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

Love my 1.7i but...

34.99.90.91
Posted on April 30, 2021 at 09:25:48
CJ280
Audiophile

Posts: 3
Location: NE
Joined: December 15, 2020
 I recently got my first pair of Magnepan speakers and really enjoy the sound. Great imaging, very clear and very tight. However, they don't seem as loud as I would expect (or in the store). Using a couple of different apps, I get about 91dB when amp is turned up pretty good. While that volume is typically ok, I would like to increase occasionally.
Some pertinent details, my basement is "L" shaped, with the primary listening area 12' x 14' (walls on 3 of the four sides but the rear wall is half size and leads to another part of the room that is 12x16). Acoustic panels on the sidewalls and diffuser behind speakers. Using Rogue Audio Perseus Magnum pre-amp, McIntosh 7200 am, with Rythmik sub. I guess my question is, should these sound louder and if so, how to make it happen? Bigger amp? I am new to the site and appreciate any input.

 

Hide full thread outline!
    ...
RE: Love my 1.7i but..., posted on May 10, 2021 at 08:38:29
owkone
Audiophile

Posts: 53
Joined: April 9, 2015
 Sound pressure is in log scale, to double it the amp will have to be 10X more power. A general rule.

Someone in another thread has recently posted satisfactory results with Emotiva DR1 with 3.6's. Perhaps that would be an option to try. I am driving my 1.6's with Bryston 4BST for last 20 years or so. To my 22 carat gold PLATED ears they sound real good. My music is mostly jazz and classical mostly between 68-72dB at my listening position.

 

RE: Love my 1.7i but..., posted on May 7, 2021 at 21:14:28
russ69
Audiophile

Posts: 951
Joined: December 13, 2009
 !.7s will suck up 200 watts pretty quickly. A big beefy amp will help everything.

 

RE: Love my 1.7i but..., posted on May 3, 2021 at 16:23:40
Mcmusicman
Audiophile

Posts: 26
Location: Wilmington NC
Joined: April 15, 2020
 The tried and proven path is direct coupled high current Class A/B.
I listen to 1.7s

My Short List became: JC5, 250.8(5),4B3
Chose the 4B3 and never looked back.
Any of these Three will drive them they way they should be driven and allow you to grow within the line while concentrating on the front end.
Good Luck.

 

RE: Love my 1.7i but..., posted on May 5, 2021 at 06:03:46
Joe Schmo
Audiophile

Posts: 518
Location: Palm Beach
Joined: April 21, 2008
 This!

I'll add the X-150.8 to the short list. I just added one to my system.

The 1.7is will bottom out long before any of these amps will.


-Joe

They're not that big!

 

you need DSP + good sealed subs, posted on May 3, 2021 at 12:50:06
DrChaos
Audiophile

Posts: 2063
Location: San Diego
Joined: July 13, 2009
 When I started using my Anthem ARC system with my 3.6 + sub it significantly increased the 'snap' and 'weight'.

Subwoofer integration was so simple. The crossover to the sub I set at 70Hz, which without a quality measured correction algorithm, would be much too high for planars, but with ARC it works perfectly.

There is still low bass going to the panels but not as much, and that really helps the dynamism. There is a 40-50 Hz main panel resonance on the planar bass which unfortunately has some energy storage & delay (that's what resonance means), and taking that out truly helps.

Limit the top frequency of correction to 500 to 1500 Hz, not higher. DSP algorithms can stunt the magic Maggie midrange there.

And now with much less energy going to bass at its resonance, the mylar flex and possibility to hit the magnet is far reduced, and you can turn up the volume. If you can take out the lower bass, the maggies can handle quite a bit of power (excluding true ribbons) as there is plenty of air to cool the wires.

 

RE: Love my 1.7i but..., posted on May 3, 2021 at 07:46:50
tortjohn@yahoo.com
Audiophile

Posts: 204
Location: MA USA
Joined: March 28, 2018
 I know when I was looking for an amp for my 1.7 I spoke to people at Mcintosh and they said their autoformer amps didn't pair well with Maggie's. Ideally you want class A A/B that doubles it's power with 4 ohm loads. I ended up with a Parasound Halo Hint which worked great with the 1.7.
Joto

 

RE: Love my 1.7i but..., posted on May 3, 2021 at 12:37:45
Mike K
Audiophile

Posts: 13975
Location: 97701
Joined: September 23, 1999
 PS Audio M700s work very nicely with Magnepans ...

Lack of skill dictates economy of style. - Joey Ramone

 

RE: Love my 1.7i but..., posted on April 30, 2021 at 16:45:10
Green Lantern
Audiophile

Posts: 16952
Location: San Diego, Ca
Joined: November 12, 2002
Contributor
  Since: June 17, 2003
 Wow 91db in a 12x14 room would make my ears bleed; I guess I'm getting old...









