AudioCircle

Audio/Video Gear and Systems => Planar Circle => Topic started by: jaylevine on 10 Sep 2018, 07:09 pm

Title: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: jaylevine on 10 Sep 2018, 07:09 pm
Getting ready to sell my Legacy Studio HD monitors and go shopping for a pair of Magnepan .7 (used if possible or new if not).

I have been using the Legacy's with a Bob Latino VTA 120 amp fitted with KT88s for about a year now--the Legacy's mated well with the VTA 120 given it is a fairly efficient speaker rated at 93db sensitivity with a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. Plus I'm a big fan of the AMT tweeter too -- a very tube friendly monitor overall.

Now that I think of it not sure why I'm selling....  :scratch: ....oh yeah now I remember -- someone approached me and offered to purchase the Legacy's for what I paid for them and to be honest, I miss the Maggie sound.

Curious how many folks own a mid-powered tube amp and run Maggies and what your feeling is about how they work together re: would really like to keep the glow of tubes in my listening room.....
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Vedder323 on 10 Sep 2018, 07:18 pm
Getting ready to sell my Legacy Studio HD monitors and go shopping for a pair of Magnepan .7 (used if possible or new if not).

I have been using the Legacy's with a Bob Latino VTA 120 amp fitted with KT88s for about a year now--the Legacy's mated well with the VTA 120 given it is a fairly efficient speaker rated at 93db sensitivity with a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. Plus I'm a big fan of the AMT tweeter too -- a very tube friendly monitor overall.

Now that I think of it not sure why I'm selling....  :scratch: ....oh yeah now I remember -- someone approached me and offered to purchase the Legacy's for what I paid for them and to be honest, I miss the Maggie sound.

Curious how many folks own a mid-powered tube amp and run Maggies and what your feeling is about how they work together re: would really like to keep the glow of tubes in my listening room.....

Plugging myself but, this pretty much answers your question:

https://youtu.be/cJro26WxdaQ
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Tyson on 10 Sep 2018, 07:40 pm
Plugging myself but, this pretty much answers your question:

https://youtu.be/cJro26WxdaQ

Nicely done review!
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: jaylevine on 10 Sep 2018, 07:42 pm
Wow, I stopped when you plugged in the mighty whatever sub-woofer.....

Great video and yup, message is clear--looks like I'll have to put my VTA 120 on the shelf and break out my D-Sonic M3-800s amp from storage....(400 watts into 8ohms/800 watts into 4ohms).

Jay
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: jaylevine on 10 Sep 2018, 07:58 pm
Or better yet, sell the D-Sonic and VTA 120 and buy even bigger mono blocks tube amps from Bob Latino  :thumb:
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: rollo on 10 Sep 2018, 08:41 pm
Depends. One of our club members ran Dynaco 70 mono blocks with his 3As. Sounded great however volume was limited. I used Audio Research DR250 with my 3As. That system had balls compared to the Dynacos. Actually the 3As were voiced with AR DR250 servo amp.
Today with so many different designs of amps class "D", chip, SS tubed, all to remember is you need amperage. IMHO 150W minimum. The more the better.
Tubed amps with wattage are expensive, good ones that is. If you use a SS, class"D" or chip amp use a tubed preamp. Have fun on your journey and trust your ears only.

charles
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Tom Bombadil on 10 Sep 2018, 10:53 pm
Q1:  How large a room will you be using them in?

Q2:  How loud do you like to play music?

Maggies do love power, but the VTA120 would be enough under some scenarios.  I've recently downsized to a listening room of 225sf.   My listening position is now just 6' from the speakers.  And I no longer listen at concert levels, using an SPL meter I measured peaks at 90-91 decibels at my listening position.   Using an 87db bookshelf speaker with a 30 wpc tube amp works out very well for me.   I imagine I would be fine with using the .7s with a 60wpc tube amp.  Especially if I also employed a powered subwoofer.

That said, a more powerful Class D amp would be a nice match for them.   I have one that produces 200wpc into 4 ohms and I would expect it to make the .7 sing.
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: SteveFord on 10 Sep 2018, 11:38 pm
What a great review, I especially liked the part where the old Carver was put into play.
That will have the sound output but not the 3D quality tube amps bring to the table.

I can't help with mid powered tube amp insights as mine are on the big side.

