Quality sound for the price

I bought my maggies in 1987. I bought them retail at a store on Long Island (I don't remember the name) and have hauled them during my many military moves through the years. I personally dismantle and pack my maggies in their original box. This is at least one box you can't throw away. I'm sure it is because I kept the orginal packing materials that my maggies have survived.

The only thing that has ever been replaced is one of the fuses. (I loaned them to a friend who pushed way too much power at them) Personally, I power them with a HK385i reciever which was the cheapest reciever I could find that met the current requirements of the SMG's. The maggies don't take a lot of wattage, only amperage. My HK only has 40 watts per channel but that has proven to be more than enough to push the speakers.

Although over 14 years old, the SMG's have continued to sound great. My musical taste leans toward jazz and instrumental which many of the other reviewers have commented on.

I bought my maggies following a "stereo" seminar at the US Air Force Academy. One of the instructors was an audiophile and wanted to make sure we didn't go buy lousy equipment. His goal was for us to be able to put together a quality sound system for under $1000. While the SMG's ate up half of the goal, they have clearly provided that much enjoyment.

Needless to say, I love my maggies and couldn't imagine have a "box" speaker in the house. If nothing else, the SMG's are great conversation starters.

Thanks Magnapan.

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None

Clear sound, Voice is very focal in the center, almost 3D like.

Need some care, mine got rebuilt twice. High frequency went, needed to get some part replace. But I had them for 16 yrs now. They still sound like the first day. Very good that is. Yes, if you need base, these are too small, but what they have for base is very nice and tigh. Don't push them too hard, If not you will hear them rattle.

In resume I still love them. I wanted once to trade them, but I'm glad I still have them. They play almost everyday on the mezzanine of my house and when I seat in fornt of them it is pure experience of listening.

If you can find a pair go ahead they worth their money.
I have talk to people who use them for home theater as front speakers... unbelievable, however need to try them myself.
I used Mission 75 series for my home theater.

Enjoy.

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I have Mission, but honnestly cannot compare, Way too different in style. SMGa sound great with voice, really focus down the center.

impact, imaging, mid-range, bang for the buck

see below

I miss them and still wish I had them, but just don't have the room.

Outstanding speaker, especially for what they are going for on the market. Wonderful full vibrant imaging, eye blinking impact, handled most of whatever I gave them. Some of the best sounds I ever had. I listen to everything from Ozzy to Loreena McKennit and these speakers satisfied me almost always

Weaknesses:?? well, they didn't rumble the earth with bass extension, but very solid into the upper 40's. A bit muddy in the bass. The top end sounded cluttered at times, not allot of "sparkle". Weren't the most detailed speaker I've owned. While I never had any problems in placement (very dead room) allot of people complain they are hard to position correctly. difficult to drive. As thin as they are, they're still a big speaker.

Excellent speaker. outstanding value.

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Dayton Wrights are the only other planier type speaker I have experience with but those were electrostatic. Many cone speakers over the years

....BOUGHT MY SMG'S FOUR YRS AGO AT A LOCAL HI-FI STORE, ON LAYAWAY,FOR $190-- THEY SOUND VERY GOOD,EVEN AT LOW,LESS THAN 5 WATTS OUTPUT---THEY "PROJECT" THE MUSIC ALL THRU THE LIVING AREA(22FTX11FTX8FT)AND EVEN SOUND GOOD UPSTAIRS!! I FOUND OUT FROM MAGNEPAN MY PAIR WERE BUILT IN...1983!!! THEY WORK WELL WITH MY AIWA 40W./CH AMP, OR WITH MY REFURBISHED ST-70 DYNACO TUBE AMP. ANYONE OUT THERE WITH APAIR OF OLDER-THAN-TEN-YEARS "MAGGIES" CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THEM ON THESE PAGES?? MY 'ORIGINAL SMALL MAGGIES' WORK WELL WITH POP, JAZZ,SWING, OR
ORCHESTRAL MUSIC,VERY NATURAL-SOUNDING ON ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENT AND MALE AND FEMALE VOICES--VERY GOOD SPEAKER IF YOU CAN FIND ANY AROUND TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF INTO THE REALM OF "PLANAR SOUND" 4 OF 5 STARS//

Correction to the last reviewer. They do NOT require alot of sheer power. They do require a high current stable load. They are actually easy on the amplifier because they are stable over the entire frequency spectrum. They are, however, a 4 ohm impedence (as opposed to the more common 8 ohm) so that they need an amp that can comfortably support a 4 ohm drive. This requires a good quality power supply. 50 high quality watts per channel easily drives these speakers. A low quality mass market type amp will not. If you have something of the mass market type amplification, then you will, indeed, need 100 or 150 watts because those typically are supplied with larger power supplies (not necessarily higher quality, though, but the sheer power makes up for the lack of high current).
Believe me, even a NAD 314 will adequately drive the SMGs. I have a pair of SMGc speakers and have tried a number of different amps with them.

They are incredible speakers for the money, by the way. I won't go into detail here (I have in a previous review), but I wanted to respond to the person who said they need 150 watts per channel as a generalization. That statement is incorrect.

