Planar Speaker Asylum

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

Return to Planar Speaker Asylum


REVIEW: Magnepan Magneplanar 1.6QR Speakers

74.96.124.56


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] Thread:  [ Display   All   Email ] [ Planar Speaker Asylum ]
[ Alert Moderator ]

Model: Magneplanar 1.6QR
Category: Speakers
Suggested Retail Price: $1500
Description: Planar Magnetic Loudspeaker
Manufacturer URL: Magnepan
Model Picture: View

Review by esande on November 28, 2010 at 06:41:42
IP Address: 74.96.124.56
Add Your Review
for the Magneplanar 1.6QR


I'll skip to the bad part first. That's so's to get it out of the way. These speakers are not inexpensive. The basic 1.6QRs are but the Magnestand mods are not. You'll basically pay twice the stock price for these. Still not unreasonable for what you get.

Well, that was easy.

It didn't hurt a bit. Now, what do you get. You just doubled the cost of your new 1.6QRs. But now you have the incomparable craftsmanship of Peter Gunn, the diminutive woodworker from Pennsylvania, and his cohorts on your side. I don't know that he has cohorts, I just made that up. But his craftsmanship shows.

The basic 1.6QR is a normal flat panel two way Magneplanar, not particularly different from many of the other speakers Magnepan has produced over the years except for its quasi-ribbon mid-tweeter design.

It's packaged in the usual MDF (mediun density fiberboard) construction that allows it to be sold at a price point that is quite a bit less than would normally be expected for speakers of this capability.

In other words they don't sound bad stock and they are a good value.

The usual Magneplanr caveats apply. They ARE inefficient at 86 dBm and they do want high current amps to sound their best.

They are relatively, maybe I should say extremely, sensitive to placement. You're going to need some serious space to get the best soundstaging and linearity out of them. You are going to need about three to five feet from the back wall and the more spacing you can get from the side walls, although not critical, is better. These speakers need air and space.

However, they excel at so many things that it's hard to fault the stock units overall.

Now, why would you want to mod them? Because, frankly, in certain areas they suck. Stock, they beam highs and are way too bright overall. The bass is not well integrated. The physical construction, well, these speakers are built to a price point.

If you can take advantage of some mods I recommend that you do so.

These speakers can be brought up to world-class. There is nothing wrong with the basic planar-magnetic design.

The "Gunned" 1.6QRs.

I was not too favorable to having this done initially. However the were shortcomings in the speakers that I did not expect. As a long-term SMGs user I expected the 1.6QRs to carry over the same sound with more bass. Yet they did not.

Yes, there was more bass. But the character of the treble was altered, and the overall tonality was different. It was worse comparatively.

And the high end sucked.

So I was in a position where there didn't seem to be too many options other than to go with the mods. Or else ditch the 1.6s.

So I went with the mods.

Overall I'm glad I did. I've got them broken in now, they are sounding fine. A great job by Peter Gunn and I can't say enough about how good they sound.




Product Weakness: None after modifications
Product Strengths: Affordable high-end


Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Bryston 4BSST
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Benchmark DAC1
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Computer
Speakers: Magnestand 1.6QR
Cables/Interconnects: Generic
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Jazz, Rock, Alternative
Room Size (LxWxH): 14 x 30 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments: None
Time Period/Length of Audition: 11 months
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Parts Connexion  



Topic - REVIEW: Magnepan Magneplanar 1.6QR Speakers - esande 06:41:42 11/28/10 ( 48)