MMG Questions (and Impressions)

Dang, and I was hoping you guys would be unhappy, then my plan would have come together perfectly!

David, what is the width of that back wall? It looks to be close to the width of the wall I will be using, i.e. about 8 ft wide.

 

Barry I forget, do you recommend tweeters in or out? David's is tweeters in, correct? The tweeter is that lighter color strip seen on the "inside" of the speakers in David's photo?

 

Hi Veech,

My personal preference, in my own as well as all the other rooms I've heard Maggies, is tweeters-in.

Best regards,
Barry
www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
www.barrydiamentaudio.com

 

I tried it both ways and found that I much preferred it "tweeters-in".

 

Quick question, how do the the MG12/QRs compare to the MMGs? Bigger, better, require more power? Someone is selling a pair for $800 and I am wondering if I should jump at them?

 

Hi Veech,

With Maggies, as you go up the line, you get a bit more resolution and a bit more bottom.

I would say 100 solid watts per channel is a bare minimum for decent performance. Personally, I prefer starting with twice that. (These are the 8 ohm power ratings. An appropriate amp for the Maggies will get close to double --or double-- its power into their 4 ohm load.)

Also, I'd rather have MMGs with lots of power than MG12s with less power. (If I wanted more than MMGs, I'd probably go with 1.6s myself. That said, the MG12s are no slouches. ;-})

Best regards,
Barry
www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
www.barrydiamentaudio.com

 

Hi Barry,

Do you have any thoughts about buying planars used? I've seen decent deals for 2 year old MMG's, but I'm a bit hesitant.

Thanks,

Tim

 

Hi Tim,

Used can be fine. I would however, inspect the speakers carefully by eye and then by ear. Make sure you don't hear any rattles or buzzes, especially with bass heavy material.

Of course, you forego the trade-in option with used MMGs but that is a personal call.

Best regards,
Barry
www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
www.barrydiamentaudio.com

 

Kustom 250 , I have 2 NAD2200 PE amps , I tried them with my MGII's , and the NAD did Not Like the 4 Ohm load , and now I'm using a pair of Outlaw M200 Mono blocks .

 

yep, given my small space I think the MMGs would most likely do just fine, saving me a bit of money to put into the Outlaws.

 

And good cables too.
When you can, you might want to try to hook them up with a pair of Nordost Flatline.
The Maggie/Outlaw/Nordost trio works beautifully together.

Best regards,
Barry
www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
www.barrydiamentaudio.com

 

yeah... as I look around I am becoming aware that these M200s have been discontinued, is that the case? It's frustrating, can't seem to nail down a pair. Hard to locate a pair for sale, and I wonder about buying technology that's, er.., "legacy".

 

mmg and odyssey...what preamp?

Seems like the Odyssey M2200 mono blocks are a popular choice for the MMG's.
What preamp are you folks using with the Odyssey's?

Thanks,
Al D'Addario

 

http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/2200.html

replacement updated product might work?

 

Hi Everyone,

I had my MMG's for two months now. I find it is best that you do sound absorption panels in your room to reduce the echo. It is very critical to have them behind the Maggies. Just hang a heavy comfortor behind them temporarily and you will understand what I meant. Soon you will be hanging comforters at all 4 walls of your room! Sound panels are more aesthetically pleasing though.

As for amplifiers, it seems like a lot of you are buying new amps to power these Maggies... Don't forget about the old ones. I myself is using Sumo Polaris 310 (first generation)... This is an awesome amplifier that is hard to find... they do pop up on eBay once in a while... $200 to $300 range. They are worth every penny! It is important to buy quality amplifiers.

 

Although I have MG-12's, I keep them about 2 feet from the rear and side walls. I also prefer the tweeter on the outside, rather than inside.

 

Signal Cable makes some very reasonably priced cables that have a favorable capacitance - especially good if you ever plan to try a passive preamp with an amp driving Maggies.

 

Veech , I think that the new model number is M2200 , occasionally , Outlaw Audio will run Specials on them .

http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/2200.html

 

Veech , here's a link to the Specials Page . . .

http://www.outlawaudio.com/promo_pages/promo_2200.html

 

I'm not Veech, but thanks for the link to the specials. I didn't see that before.

 

I think conventional wisdom says that a speaker that looks like the Magenpan cannot produce the good sound one hears. I never cease to be amazed that the sound I'm hearing is coming out of that!

Before the Benchmark, I had been using the Realtek sound in my laptop (noisy and not that great sounding and an Maudio 2496 (and before that a 2448) in the linux system (not so bad, but still no match for the Benchmark.) I got the Benchmark because it was one of the few which would take 24/96 via USB and because of its general reputation as a good sounding DAC. The other thing I was considering was a Logitech Transporter, but I felt that the Benchmark was the better long-term investment, and at these prices I don't expect to be replacing my equipment anytime soon!

 

yep, M2200.. ok, thanks for the link to the specials page. My dang wallet is screaming right now.

 

ok thanks for the info. That's a stiff hit for me now, especially since I'm looking at $600 for MMGs and $700 for 2 monoblocks. Well the good news is I can make that a "down-the-road" type purchase, or see what else is available that is similar but less expensive.

 

I have not posted here for a long time, but will do so as I have experimented with my 3.6Rs for four years and have reached certain conclusions:

1. They sound best without resistors (bypassing is even better), provided you have great gear and a good room
2. They sound best with tube amps (better and bigger is best) and gear that is much higher end than the speaker cost suggests (see 1.)
3. They sound best with diffusion behind them and bass traps in the corners, but do not sound good with midrange absorption behind them - they are dipolars
4. They require extensive room position testing (provided you have a good enough system and room) and need space and some toe in to sound their best - (see 3.)
5. The first reflection point is at the rear of the room (behind the listener) not the sides, midrange absorption works well here (see 3.)
6. They sound best with roller bearings under them
7. Their "problems" are often overstated and usually the result of lack of knowledge with the speaker and its requirements

 

Hi Veech,

The 2200s replaced the 200s.
They're essentially the same amp but the new ones have a 12V trigger input.

Best regards,
Barry
www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
www.barrydiamentaudio.com