I'm Don, and I have a problem.It's a room and a love of the sound of Magnepans..
As an old (and old time) audiophile - I've always loved the sound of planar speakers. I've owned things like the Jantzen Z-400 speakers, and lusted after speakers like KLH-9's (probably the most amazing sound I ever heard was a pair in a perfect room, driven by a Marantz 8B with a McIntosh C22 preamp and some very good vinyl.)
I have an office I spend a lot of my time in now - it's where the computers live. It's an oddball room in our house - with an oddball shape, more or less a shoebox shape.
Size is roughly 9'W x 14' (or 17' depending on where you measure to) deep. Ceiling height is 7'6" and is a semi-accoustic ceiling.
I managed to sell my old McIntosh ML-2C's which never sounded good in this room (WAY WAY too big, and located on the long wall) and would like to move to planars.
I'd love to keep the original layout of the room since I'm looking out a window when at the computer, but I realize that may not be possible to get acceptable sound.
I've been to two Magnepan dealers - and got to audition the MGG-W's (not in anything like an optimal room/layout) and MGGs, and the Mini-Maggies.
Out of them all - the standard floor standing MGGs were the most impressive. Good clean sound, good instrument location, and adequate bass for most of what I listen to (and for organ music I could always add a subwoofer..)
The Mini-Maggie I found a bit disconcerting since the crossover between the woofer and the upper panels is rather high, about in the middle of the music being listened to, and I could very clearly hear the transition, and apparent instrument movement from the uppers to the lowers. I also have a problem wrapping my head around the price of the Mini-Maggie despite knowing it's a more complex speaker set then the MMG.
The MMG-C - didn't impress me. The low end was missing, and while instrument location was OK, it just didn't sound as clean as the MMG. I suspect the lack of a seperate tweeter has a good deal to do with that.
So - what to do?
I'm posting an image of the current layout (minus the McIntosh speakers) of the room... and then I'll post another image of one idea I had.
I'm open to all sorts of ideas. The room is being redone, so this is the time to make changes. I saw in the mods section where someone had wall mounted MMG's using piano hinges. I'm curious if this would work, and what the sonic impact might be. Or - whatever else your ideas might be. The bookshelves can be removed or moved (they start abut 5' up on the wall and more or less go to the ceiling.)
Thanks much!
Don Eilenberger
SLH, NJ, USA
Edits: 03/02/12 03/02/12
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Topic - Yet another problem room.. - deilenberger 10:07:56 03/02/12 (50)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - farfetched 01:03:42 03/05/12 (0)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - russ69 21:16:00 03/03/12 (10)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - deilenberger 16:12:20 03/04/12 (2)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - JBen 19:15:02 03/04/12 (0)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - josh358 17:24:36 03/04/12 (0)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - deilenberger 22:48:27 03/03/12 (5)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - russ69 21:00:13 03/04/12 (1)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - JBen 23:51:49 03/04/12 (0)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - josh358 17:35:59 03/04/12 (0)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - JBen 06:06:20 03/04/12 (1)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - deilenberger 09:00:48 03/04/12 (0)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - JBen 21:45:16 03/03/12 (0)
- Don, I was disturbed by what you said about the Mini Maggies - audiozorro 11:06:31 03/03/12 (0)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - warmfires 02:53:33 03/03/12 (0)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - warmfires 20:16:52 03/02/12 (28)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - JBen 00:15:57 03/03/12 (0)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - deilenberger 22:07:52 03/02/12 (26)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - josh358 05:44:06 03/03/12 (25)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - JBen 07:31:18 03/03/12 (24)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - josh358 08:11:59 03/03/12 (23)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - JBen 08:57:23 03/03/12 (22)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - josh358 16:44:41 03/03/12 (19)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - JBen 19:26:17 03/03/12 (18)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - josh358 15:32:57 03/04/12 (17)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - JBen 22:00:03 03/04/12 (16)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - josh358 05:08:49 03/05/12 (15)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - JBen 08:00:47 03/05/12 (5)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - josh358 19:45:54 03/05/12 (4)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - JBen 22:52:46 03/05/12 (3)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - josh358 15:47:26 03/06/12 (2)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - JBen 17:26:09 03/06/12 (1)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - josh358 19:07:17 03/06/12 (0)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - mmlrot1 06:19:14 03/05/12 (8)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - josh358 19:40:15 03/05/12 (2)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - mmlrot1 06:15:11 03/06/12 (1)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - josh358 15:01:36 03/06/12 (0)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - JBen 08:21:00 03/05/12 (4)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - Satie 11:08:00 03/06/12 (1)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - JBen 14:27:36 03/06/12 (0)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - russ69 11:08:33 03/05/12 (1)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - JBen 12:36:23 03/05/12 (0)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - deilenberger 10:31:09 03/03/12 (1)
- RE: Yet another problem room.. - JBen 12:13:13 03/03/12 (0)
- Yet another problem room - first idea - deilenberger 10:11:45 03/02/12 (6)
- RE: Yet another problem room - first idea - Satie 14:36:42 03/02/12 (0)
- RE: Yet another problem room - first idea - deilenberger 10:31:03 03/02/12 (2)
- RE: Yet another problem room - first idea - deilenberger 10:34:31 03/02/12 (1)
- RE: Yet another problem room - first idea - JBen 15:16:00 03/02/12 (0)
- RE: Yet another problem room - first idea - JBen 10:28:48 03/02/12 (1)
- RE: Yet another problem room - some picures - warmfires 05:06:32 03/03/12 (0)