Runs about $2.00/pound - you won't need much. New runs $4.00/pound

RE: Rebuilding a pair of MG IIs, posted on October 19, 2009 at 21:11:27
andyr
Audiophile

Posts: 6560
Location: Melbourne
Joined: September 2, 2000
 Hi OSA,

Congratulations on doing a rewire - I presume you're going to do both speakers (just to make sure they're both in top condition! :-)) )?

WRT your Qs:

1. IMO, this is a difficult issue to advise you on ... I guess it depends whether you simply want to make them servicable or do you want to "go the whole hog" and get the best sound possible from them?

Perhaps the best course of action is to just do the rewire - so at least you've got working speakers with no delam issues. Then, when you've listened to them, you can decide whether you like their sound enough to improve them to the max! :-))

If you go with rebuilt, external XOs you don't change the on-mylar wiring ... simply the wiring between drivers and the XO (box).

2. If you decided you do like the Maggie sound and rebuilt the XOs, you have 2 choices re. a passive XO:
* rebuild the stock parallel XO with high quality parts. If you wanted to, I could recommend a slightly different circuit (with different component values) which should smooth out the original frequency response.
* build a series XO - which would cost less (fewer components) and, if all PG's happy customers are to be believed, should sound better. Ask PG for the circuit.

Then, of course, is the matter of replacing the MDF frame with a hardwood frame and throwing away the crap Magneplanar speaker wire connectors and fuse holders! :-)) And getting braced stands. All of these things will improve the sound of your IIs.

It would probably cost more to go active, as you need a) an active XO and b) a second amp.

3. How much power can your Carver 772 deliver into 4ohms? As I understand it, most receivers are not that flash at driving 4ohm speakers ... but maybe the Carver brand is better in this respect?

4. Yes, I would suspect a few days of "burn-in" will be required after your rewiring effort.


Regards,

Andy


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