Jaw-dropping presence, very low distortion, most "real" sound I've ever heard. Price!

No weaknesses

I suspended mine from the ceiling, and they sound ridiculous. I get unsolicited comments about the sound. People I just met say that it sounds like the performers are in the room. It's delightfully erie. The dogs bark madly when we watch movies with animal sounds, door bells, whistles, etc. I couldn't be happier.

I've matched them with a Paradigm PDR-12 subwoofer. Not the best, but it is absolutely wonderful for my taste in sound. I listen to a lot of classical, jazz and otherwise accoustic music at realistic volumes. I made my own speaker cables, about 6 feet long, following some directions I found on the 'net. Each cable is two strands of Category 5 Ethernet cable (cheap) twisted together, ends stripped and soldered. They were a substantial improvement over my previous 4-foot 12-guage stranded copper.

The real improvement was the placement. For each speaker, I attached two two-foot shelf rails from Home Depot to the ceiling. They're almost invisible. Then I removed the stock metal feet from the Maggies and attached white metal chain to the same screw holes. On the other end of the chains I attached a strong but pliant spring, also from Home Depot. This absorbs sound vibrations, and hopefull will protect my speakers when the San Andreas fault finally snaps. (We live about 200 yards from the beast.) The springs then attach to the openings in the rails on the ceiling. I used rails so that I could adjust the distance from the walls and the toe-in. Given the four-foot tall size of the MMG's, they are now at a perfect height for both sitting and standing. I just cannot believe the sound. Also, the Wife Acceptance Factor improved significantly. YES!!!

These speakers are a thorough delight.

If you would like more details or pictures of any of the above cheapie tweaks, please e-mail me at mcombo68@pacbell.net.

Other equipment:
Parasound 2205A
Parasound 1800AVC
Paradigm PDR-12
Home-made terrible rear channel speakers from high school
Better Cables interconnects
Pioneer 3-disc DVD-CD player (model???)

Similar Products Used:

None

Imaging and soundstaging, clarity. Pretty much everything that has already been said by others.

Small sweet spot. Long break in period. Bass not as deep as some would like. Want to spend lots of money on better Maggies :)

I've been meaning to upgrade my music/home theater system for quite some time. My usage is about 75% music, 25% home theater. After a lot of research (here and elsewhere), I decided to order the MMGs even without the chance to hear them first. Setting the speakers up in an "optimal" listening configuration, (my listening area is pretty small at 18x13x8.5) was not as difficult as I had anticipated. However, it's true that any Magnepan speaker needs a decent amount of room to perform. You need to start by placing them a few feet from the back *and* side wall in order for them to work their magic. They sound pretty good just plunking them down in that fashion. After that it's just some really fine (1" - 2") adjustments, a little toe-in, and you're done. The documentation that comes with the speakers is very good in this respect.

When evaluating Magnepans, I think it is really important to let them break in properly before passing final judgement - especially in regards to bass response. Those panels do take a while to "loosen up." I've been listening to these speakers for over 2 months before finally deciding to write something about them. After getting them properly placed, my impressions over the first week or two mirrored some of the negative comments made about these speakers: way too bright, poor bass response. However, by the end of the first month, the treble and upper-midrange had smoothed out very nicely. Synth-pop and violins sounded great again! I was also surprised by how much the bass response had improved. Just to give people an idea of how low the MMGs can go (at least in my room), I have a REL Strata III subwoofer matched to the MMGs rolled-off at 38Hz (B4). I *absolutely* agree with a previous reviewer who stated "these may be some of the only 'main speakers' in the world where you will spend as much or more on a well-matched subwoofer than you do on your mains." If you listen to a lot of rap, trance, industrial, etc., you will want, but not necessarily need, a well matched sub - don't skimp. BTW, the REL blends perfectly with the MMGs (thanks to all the other Maggie owners here and elsewhere for pointing me to this line of subs - full review another day).

Most of my evaluation of this speaker was done listening to music. However, one comment on home theater: the MMGs did such a great job creating a "phantom center" and reproducing the dialog that some of my friends were fooled into thinking that the old Klipsch center channel I have on top of my television was actually being used when, in fact, it is not even connected to the rest of my equipment!

Unfortunately, due to how well these Maggies perform, I was corrupted into auditioning the higher priced MG1.6QR. :) Needless to say, the MMGs have replaced my (way too bright) Klipsch KG2.2s as surrounds and I have $1700 less in my bank account. No comment on 1.6s for now - I've only had them set up for about 5 days.

In sum, I feel that the MMGs are one of the best pair of speakers you can buy for under a thousand dollars and probably the best value dollar for dollar. If you do decide to give them a shot, please give them a few weeks of heavy use before deciding if you like them or not. If you have a CD changer, load a wide variety of music into it, set it for "All Discs Repeat", and leave the system on at a moderate level while you're at work during the day.