Non-boxed speakers are the best audiophile speakers I've ever heard. I'd never go back to box type speakers unless they were giving them away. I have the original SMG-A Maggies. They offer the best natural and spacial sounding speakers I've ever heard. They are perfect for Jazz, Classical & New Age types of music. One note is that they are really power hunger and require about 150 Watts of power on average to drive at reasonable high sustained levels. If you have an amp that can drive them, I use Hafler, even at low levels the audible dynamic range is unbelievable. I highly recommend anybody used to listening to boxed speakers to try Planar designed speakers. It's a night and day difference.

Keeps getting better & better

You've got to be kidding

Just an addendum to my earlier review. I've had the Maggies for just over 3 months now and I still think I scored big for what I paid for them. But, the true test isn't what I hear but rather what others hear who are not AUDIOPHILES.
Case in point. I had some clients over for dinner one night and they asked to hear the system. No problem and were duly impressed. I had just unhooked my Focus 78 speakers and they were still in the room. They remarked that the I must really be happy and was I going to sell my inferior speakers ( meaning the Focus 78's) I said no the Maggies are the inferior speaker and set up the 78's for them to listen to. They said these are really nice but the Maggies sound more real, life like. Now I can tell the difference and the Maggies truly are inferior but you know what? I paid 20 times as much so that really only those who are accomplished listeners can tell the difference. To the average person whom we would have in our homes most of the time they are the true test of a systems quality.

They have spoiled me for life...

I grew up in an audiophile household and had always wanted a set of Maggies like my dad's someday. Imagine my surprise when I found a set of SMG's in a local resale store for $49.00 with a sign on them that said "Believe it or not these are speakers." Bunch of savages in this town...

Anyway, I had to do some minor work to them (new grille cloth, new stands, one delaminated wire inside) and have been very thankful ever since.

The sound on these things from my Harmon Kardon Hi-Current amplifier is nimble and light. Since I listen mostly to folk they are a perfect speaker for me since they seem to really reproduce female vocals and acoustic guitar perfectly. The imaging is incredible and one can easily tell what size room the singer was in when she recorded her vocals.

The bass is somewhat lacking, but with the genre of music I listen to this is not much of a weakness. Since I live in a townhome they are especially helpful since they give a full, rich sound even at low volume.

If you've never listened to Maggies before, you owe it to yourself to try them out! Once you really appreciate the qualities of a flat speaker, even the best box speakers will sound too resonant!

The SMG's are smaller speakers and are an older model, so there are definitely bargains to be had out there. Magnepan is also an excellent company and was a pleasure to work with when I ordered the replacement hardware and wire repair kit.

If you find a pair, grab 'em! You won't be disappointed!

Amazingly good sound for the price

at that price?

Got real lucky just happened to ask if they had any Maggies that were used. I was looking for a pair for my "B" system.
They came with a brown grill cloth similar to what the old polish ladies wore for nylons rolled up to the knee. I ordered black grill cloths from Magnepan and recieved them in 3 days.
Look great sound is excellent ( for what they are) and I'm a happy camper. I can't imagine getting a better deal.
Oh BTW I'm driving them with a Sansui Model 35 tube amp about 35 years old. Head uniit is a EAD T1000 Transport and a EAD 7000 DAC. Kimber silver streaks Cardas cross interconnects and speaker cables.
Sounds real good and NO problem driving them even though the amp is rated at 17 watts RMS per side.

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Focus Signature 78 series speakers

Reproduction of vocals,piano,and acoustic instruments. Fuse protected tweeter.

Need room to breath.

I have owned my Maggies for over 10 years now. They are still Utterly Georgous. Anyone who buys a pair of speakers for $600 and don't come home with a small pair of Maggies didn't their homework. They have been extemely refreshing to listen to. I have never ever tired of their sound. With the exception that they don't go real low into the bass I have never been dissatisfied with them. {a subwoofer took care of the bass}.But to be perfectly honest i didn't buy the subwoofer until last year, and it was a bargin so I got it...but what do you want for $600, perfect clarity or full range sound that sounds like crap in comparison!!!! They play Full Orchestral pieces with the touch of a velvet glove, almost showing you exactly where the players are..Try Capriccio Italien, or the 1812 Overture.. They play jazz the way is should be heard, untarnished and clean, clean i tell you..try Itzhak Perlman&Oscar Peterson Side by Side.. and they rock with the best of them...go ahead throw on your old Sticky Fingers album, They love it. My kids Dance in the living room to Brown Sugar..throw on Natalie Cole's Unforgettable, they love that one, throw on K.D Lang's Ingenue, Forget about it,that cd was made for these speakers...lets face it for the money the things rock..But they will show you the difference between stereo and multi-mono. Be prepared for that experience and get used to it.....Anyone that don't have a ton of dough but wants to enter the world of audiophile quality goods, these are for you. If you have problems with them return them to the dealer,they know how to fix them. The speakers are only sold by Hi Quality dealers and are not price negotiable items...With these baby's you certainly do get what you pay for and then some....