buying secondhand - what to look for

Well I bought them.

The speakers were in front of large windows so that give me a chance to
look at the wires and I'm 99.99% sure they are good condition.
Of course I also had a listen and everything sounded perfect.

The speakers have upgraded crossovers made by Tony Gee of humblehomemadehifi (http://www.humblehomemadehifi.com)

For the techies>
22uF Clarity Cap SA
MKP1837 parallel
3,5mH 12AWG copper aircoil
10+15uF Clarity Cap SA

Not a techie so I have no idea if this is an improvement or not.
All I know is...they sound sweet. :)

Next step real speakercables. I'll open a new post for help on that one.

RE: buying secondhand - what to look for, posted on October 30, 2009 at 13:05:53
NurEinTier Audiophile Posts: 18 Joined: December 24, 2008	Thank you all for your replies. I'll take a cd with me to test for a buzzz sound, plus a strong torch and I'll feel for the loose wires. Really hope they are in fine condition like the seller tells me.

RE: buying secondhand - what to look for, posted on October 29, 2009 at 22:55:12

gentlegiantfan
Audiophile

Posts: 751
Location: central florida
Joined: November 25, 2002

If you have one, take a freq. sweep CD along and listen for "buzzing" in the bass regions. Gently push on the top & bottom of the driver areas through the sock and feel for wires before you contact the mylar. These will tell you if there is already delamination of the voice coil wires but will indicate nothing about the condition of the glue/mylar/wire. Sometimes with a strong flashlight at a steep angle in a darkened room you can actually see the wires that have lifted off the mylar.

None of these is a definite deal killer unless the seller in unwilling to bargain. When you call Magnepan about the serial numbers ask them for a quote on a complete rebuild too to use as a bargaining chip in case they do need repair. Even at that, if you are handy, you could negotiate a great price and then rebuild them yourself.
Good luck, keep us in the loop.

RE: buying secondhand - what to look for, posted on October 30, 2009 at 22:22:58

MaggieLover
Audiophile

Posts: 1050
Location: Central New Jersey
Joined: November 1, 2006

"Gently push on the top & bottom of the driver areas through the sock and feel for wires before you contact the mylar. These will tell you if there is already delamination of the voice coil wires but will indicate nothing about the condition of the glue/mylar/wire."

While I certainly can't argue with the logic of this suggestion, it is unlikely the seller would be very happy with a total stranger prodding the drivers with his fingers.

The overwheming number of maggie owners out there don't have the same level of expertise or understanding about what's going on under the covers as the majority of regulars on this forum do. I think actually touching the driver would be a "no no". Even with your knowledge and understanding, would you really be comfortable with perfect stranger pushing on the mylar of your pair with his fingers? I know I wouldn't.

Maggies, because you can never be too thin!

Mark

The only thing that counts is..., posted on October 29, 2009 at 15:49:19
neolith Audiophile Posts: 1713 Location: Virginia Joined: February 21, 2002 Contributor Since: December 2, 2004	a look at the naked Maggie to assess the condition of the wire for delamination or signs of oxidation. Obviously they should sound good but that is insufficient to determine their true condition. This will probably mean replacing the socks which I believe are ~$50. I plan to procrastinate my demise for as long as possible. In the meantime, I practice by putting off all the little stuff.

RE: The only thing that counts is..., posted on October 29, 2009 at 20:19:38
Dawnrazor Audiophile Posts: 7510 Location: N. California Joined: April 9, 2004	Hey Neo, I remember my mmg socks costing $35 EACH or $70 IIRC a few years ago. But that is well worth the cost to know for sure.

US $70 a pop for SMG socks (nt), posted on October 30, 2009 at 01:31:41
esande Audiophile Posts: 172 Location: Washington, DC Joined: December 27, 2008

RE: buying secondhand - what to look for, posted on October 29, 2009 at 14:07:00
NurEinTier Audiophile Posts: 18 Joined: December 24, 2008	serialnumber is: 093463.1 Anyone like to guess what year these are?

call magnepan, posted on October 29, 2009 at 17:08:09
slapshot Audiophile Posts: 371 Joined: January 9, 2006	You could call Magnepan with the serial number and they could tell you the year, and may if they've ever done service on them.

Page processed in 0.057 seconds.

Planar Speaker Asylum

buying secondhand - what to look for

87.209.85.159