Current equipment:

Magnepan MG 1.6QR
Magnepan MMG
REL Strata III Subwoofer
Sunfire Cinema Grand Amplifier (200x5)
Sunfire Theater Grand II Processor/Pre-Amp
Pioneer Elite DV-C36 5 disc DVD/CD Changer
Monster M550i interconnects
Monster Lightspeed 100 (Digital)
Monster XP (Mains)
Monster 16-2R-CL (Surrounds)

(Currently in search for better interconnects and speaker cable. Any Maggie owners care to recommend some I should try?)

Similar Products Used:

Own: Magnepan MG1.6QR. Listened to: Martin Logan Aerius, Martin Logan Scenario, Paradigm Reference Studio 100 (though not really similar)

price, size, quickness

bass, bright treble

After over 15 years of use my beloved Magnepan MGI's finally bit the dust. After much research and some dealer listening of box speakers, I took a chance on a pair of MMG's ordered factory direct. I know the Magnepan sound and was expecting an improvment over my 15 year old speakers. I was not blown away when I first connected to my system. I went online, read these reviews and others, did all of the tweaks (put the speakers on blocks, tweeters on the inside, tweeters on the outside, tilted forward, tilted back, put the resistor in, etc.) but I could not get a sound I liked from these speakers. In my room they were not as detailed as my MGI's. I also could not tame the high end brightness that approached irritating on some recordings. I thought about getting another pair of MMG's thinking they were broke (which they may have been) but when I saw and bought a pair of used Quad ESL63's I decided to return the MMG's.

Equipment (during the review):
Audio Research CA50 tube integrated
Marantz 63se CD
MSB Link DAC III
Kimber Hero and 4VS cables

Similar Products Used:

Magnepan MG1, Quad ESL 63

Uncanny realism, speed, accuracy, gorgeous looks

Get real.

I bought these out of sheer curiosity, having never experienced planar sound before. I will not repeat many of the already familiar superlatives accorded these truly great speakers, but suffice it to say I was almost moved to tears when I really heard music for the first time 'the way it is meant to be heard'! Voices, strings, acoustic instruments, and even electric instruments sounded so correct, it was truly as if a veil was lifted immediately and I finally experienced the music for the first time! And yes, you must experiment a bit to get the best location for best sound, although most locations sound great, to be honest. It took me just under an hour of trying about 6 different locations until I settled for keeping them 6 feet apart and 2 feet out from the wall in an acoustically somewhat, but not overbearingly live room. Jim Winey and company are to be canonized for bringing planar sound to the masses efficiently, and affordably! 5 stars since I can't give 100!

Sundry boxes and wires:

Magnepan MMG's
Audio Research amplification
Denon DCM-370 HDCD player
HSU research sub
Straightwire cabling all around

Similar Products Used:

'fill in the blank' 'monkey coffin' box speaker

Great price performance ratio. Imaging, speed, detail, etc.

None.

Well, I'm not much of a technophile, but I can say I have been enjoing these speakers. I purchased them after hearing the 1.6 QR's and thought I had nothing to lose by buying these and seeing what they were like with the money back guarantee/trade-up incentive.

The speakers are very detailed and have the much already talked about wide, impressive soundstage. Magnepan says that it takes six weeks for these puppies to break in. I wonder if they will sound much different in a few more weeks?

For some strange reason, I have not noticed their power hungryness. I guess my old speakers may have been power guzzlers (1980 GNP SB-1 and matching subwoofers).

The bass is shy and I am thinking about a good subwoofer after I hear what these speakers sound like when they're fully broken in.

One criticism, which may also be a complement- the MMG's don't hide anything. If there is a flaw in the recording, it will stand out and if the record sounds good, it will sound awesome on these speakers.

I am not much of a home theatre fan, so I can't comment on how well these speakers will perform for HT applications. The lack of low punchy bass may be a problem.

Here's my system.

MMG's
PS Audio IVH Preamp
PS Audio IIC Plus Power amp
Harman/Kardon CDR2
Systemdek IIX Turntable w/ Ortofon Super 10
Tara Klara Speaker cable
Randall Research Interconnects

Similar Products Used:

Nothing like it.

Transparent, controlled bass, excellent imaging.

Limited in the lowest bass and highest treble.

MMG Power Requirements

Maneplanar speakers may not play very loud when driven by a purist 5W single-ended amplifier, but, in general, their reputation for being amplifier power hogs is largely undeserved, at least for normal home listening conditions.

I drive a pair of MMGs with an NAD 701 receiver rated at 25W RMS per channel (into an 8 Ohm load), in a large room with a good mix of absorbing/reflecting surfaces. I play a variety of music, from small group (bass-rich) Jennifer Warnes material to Mahler full symphonic power and get distortion-free 90dB+ peaks without even pushing the amp. NAD's 25W are conservative and the 701 is capable of delivering more power for short periods of time, but I would argue that a 100W amplifier is not needed for normal home listening levels.