Keep us posted on your upcoming purchase, please.
 




Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Tom Bombadil on 11 Sep 2018, 12:27 am
Yes, it is an entertaining and informative review.   With a solid recommendation on room placement.  I've heard Maggies close to the back wall and, IMO, it killed their sound.
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: jaylevine on 11 Sep 2018, 08:47 pm
Q1:  How large a room will you be using them in?

Q2:  How loud do you like to play music?

Maggies do love power, but the VTA120 would be enough under some scenarios.  I've recently downsized to a listening room of 225sf.   My listening position is now just 6' from the speakers.  And I no longer listen at concert levels, using an SPL meter I measured peaks at 90-91 decibels at my listening position.   Using an 87db bookshelf speaker with a 30 wpc tube amp works out very well for me.   I imagine I would be fine with using the .7s with a 60wpc tube amp.  Especially if I also employed a powered subwoofer.

That said, a more powerful Class D amp would be a nice match for them.   I have one that produces 200wpc into 4 ohms and I would expect it to make the .7 sing.

Small room, 10x11. I measured the room today--if I pull the Maggies out from the wall 3 feet or so my listening position will be about +6 feet from the maggies. Pretty tight but should work.

Jay
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: jaylevine on 11 Sep 2018, 08:48 pm
What a great review, I especially liked the part where the old Carver was put into play.
That will have the sound output but not the 3D quality tube amps bring to the table.

I can't help with mid powered tube amp insights as mine are on the big side.

Keep us posted on your upcoming purchase, please.
 

Will do--put my order in today (Gifted Listener in Northern VA). Should be about 10 days shipped directly to my house. I've also got a couple of WTB posted (Audiogon/USAudiomart) but really don't expect anything to come of those at this point.
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: jaylevine on 19 Sep 2018, 09:32 pm
Will do--put my order in today (Gifted Listener in Northern VA). Should be about 10 days shipped directly to my house. I've also got a couple of WTB posted (Audiogon/USAudiomart) but really don't expect anything to come of those at this point.

Man, can wait to get these. Emailed Gifted Listener today for ETA but all he can provide is Magnepan standard "about 2 weeks". Nothing firm yet.

First up will be my Bob Latino VTA 120 with KT88s.....followed by my D-Sonic M3 800s. Very excited...

Jay
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: jaylevine on 8 Jan 2019, 02:53 am
Well, its been about 3 months with the Maggies .7 and my VTA-120 tube amp. I'm sorry to report that I threw in the towel about 2 weeks before the holidays and reconnected my D-Sonic to the Maggies.

My VTA-120 just didn't have enough power to drive them beyond mid-70s SPL and had very poor dynamic range--they really only sounded acceptable to my ears when listening to solo female voices, piano, violin and vibraphone, i.e., at mild volume when the recordings emphasized solo instruments in the middle freq range.

Once I threw the D-Sonic back into the chain the Maggies came alive--much more robust bass (within the boundaries of .7s) and overall much greater ability to drive the speaker to acceptable SPL levels across the whole freq range of all recordings.

So now the Maggies are downstairs in a larger room with the D-Sonic, relegated to our movie watching area where I will enjoy them on Sundays while reading the weekly rags and doing crosswords.

The VTA-120 still in my small office/listening room, now hooked up to a pair of Klipsch RP-160M stand-mount speakers (I've been dying to try horns for a long time). While a little rough around the edges on their first night, I suspect they will smooth out a bit once broken in, and the VTA-120 plays as loud as I like without distortion.
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: I.Greyhound Fan on 8 Jan 2019, 03:31 am
I am not surprised by the fact that your VTA tube amp failed with the Maggies.  The fact of the matter is that they need a high power and high current amp to sound their best and to play loud.  Maggies suffer from lack of dynamics, musicality and can't play very loud without power and current.  I run a Pass  amp 500wpc with a tube preamp with my  1.6's.
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: jaylevine on 8 Jan 2019, 03:41 am
Yeah, I guess I'm not surprised as well. Was hoping though. The D-Sonic drives them fine--400W @ 8Ω that doubles at 4Ω, so plenty of go on tap.
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: I.Greyhound Fan on 8 Jan 2019, 04:00 am
You a pair of these VTL tube mono's at over 400 wpc.

https://vtl.com/products/power-amplifiers/monoblock-amplifiers/mb-450-series-iii-signature-monoblock/
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: jaylevine on 8 Jan 2019, 04:07 am
8 x 6550 or KT-88s  :D

Maybe if I still lived in Minneapolis where I could harvest the excess heat energy in the winter :D But here in Richmond VA in the summer....

