None. However, they will reveal flaws of poor CDs and electronics.

I have always preferred the sound of Maggies to box speakers. The closest box speakers I enjoy are the Vandersteens. These Maggies are very real sounding, clear, transparent with a well placed soundstage. Well recorded CDs sound terrific (Telarcs, Chesky) and poorly recorded ones sound tinny and awful. If you like to listen to mainstream, often poorly recorded music, buy box speakers with mediocre transient response.

A drawback is they are sensitive to the listening room. They must be placed properly for good bass (true of any speaker) and can sound overly bright if played in a room with large reflecting surfaces. Best played with the hdrapes shut if you have a large window in your listening room.

Also, they will reveal any junk in your electronics. For best result, use the shortest electronic path between your CD and your speaker. Cut out the volume control circuit on your CD player and bypass the tone controls on your amp.

Use good connectors (I use Monster Cable). Also, I use
the resistor supplied by Magnepan to cut back the treble, since my listening room is very bright. This works nicely.

Similar Products Used:

Maggie 1.4s. Sold the 1.4s to get 1.6QR.

None.

I finally have my stereo system hooked up. This is an update to a previous review. I have them 10ft apart using bettercable.com cables. They are bi-wired. They are 3ft from the side wall and 6ft from the rear wall. I am using a Jolida 1000a intergrated tube amp. I am using silver IC between my CD player and my Minidisc player. I spent well over 3 grand for this system and I will never by another upgrade. I feel my search for perfection in stereo sound has come to an end. I highly recommend these speakers. However, it would be wise to invest in a tube amp and excellent cable to get the most out of these speakers. For example, I can turn my volume all the way and I put my ear flush to the speakers and I hear no hiss, no distortion, pure stereo sound.

Similar Products Used:

None really.

I forgot to add one critical element. I used a db meter to tweak the sound of these speakers to my listening room level. From where I sit, my db level is 70db. This is with the volume control at a 2 o'clock position. 70db is a normal listening level comparable to a room conversation of several people. I sit 20ft away from the speakers. So in closing, go to your local radio shack, get a db meter, make your adjustments and sit back for the total music NIRVANA..............

The tweeter is the cleanest QR I've heard yet. The woofer is thumping. However, I'd like to hear the usual 4ohm resistor attenuate that tweeter.

Clarity, Staging, Dynamics, "Diffrent" style, Minute detail, and of course price

Placement placement placement

I was in the market to purchase a set of speakers for the apartment. So I started looking at the Martin Logans Aerious's and Scenarios. Well I really liked the way the ML's looked but when it came time to test drive the speakers. I was kinda of shocked. Especially for there $2100 price tag. They sounded overly excesivly harsh (the mid's where spiking around 1k and 2.5k bands, i'll explain how i know this) and the highs were not there. This was running a 1/3 octave pink noise CD and using an RTA to analyse the wave form. Of course anything under 80hz was almost none exsistent. The ML sounded great for jazz, chamber music, and solo piano and/or guitar. They really left much to be desired with popular music though. The sharp bass is not there but again to acheive that pound on your chest bass get a sub. You are talking sub 25hz hits there. Also the RTA confirmed that. Sharp drop off after 85 hz. % more hz than ML spec's. Don't get me wrong but if you have to dampen the hell out of speakers to make them sound the greatest than that is a problem in my book. Dampening is for cars or acoustical rooms. Not your living room.

So out i go to search again and come to the web. I see that most people looking for the same type of speakers also where looking at the magnapan. So i decided to take a look at them and take them for a spin. Armed with my trustee test cd's I went to Audio perfection. I told them what my budget was and they almost immediatly pointed me to the magna's 1.6qr. So i put some test cd's in and the speakers sounded well rounded with just a bit of a dip on the high side but nothing extravagent. So to confirm in comes the RTA. I was right, there was a minor dip in the 10khz band but was only off by 3 dbs and the low roll of started at around 60 hz instead. That type of bass will cover most music save for techo, Jungle, Rap, or heavy Rock (like pantera) So I put in my other test CD that has all kinds of music on it. The first track was a jazz cut. Those guys where there. I closed my eyes and the defintion was spectacular. I could "see" every single instument. Then came female voice song. Detailed, pronounced but not over killed on the mid's. Then came one of my favorite tracks. This is to test the dynamics of the speakers and also how low can it go. With this track most speakers fail. I used to use this for evaluation of car systems in IASCA. This last track is an orchestal piece with a pipe organ. Can you say 18hz drop!!!! Well needless to say the maggies did not reproduce that at all. But the dynamic shift from low freq to hi freq was marvelous. The cymbals crashed when they where supposed and they did not sound ear piercing or harsh at all. And this is happening while the pipe organ is blasting away. And all this for a mere $1500!!!! I have a pair at home now :) They go down to about 40 hz in my place. RTA confirmed. I already played some pantera and those maggies unbelievably handled them extremly well. Those speakers are apperently made for small places. My living room is 20X20. After about 15 minutes of tinkering and movng them around if found the optimal placement. Also I am using one spacer instaed of the 2 spacers recommended in the manual. Brought the sound stage down instead of over my head. Now i need to get the maggies center channel!!!! :)

