A return to OB

mcgsxr · « **on:** 22 Jul 2015, 12:48 pm »

Right, so perhaps the moderator of the circle should in fact never have left OB! I went through a multi year phase of house changes (improvements?) that resulted in my selling off my OB speakers a few years ago. I knew at the time that I would eventually find my way back to the unique presentation that OB offers.

That said, I really like the sound that my Totem Model 1's produce. Heresy? So be it, they are excellent.

But, when a good deal on a set of Magnepan MMG's came up locally, I had to jump.

So, back to spacing speakers WAY off the front wall, moving furniture to accommodate listening and all that fun. At least the basement is fully finished now, so when I return all the furniture back to the "normal" position all can enjoy social time down here too.

Excellent sound too.

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #1 on:** 22 Jul 2015, 12:54 pm »

Welcome back Mark, we've missed you.

Freemand · « **Reply #2 on:** 23 Jul 2015, 08:57 pm »

Those maggies should shine!

The waf is the biggest downfall of OB. enjoy your new sound.

bladesmith · « **Reply #3 on:** 26 Jul 2015, 09:45 pm »

mcgsxr · « **Reply #4 on:** 11 Aug 2015, 02:00 pm »

In addition to picking up a set of the MMG's I also bought a set of 1.6QR Maggies.

Will continue to play with placement, interesting to hear the similarities and differences between these 2 models.

The MMG's were pretty easy to find a great spot for. The 1.6's are proving more finicky, but deliver a more hifi experience to me. We will see what ultimately wins out.

Horizons · « **Reply #5 on:** 11 Aug 2015, 07:15 pm »

After many years with many Maggie models, I starting experimenting with cone-based OB. I quickly concluded that most of the reason that the Maggies sound so good is the fact that they are OB. It is not some magic planar design, it is the OB factor IMO.

Having said that, the MMGs are one of the easiest, cheapest, and best WAF speaker solutions out there for those of us that can no longer enjoy the sounds of speakers in boxes. Magnepan's designs are much easier on the eye than multiple cones mounted to large wood panels.

steve f · « **Reply #6 on:** 11 Aug 2015, 10:21 pm »

There are similarities. I've done both. The directivity, the room, and lack of boxes are primary factors.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #7 on:** 12 Aug 2015, 01:05 pm »

Agree that the musical presentation that OB offers (regardless of the driver technology employed) is one of the major attractions.

I ran Visaton b200's with a helper woofer on huge (3x4 foot panels) for 7 years. I recognize that DIY for OB is a major attractor for many.

The finished presentation of the Maggies (both MMG and 1.6) in terms of WAF is well above anything I ever came up with - and now that the basement listening space is a multi-use and multi-user experience, that visual impact is more important.

Either way I get to enjoy music!