Cheers
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Tom Bombadil on 8 Jan 2019, 04:41 am
You can't get over mid-70s db with 60 wpc?   That is hard to believe.   You should get over that with 1 watt. 

The Maggies won't sing and do their magic without sufficient power.   They really come alive with a lot of power.   But at 86db efficiency, they should go easily into the 90s with a VTA120.   

Heck, I drive 84db speakers with a 30wpc tube amp in my bedroom (10'x14') to fine effect.   In my living room I have 91db speakers driven by a 17 wpc tube amp and they work great together.   I calculate the power needed for my typical listening level at about 1-2 watts. 

But with Maggies, I'd probably go for a 200-250 wpc Class D amp. 
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: I.Greyhound Fan on 8 Jan 2019, 05:42 am
8 x 6550 or KT-88s  :D

Maybe if I still lived in Minneapolis where I could harvest the excess heat energy in the winter :D But here in Richmond VA in the summer....

Cheers

I live in the Twin Cities and my Pass X250 amp and BAT VK-51se preamp  with its 8 6H30 tubes heats up my 17x17 room quickly unless I leave the french doors to me kitchen open.  The Pass runs in Class A for the first 20 watts or so.  It stays in class A most of the time except on very dynamic passages or music with deep, loud bass.

By the way, I also have a pair of older MMG's and it shuts down an older JVC 120 wpc receiver in a hurry if I turn it up too loud.  Maggies are tough on amps.
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: jaylevine on 8 Jan 2019, 12:44 pm
You can't get over mid-70s db with 60 wpc?   That is hard to believe.   You should get over that with 1 watt. 

The Maggies won't sing and do their magic without sufficient power.   They really come alive with a lot of power.   But at 86db efficiency, they should go easily into the 90s with a VTA120.   

Heck, I drive 84db speakers with a 30wpc tube amp in my bedroom (10'x14') to fine effect.   In my living room I have 91db speakers driven by a 17 wpc tube amp and they work great together.   I calculate the power needed for my typical listening level at about 1-2 watts. 

But with Maggies, I'd probably go for a 200-250 wpc Class D amp.

Point taken. I listen fairly loud as my hearing has degraded over the past 20 years (62yrs old). When I measured acceptable listening levels with my SPL meter it was probably closer to high 70s with peakes in the low 80db range. At that level the VTA would start to clip and the Maggie’s would start to distort.

My D-Sonic is exactly the medicine you suggest, class-d that can decliner  high voltage high with enough current due to its robust power supply.
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Saturn94 on 18 May 2019, 10:20 pm
Well, its been about 3 months with the Maggies .7 and my VTA-120 tube amp. I'm sorry to report that I threw in the towel about 2 weeks before the holidays and reconnected my D-Sonic to the Maggies.

My VTA-120 just didn't have enough power to drive them beyond mid-70s SPL and had very poor dynamic range--they really only sounded acceptable to my ears when listening to solo female voices, piano, violin and vibraphone, i.e., at mild volume when the recordings emphasized solo instruments in the middle freq range.

Once I threw the D-Sonic back into the chain the Maggies came alive--much more robust bass (within the boundaries of .7s) and overall much greater ability to drive the speaker to acceptable SPL levels across the whole freq range of all recordings.

So now the Maggies are downstairs in a larger room with the D-Sonic, relegated to our movie watching area where I will enjoy them on Sundays while reading the weekly rags and doing crosswords.

The VTA-120 still in my small office/listening room, now hooked up to a pair of Klipsch RP-160M stand-mount speakers (I've been dying to try horns for a long time). While a little rough around the edges on their first night, I suspect they will smooth out a bit once broken in, and the VTA-120 plays as loud as I like without distortion.

Hi neighbor!  I’m just down the road from you in the Hampton Roads area.

Lately, I’ve been very curious about Maggies and have been eyeing the .7 or 1.7 (maybe even the new LRS?).  I use to own a pair of the original SMGs back in the early 80’s and remember them fondly.