Similar Products Used:

ML Aerius's i & Scenarios.

open sound, balanced presentation

none at his price point or at twice this price point

This is a really good speaker. I have had over one year now. I auditioned over 50 pairs of speakers before choosing the 1.6's. The Absolute Sound raves about this speaker. Stereophile had this as one the runner ups for product of the year, and reported that this was the best or one of the best audio values in 20 years. I have been the "audio guy" for my church and have helped choose quality equipment for others for many years. Don't rely on negative reviews from "consumers" who may not appreciate music or quality audio products.

After owning the Magneplanar 1.6s, I would never, ever, purchase another box speaker again. At $1,475, I don't think you could even begin to possibly come close. Arrange an audition, even if you choose other speakers, you will appreciate the musical quality and have an enjoyable time.

Similar Products Used:

various box speakers--

Price

Bass, Size

What you pay is what you get. These speaker needed additional subwoofer help. The detail, soundstage and its transparency is not as great as mentioned in the other review. The only strong point for these speaker is its value, Less money per square footage compared to other smaller speaker which obviously sound better. In my opinion, there are alot of other speakers in this price range which sound better. Listened first then make your decision.

clear, natural sound.

none

Before I purchased these speakers I had done months of research with a friend of mine who had recently purchased the MMGs. He turned me onto the Maggies and that helped spur me to research them even more. I auditioned all of the above speakers for extended periods of time(usually at least two hours of listening for the models listed if not more for some). Then I heard the 1.6s and that was the end of that. Well six months later I am even more pleased with the sound then when I first got them. They are now completely broken in and the sound has evened out considerably. The bass is now deeper(surprisingly so) and the mids and highs are so smooth and clear. They do reveal what kind of components are driving them. They won't let you settle for common components or else the sound suffers. Now that I have upped my components a little closer to par things just get better. Let me tell you a couple of stories about the natural and real sound of the 1.6s:

STORY 1: I was cleaning my scooter one day out in the parking lot where I live. I had turned up my stereo with some live guitar playing and vocals. A girl came walking along and stopped to listen. When the song was over she clapped and asked if I knew those guys upstairs playing.

STORY 2: Much like the previous story only this time I was inside just cooking or something. I was listening to the same album as before and opened the patio door to let in the cool evening breeze. *knock*knock* I answered the door to see a bewildered girl. She asked where the guys were that were playing the song she heard outside.

I just love these speakers. I can just sit there and listen for hours on end.
If there were only more stars to give...

Similar Products Used:

KEF, B&W, Klipsche, MartinLogan, Infinity

I'm looking very strongly about building a system around the 1.6's. Would sincerely appreciate comments on amps, cables and cd sources people have found to be successful matches for these speakers.

Vast majority of listening is older jazz, blues, and frank sinatra.

thanks in advance

Entered 5's so to not throw off the average

Detail, Imaging, Resolution

None

I have owned these for almost two years now, and I still can't say anything bad about them. I started out using a cheap Sony cd player, and a Yamaha receiver, and the sound was still better than anything I had previously heard in my house, although it was a little brite. Slowly the bug began to bite, and I began upgrading the rest of my system around these speakers. All I can say is these babies should be the last speakers you will ever own. Any improvement to the rest of the system will be easily noticed.
Associated Equiptment:

Magnepan 1.6QR Speakers
B+K AVR 202 Receiver
Arcam 7se CD Player as a transport
MSB Link DAC III Gold and P1000 power supply
BEL Interconnects
BEL S-24 Speaker Cable