 

Ditto, posted on May 1, 2021 at 07:44:04
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 37634
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 I find mid 80s LOUD! :)

 

could be searching for 'slam' -nt, posted on May 2, 2021 at 11:09:39
Green Lantern
Audiophile

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









 

RE: could be searching for 'slam' -nt, posted on May 4, 2021 at 18:59:29
farfetched
Audiophile

Posts: 963
Location: Cleveland!
Joined: October 13, 2010
 Big bang baby it's a gas gas gas



/ optimally proportioned triangles are our friends


 

RE: could be searching for 'slam' -nt, posted on May 4, 2021 at 21:20:36
Steviewunda
Audiophile

Posts: 22
Location: Waikato
Joined: February 3, 2021
 I have 1.7's powered by a Hegel 190 amp, plus 2 active sealed subs. A DEQX DSP/DAC room correction, eq, and crossover unit means the amp and Maggies don't have to deal with the lower bass frequencies, and I can play as loud as I need to ;-) Because I have bypassed the attenuator and fuse in the Maggies there is the ever-present possibilty of blowing tweeters, but I'm hoping that the amp is less likely to clip with the DEQX crossover diverting the (power-needy) bass to the active subs. Fingers crossed ;-)

 

lol that's slam. curious tho, posted on May 5, 2021 at 12:13:53
farfetched
Audiophile

Posts: 963
Location: Cleveland!
Joined: October 13, 2010
 I have my own definition of slam: slam is when a pianist is really reaching the limits of their instrument, and sometimes you can hear the playing is almost turning into the whole damn box being slammed into the ground, ala that Dafos space on the inestimable Mickey Hart album.

Curious: where do you feel the need to crossover? I have my single ML Depth set to the 45hz crossover and run the LRS's full range. I do not get thesame Dafos/Richter slam w/o the sub. The LRS's have plenty of punch [for my volume levels] on their own down to ~50hz.

I am lucky. I don't mind that a sub has to do that work. If it bothered me, um, I haven't calculated that into my retirement plans.



/ optimally proportioned triangles are our friends


 

double ditto, posted on May 1, 2021 at 11:26:29
farfetched
Audiophile

Posts: 963
Location: Cleveland!
Joined: October 13, 2010
 Yup.

I am wondering if all of us should have a otological ID tag we can opt to use that indicates what decade our ears are in, like

(3 - go ahead and hate me)

(5 - it must be the amp)

(6 -- holy fuck what happened to 5khz of my hearing!)

(10 - the brain rewires things, you would be surprised)


------
Oh sure, come on now, yes I do rock out! If it's worth playing it's worth playing loud, as Mickey's t-shirt sez.

I would add, "sometimes."

My listening life is cruising along mostly <80db. Life is good, and I can hear the tones and qualities with wonderful vividness on the little LRS's. Room is only slightly bigger than OP, with no opening to other area however.

That added area might be the problem. Others are saying amps: I'm gonna say, nope, you can't energize that other area, and it sounds like it should be counted as part of the room.


/ optimally proportioned triangles are our friends


 

RE: Anything other than Bryston for Maggies these days?, posted on April 30, 2021 at 13:44:05
DCStevens
Audiophile

Posts: 10
Location: Detroit, MI
Joined: February 13, 2020
 I think you need a different amplifier. I initially used a MC2250 with my 1.7i, and was also disappointed with the volume that was available.

My research found that most people with Magnepans had the best results with high current amplifiers. Typical brands include Bryston, Parasound, Magtech, and others. Magnepan would frequently use Bryston amps to demonstrate their speakers.

I purchased a Magtech amp from Sanders Sound Systems and I am very happy with it. The Magtech provides 900 watts into 4 ohm speakers, which provides ample SPL when I need to rock out.

I would recommend checking the Sanders ( http://sanderssoundsystems.com/ ) website as the founder, Roger Sanders, has provided a number of white papers regarding high current amps that I found interesting and would be relevant to your inquiry. They also offer a 30 day money-back trial period and a lifetime warranty.

 

RE: Anything other than Bryston for Maggies these days?, posted on May 3, 2021 at 05:08:41
CJ280
Audiophile

Posts: 3
Location: NE
Joined: December 15, 2020
 I appreciate your input and will look into your suggestions. I typically listen 75-80dB but occasionally want (i.e., need) to crank it for a song or two.

 

RE: Anything other than Bryston for Maggies these days?, posted on April 30, 2021 at 15:59:23
emailtim
Audiophile

Posts: 5468
Joined: July 2, 2017
 Sanders also offers a significant discount to Planar Asylum and Martin Logan Owners Group members.
.

2022/03/30 Historical Records CENSORED

 

RE: Love my 1.7i but..., posted on April 30, 2021 at 11:57:24
emailtim
Audiophile

Posts: 5468
Joined: July 2, 2017
 General options are:

- Larger amp
- Bi-amping (not an option with the serial XO)
- Stereo Subs with higher XO point between subs and mains
- Larger Maggie panels (but need larger room)

Are you running the 1.7i's full range or using a high pass filter on them ?

If you are running a high-pass filter on the 1.7i's, what is the XO point ?
.

2022/03/30 Historical Records CENSORED

 

RE: Love my 1.7i but..., posted on May 3, 2021 at 05:04:34
CJ280
Audiophile

Posts: 3
Location: NE
Joined: December 15, 2020
 Thanks for the input. I'm running them full range. I was planning stereo subs down the road but may need to put the amp at front of the line. I got a decent deal on the McIntosh and had to try it out. Great sound.

 

RE: Love my 1.7i but..., posted on May 3, 2021 at 09:41:27
emailtim
Audiophile

Posts: 5468
Joined: July 2, 2017
 McIntosh has been a mixed bag with Magnepans for many over the years.

I had 180wpc on 1.6's years ago and it was strained at higher volumes.

If you go the sub route, you will have to find stereo subs that match well with the Maggies. Using a high pass filter on your Maggies will take the bass load off the amp allowing the amp perform better on the Maggie's higher frequencies.
.

2022/03/30 Historical Records CENSORED

 

Page processed in 0.054 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 ]