How do you have yours set up?  I’m a bit limited how far off the wall I could place them, so Im wondering if they would even work well for me.  I might be able squeeze out 3ft MAX behind them.

I’m pretty sure my current amp would work well (Parasound Classic, 250 wpc @ 8ohms, 385wpc @ 4ohms).

Did the store you ordered from offer a return policy?

Thanks. :)
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: I.Greyhound Fan on 19 May 2019, 02:49 am
Hi neighbor!  I’m just down the road from in in Hampton Roads area.

Lately, I’ve been very curious about Maggies and have been eyeing the .7 or 1.7 (maybe even the new LRS?).  I use to own a pair of the original SMGs back in the early 80’s and remember them fondly.

How do you have yours set up?  I’m a bit limited how far off the wall I could place them, so Im wondering if they would even work well for me.  I might be able squeeze out 3ft MAX behind them.

I’m pretty sure my current amp would work well (Parasound Classic, 250 wpc @ 8ohms, 385wpc @ 4ohms).

Did the store you ordered from offer a return policy?

Thanks. :)

I own a pair of 1.6's and MMG's.  Your Parasound with pair well with them.  That is plenty of power to bring out the dynamics of the speaker.   I used to drive my 1.6's with a Parasound A21 but now use a Pass X250.  I would suggest trying a nice tube preamp with them.  I use a BAT tube pre.  I have my Maggies just under 3' from the wall and they sound glorious.  I tried them further out in my 17x17 room and there was minimal improvement in sound. YMMV.

The 0.7's and 1.7i's will sound much better than the LRS.
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Saturn94 on 19 May 2019, 02:59 am
I own a pair of 1.6's and MMG's.  Your Parasound with pair well with them.  That is plenty of power to bring out the dynamics of the speaker.   I used to drive my 1.6's with a Parasound A21 but now use a Pass X250.  I would suggest trying a nice tube preamp with them.  I use a BAT tube pre.  I have my Maggies just under 3' from the wall and they sound glorious.  I tried them further out in my 17x17 room and there was minimal improvement in sound. YMMV.

The 0.7's and 1.7i's will sound much better than the LRS.

Thanks for sharing your experience. :)
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: jaylevine on 19 May 2019, 04:30 pm
Hi neighbor!  I’m just down the road from you in the Hampton Roads area.

Lately, I’ve been very curious about Maggies and have been eyeing the .7 or 1.7 (maybe even the new LRS?).  I use to own a pair of the original SMGs back in the early 80’s and remember them fondly.

How do you have yours set up?  I’m a bit limited how far off the wall I could place them, so Im wondering if they would even work well for me.  I might be able squeeze out 3ft MAX behind them.

I’m pretty sure my current amp would work well (Parasound Classic, 250 wpc @ 8ohms, 385wpc @ 4ohms).

Did the store you ordered from offer a return policy?

Thanks. :)

Hi,

Sorry for the late reply--just got back from an out of town trip.

In general I think 3 feet is more than enough room. I have mine in our family room (about 14 by 16?) that has very little furniture other then a couch and credenza that the TV sits on (and where the D-Sonic amp is stashed).

I pull the Maggies out from the wall when I want to listen to them, somewhere between 3 and 4 feet from the back wall with 6 feet of separation between speakers. My listening position is probably 7 feet opposite from the credenza. Not a perfect triangle but close enough.

The room / listening set-up would benefit greatly from a sub, but I don't want to invest any more into this setup since it is not my primary listening system (that is upstairs in my small office with my VTA amp and Klispch horns).

I agree with I.Greyhound Fan, the bigger maggies sound better than smaller ones in a room that is big enough for the largest speaker and all other things being equal. So the .7 should sound better than the new LRS model, and the 1.7s better than the .7 and so forth.  I owned the 1.7 and 3.7s, so at least that has been my experience. If I had realized the .7 wouldn't have worked for me in my small room (which was the original point of this thread), I would have probably saved my $$ and purchased a set of used 1.7s for what i paid for the .7s new since they ended up in a larger room than what I planned.

As far as returns, couldn't say but kind of doubt it unless you committed to them that the return would be in order to upgrade (vs money back). That said you should call them to get their policy.