For the technically inclined I note that the MMG sensitivity is 86dB at 2.83V. That means that this 4 Ohm speaker needs 1W to deliver 83dB SPL at 1m. Therefore a (quite loud) 98dB sustained power peak requires 32W RMS, well within the realm of the average 25/50W rated receiver/amp (with reasonable headroom capability for short power bursts).

The MMG is a great value in general, and IMHO the highest value (quality/price) model in the Magnepan line.

Similar Products Used:

MG 1.5, MG 2.7

Got it yesterday and set it up almost immediately. Although I did not have enough time to configure it optimally, let me just say that "Porgi Amor" - Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro never sounded more transparent and open! The vocal is truly breathtaking.
The next disc I put on is a classic jazz vocal. The cymbals are fast, voices are lively, and all the instruments sounded crystal clear. Using only those two discs, I did not encounter a problem with bass - perhaps due to the program. It is not floor shaking but is satisfactory.

It is more demanding on the power though; I had to turn the volume dial past 12 o'clock position for the first time.

My next steps are to 1). play around with the positioning (waiting to get an entertainment armoire), 2) use more challenging material (like orchestral music for sound stage, Saint-Saens "Organ" Symphony #3 for bass, "Tomorrow Never Dies" for home theater), and 3) compare the difference in sound quality once connected to my subwoofer (Advent AV-550s).

But even right now, I would still give it five stars.

Equipment used:

Sony STR-DA80ES
Sony DVP-600D
Magnepan MMG (previous speakers = JBL HLS-820)

Sorry, but these speakers will not Rock. They will fall apart in every aspect when pushed hard. Not enough SPL, even with a great sub. Acoustic music at quite SPL's, quite good. BUT, THEY WILL NOT ROCK.

Thin film speakers (planar, electrostat, & ribbon) are an acquired taste. AND this taste is not for everyone. There are unusual features to that may be difficult to overcome and appreciations that take time to develop in a listener. The speakers tend to be large, often resembling doors. This is a major hurdle to convince the spouse to listen and forget the door resemblance.
They often present a difficult load to amplifiers. This puts them into the category of $500+ receivers or separate components.
The sound is different and unique. It is modulated out from thin membrane. It is qualitatively apart from the dynamic, pushed sound of cone drivers.
But if you grow to acquire the taste for audio gems, these speakers will open new worlds of listening pleasure.
Their large size creates a huge sound field. This is very much like a live concert.
The dipole design gently fills the room with sound. Imaging and inner voice merge.
The thin film is very quick, so the sound is precise. Often, you hear more of the music because the speaker has the super millisecond time to resolve instrument sounds.
They sound exactly the same at low volume. Background music is just a wonderful as the concert stage or the movie house, just quieter.
Lastly, and it just may be me, but I find this kind of speaker much less fatiguing to the ears. I spent a great deal of time listening.
For a variety of reasons I took a year to preview speakers before stepping into the marketplace. My efforts included listening to virtually every moderately priced speaker available. I'm sure there is something better at the high end, but for $500 these speakers are incredible!
The MMG's are an entry level speaker. If it were Magnepan's finest there would be no need to make any other models. They are not perfect. There is some compression in denser musical selections. There can be minor rattling of the film in loud drum passages. But these are small criticisms to the overall picture.
If one is willing to take time to break in the speakers, experiment with placement, purchase good basic equipment, and test different types of reasonably priced speaker wire, there is nothing better near this price point. These speakers will leave behind the lower categories of Stereophile's Recommended Speakers in sound quality.
They are an amazing value.
Using these speakers as R/L in home theater applications is a special treat. They fill the sound stage with smooth, delicate, open detail which grows the movie experience.
Five stars is the maximum on this scale. I wish there was a stonger way to show my appreciate for this jewel that shines with every CD and DVD.

spectacular sound at a great price point, trade-in offer

only available from manufacturer, bass is insufficient for home theater, but what do you expect for $500?

If you have never heard a planar speaker before, you should really go out to your local hifi audio shop and try out a pair. You'll be amazed at the sound that comes out of the high-end electrostatics and other Magnepans, but probably balk at their price.

For the true home theater experience, I would recommend getting an additional subwoofer from a company like Velodyne.

The speakers are a bit large and require a decent amount of space around them on all sides for maximum performance. They are also not very small (14.5in x 48in x 1.25in) and are not suitable for very space conscious users. I personally think they are esthetically pleasing, but I have had quite a few friends see them for the first time and respond with a "Wow, they're big".

The nominal impedance on these speakers is 4 Ohms. As a point of reference, I use a Yamaha RX-V2095 receiver and it works great.

Well, the MMGs definitely bridge the gap between high cost planar speakers and consumer level prices. For a modest price Magnepan will pack up a pair of these puppies and ship them to your door (Unfortunately they are only available direct from the manufacturer right now). They also have a fairly unique offer in that you can trade in your MMGs for a higher model Magnepan through one of their dealers. For many models, the trade-in value is the full purchase price. Personally, I would rather keep the MMGs and use them as a second pair of speakers.