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In Reply to: question Ozzy posted by Green Lantern on April 4, 2007 at 11:45:55:
">>However, they aren't the only game in town<<what would you recommend in the $500 range?"
Comparing modded MMG's with other $500 speakers isn't really being fair, to the other speakers that is =^] . Try something in the $800-$1000 range maybe.
Follow Ups:
I haven't heard modded MMGs, only stock. But see my recommendation below for the GMA Europas. These are excellent monitors that I could easily live with.
Check your facts....$999 for the Europa vs $550 MMG?
No, check YOUR facts. Used Europas are 500.00-600.00. And when you mod a pair of MMGs, they are no longer 550.00 either.If you want to talk new prices, the Usher S-520 will give the MMG a good run for the money.
Yes, the MMGs are good. But not the second coming that some would make them out to be.
Again your asking someone to spend twice as much
If you are spending 250.00, and don't have the wherewithall to spend another 250.00, you should probably just buy a table radio and be happy. Because food and shelter are going to be your main concern, not 500.00 speakers.It's not like the difference between 10K and 20K, or has that fact eluded you?
should I get the fish filet or the filet migon?;the McCoffee or the Starbucks 'just reach in my pants pocket and take my money' latte..
and etc., ect.,
This IS a crazy World we're in!
"Live life as if you'll die tomorrow... -Gandhi
Learn life as if you'll live forever..."
Table radio...MMG's...Table radio...MMG's...hmmmmm....tough choice.So Oz, where does it stop?
What about my projector? Heck, it's only another $500 to get a higher resolution, brighter DLP.
Receiver? Forget that, only another $400 and I can get into an entry level preamp. Ahh, forget entry level, if I’m going separates, why not spend $500 more and get something with some actual build quality.
Pro amp? Are you kidding, only $400 more gets me into a good entry level audiophile amp. Of course, now I need 4 more channels of amplification for my surrounds since I went with a preamp over a receiver. No big deal, just another $800 for two more amps.
And on, and on, and on...
So, to you there are only two levels of A/V consumers out there and nothing in between, the table radio people, and the elite audiophiles, right?
On another note, I come by food and shelter for my family just fine, thank you. I know you weren’t necessarily directing that at me, but there are plenty more like me out there so I will speak for all of us. :)
I happen to have a budget every month. So much for gas, so much for groceries, bills, kids activities, and yes, entertainment. Part of my entertainment budget goes to athletics, as my wife and I are huge sports fans and season ticket holders to football, baseball, and basketball for Oklahoma State University. We also try to take the kids on at least one sports vacation every year. Last year we went to St. Louis to see the Cards whip up on the Astros. :)
Yes, my Audio/Video hobby is lumped in with the rest of our entertainment budget. I do have to be a bargain shopper, but I do take care of my family first, and a few hundred bucks isn't something I just throw around without a lot of thought.
Thanks for reminding us that we are all playing at different levels with different ideas of what is good enough.
Believe what your ears say - not hearsay.
"son, I can't afford to send you to college because the guys down at the plant make fun of my power amp I'm using. I've decided to get Brand 'X' and you're going to have to go into the Peace Corps instead"
"Live life as if you'll die tomorrow... -Gandhi
Learn life as if you'll live forever..."
LOL!!! My 3.6’s were more than what we had budgeted for. On the ride home, was actually thinking about how our kids would be better off without a college degree.
seems yours is dead on; good deal!
"Live life as if you'll die tomorrow... -Gandhi
Learn life as if you'll live forever..."
I like your thinking - very rational. I think you have a very nice system for $2,000. If it sounds good; it *is* good.
> So Oz, where does it stop? <You know they call this place an asylum for a reason.......
Oz
By the way, after all I posted, if I found something that would really be a noticeable improvement for a few hundred bucks, I'd be all over it, don't worry. Honestly, I'm not interested if it's something that I can't point out fairly obviously in a blind test. Here's my point, and this is what separates these Maggies from every other speaker I’ve ever heard, to me...Let’s say I decided to do some testing. I would start off with any given pair of good, quality, box speakers that I’ve ever owned, or heard for that matter. The speakers would not be seen, only heard. I would listen to any number of songs I choose. Something of good quality that I’m familiar with. Maybe listen for 10 or 15 minutes.
The next day, a the same time, in the same listening position, with everything else being exactly the same, I perform the same test with any other pair of good, quality, box speakers that I’ve ever owned, or heard for that matter, again :^).
Let’s say I perform this same test, on 5 different sets of speakers, 3 times each, randomly, 15 days in a row. Let’s say I have a list in front of me with each of the 5 speakers listed. Until now, I honestly don’t think I could tell you if I was listening to a $1,800 set of Paradigms, $400 set of DIY, or a $500 set of B&W’s, as long as it was a good, quality set of speakers.
After spending a week with these new Maggies, for the first time in my life, I am absolutely certain I could pick them every time. It’s not even close. I don’t know if I just have an ear that prefers the planar sound or what, but it is like nothing I have ever heard personally.
Oh yeah, my testing method would also have my IB sub running from about 60hz on down, and level matched with each set of speakers. Doing this, you could even throw some pretty small monitors in there and the lack of low bass wouldn't be evident.
"You know they call this place an asylum for a reason......."
You make some very good points.
Although I've heard lots of much more expensive speakers that were better to some degree or another than my 1.6s, so far I've only heard 1 speaker that I would give them up for, and a box speaker at that.They were the Devore Silverbacks at over 15K per pair. I heard them at Stereophile's Home Entertainment show in NYC 3 or 4 years ago. Best sound I ever heard from a loudspeaker, period, Probably 17K or more by now. Even at that price they're inexpensive compared to their competition. At one tenth the price, the 1.6's can hold their own against most expensive speakers except perhaps in the area of deep bass much below 40 hz.
The Devores’ lack of enclosure colorations and congestion caught my attention too. Amazing purity, transparency, and resolution w/o being sterile or warm...just natural. If anything, found the Super 8' soundstage was slightly forward (but not in your face), images were tight and focused, but didn’t fill or energize the room. It excelled with acoustics and vocals, but seemed to lack pace and weight with more complex tunes. However, the Silverback have all the strengths of the Super 8' with a bigger soundstage, more lively, and didn’t feel limited with music genre. So far, the Silverback is one of the very few fully enclosed, cone driver speakers that I’d consider dumping my 3.6’s for.
I know this is all heresy on a Maggie site. What can I tell you, I'm not perfect. :-) You forgot to mention the tight deep natural bass. Steve DeVore was demonstrating them in one of the bigger hotel rooms at the New York Hilton. Not an ideal location. But, he obviously spent a lot of effort with setup, electronics, placement and room treatments. I use my flawed memory of that short listening session as my standard for what I'm trying to achieve at home. I'm going to the next HE show next month in NYC. Steve Devore makes his speakers in Brooklyn, I believe, so I hope he'll there again with the Silverbacks. I need a fix.
All maggies, all the time is getting old. I wish the other dipole users and those who moved on to something else would chime in more. Dipoles need room to breathe and don’t perform their best in a shoehorn. Dipole-ish conventional speakers like the Devores, Gallos, Piega, Vandersteen maybe better alternatives in a small room. I left out the bass b/c in another posting could only come up with words like bootylicious, well rounded, taut. Yeah, I was thinking about jlo butt…hopefully the new meds will kick in soon.
Believe what your ears say - not hearsay.
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