Since you are down the road, you're welcome to come over to hear the .7s in my place--probably not as good as auditioning in a store environment, but certainly will give you an idea what you're getting into. You could even bring over your own amp.
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Saturn94 on 19 May 2019, 09:45 pm
Thanks for sharing your experience.

I kind of figured the .7 would be a bit of a step up from the LRS.  I’m not sure how much a step up it is from the .7 to the 1.7i.   I did hear the 1.7 many years ago (soon after it came out?) at a dealer in Gordonsville VA (no longer in business), but I think he had them underpowered.

Thanks for the invite!  I’d love to hear the .7.  At 70 lbs, I’ll pass on bringing my own amp, lol.  I’ll send you a PM.  :thumb:
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Wind Chaser on 20 May 2019, 12:15 am
Since you are down the road, you're welcome to come over to hear the .7s in my place--probably not as good as auditioning in a store environment... You could even bring over your own amp

Awesome, I hope Saturn94 takes you up on this kind offer and reports back.  :thumb:

And I bet your room will better illustrate what he can expect in his home rather than a showroom demo. 8)

I haven’t heard Maggies in many years. As a kid still living at home 37 years ago I had pair of the MG-1 IMP version in a very narrow room (10’ x 21’). They were positioned 3 maybe 4 inches at the most from the side walls and 10’ away from the front wall. I also had a pair of the Acoustat Model 2, which were placed further back about 6’ off the front wall. The stats produced deeper cleaner bass and were far more resolving, but they totally sucked when it came to dynamics. For that reason I kept the Maggies and let go of the Acoustats. 

Some people say Maggies fall short when it comes to dynamics, but I suspect this is just nitpicking for the sake of nitpicking, or the result of an amp that can’t cope with the load.

I know Maggies have come a long way since then and I’d be curious to hear any of the current models. It seems to me most people by default set their Maggies up in a far field arrangement with the tweeters on the inside. What I mean by a far field arrangement is the distance between the speakers is less than that of the distance to the listener.

Not sure why most people (not just Maggie owners) opt for such an arrangement, but after much experimentation I very much prefer the exact opposite with the greater distance being between speakers than distance to the listening position. To illustrate my speakers (also OB) are spread 12’ apart from each other with plenty of breathing room around them; the listening position however is only 8’ away. If I were draw out this arrangement to scale on paper, it would form a right-angle triangle with the speakers positioned at opposite ends of the hypotenuse.

I wonder if Maggies would work in such an arrangement?  :scratch:



Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Saturn94 on 20 May 2019, 01:18 am
I definitely want to hear the .7.

Like you, Wind Chaser, my setup sounds best with speakers set wide.  Tweeter to tweeter is 8.5ft, and tweeter to ears is 7.5ft.  Front of the speaker to the wall behind them is 2.5ft.  They are toed in quite a bit.

My room is a living room/ dining room combo, about 14x25.  The speakers are on the long wall in the living room.  The system is used for 2 channel music, multichannel music, and HT.  Primary sources are music from my Salkstream III with Roon and my Oppo 103.

Hmmm.......I was going to post a pic but when I select to a upload pic from my iPad, it says No Photos.  Strange, I just posted some recently with no issues.  I’ll post one if I can figure out what’s wrong.

I’ve had Magnepan SMG (back in the early 80s, in a very small room), ADS L1290/2 (kept these over 25 years!), Salk HT2-TL, and currently have Soundfield Audio Monitor 1.

I remember the SMG fondly and find myself wondering how well Maggies would work in my current system.


And I’ve completely derailed/hijacked this thread, so I’ll stop here.  :oops:
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Saturn94 on 20 May 2019, 01:23 am

Ah, got the photo to upload!

(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=194658)
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: SteveFord on 20 May 2019, 09:29 am
Something is missing from the picture.
1.7s, I would think.
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: jaylevine on 20 May 2019, 10:52 am
\

And I’ve completely derailed/hijacked this thread, so I’ll stop here.  :oops:

NP :)

One thing I would note is while I think the .7s sound great with certain kinds of music, I don't find them that satisfying for more complex music with wide dynamic range. The good news is my tastes are pretty limited to music that the Maggies work well with--jazz vocal, anything piano or acoustic stringed, vibraphone jazz, opera arias, chamber music, all of the usual suspects in Maggie world.

The minute I get the urge to take a hit from my youth (Hendrix, Cream, Beatles) I run upstairs and spend time with my VTA 120 amp and Klipsch monitors....
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: mick wolfe on 20 May 2019, 05:17 pm
That's the beauty of having 2 systems. I'm with you there.  I've always loved Maggies, but we agree on the genres in which they do their best work.
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Wind Chaser on 20 May 2019, 05:47 pm
One thing I would note is while I think the .7s sound great with certain kinds of music, I don't find them that satisfying for more complex music with wide dynamic range.

Relieve them of bass duties, preferably with a powered OB sub, and that should solve the problem.
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Saturn94 on 20 May 2019, 11:09 pm
Something is missing fro the picture.
1.7s, I would think.

 :thumb:


Of course, like many here, the barrier is often $$$$. :(

Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Saturn94 on 20 May 2019, 11:10 pm
NP :)

One thing I would note is while I think the .7s sound great with certain kinds of music, I don't find them that satisfying for more complex music with wide dynamic range. The good news is my tastes are pretty limited to music that the Maggies work well with--jazz vocal, anything piano or acoustic stringed, vibraphone jazz, opera arias, chamber music, all of the usual suspects in Maggie world.

The minute I get the urge to take a hit from my youth (Hendrix, Cream, Beatles) I run upstairs and spend time with my VTA 120 amp and Klipsch monitors....

Hmmm....I like the more complex stuff as well as the simple stuff.  I’ll have to hear for myself.
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Saturn94 on 20 May 2019, 11:13 pm
Relieve them of bass duties, preferably with a powered OB sub, and that should solve the problem.

I’ve found in my room a sub is a very good thing with any speakers I’ve had despite their bass capabilities.  The sub I’m using currently is a Power Sound Audio Triax (the original version).
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: jaylevine on 21 May 2019, 03:28 pm
I’ve found in my room a sub is a very good thing with any speakers I’ve had despite their bass capabilities.  The sub I’m using currently is a Power Sound Audio Triax (the original version).

No argument from me; both sets of Maggies I owned prior to the .7s benefited big time from subs (both my 1.7 and 3.7 Maggies were mated with dual Rel subs). Before moving into smaller digs I also had full Bryston stack driving my Maggies, and I'm sure they significantly improved the Maggies' performance over my D-Sonic amp. 

But as I mentioned in my earlier post, I'm just at the point where I don't invest endlessly in my audio systems re: trying to learn to just enjoy the music within their limitations of a budget since I retired in 2018 and maybe more to the point, not even sure I can tell the difference any more since my hearing has degraded significantly over the past 10 years.

Jay
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Saturn94 on 21 May 2019, 04:40 pm
...But as I mentioned in my earlier post, I'm just at the point where I don't invest endlessly in my audio systems re: trying to learn to just enjoy the music within their limitations of a budget since I retired in 2018 and maybe more to the point, not even sure I can tell the difference any more since my hearing has degraded significantly over the past 10 years.

Jay

+1!
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: jmcpho on 22 May 2019, 01:50 pm
+1!

Yeah -  I am trying to get there also.

Can anyone recommend a sub woofer to use with the .7?
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: DeeCee on 22 May 2019, 02:22 pm
I'm preparing to audition Maggie .7s myself; it was YEARS ago when I last listened to a set of Magneplanars... I have heard REL used seamlessly with a HT setup long ago.

If I do get .7s and I find I need that extra "lick", I would look at rythmikaudio.com. I like the idea of servo control and they seem to have a high bang per buck ratio (at least on paper.) They range from relatively inexpensive to pretty pricey - I'm most interested in the least priced  sealed model, the L12.

Anyone ever mate Maggies with the L12?

Happy Listening!
DeeCee
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Saturn94 on 31 May 2019, 02:10 am
Since you are down the road, you're welcome to come over to hear the .7s in my place--probably not as good as auditioning in a store environment... You could even bring over your own amp

Awesome, I hope Saturn94 takes you up on this kind offer and reports back.  :thumb: .....

Audition scheduled.  :thumb:
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: jaylevine on 10 Jun 2019, 03:17 pm
Audition scheduled.  :thumb:

Test driving the rig today to make sure everything is set up for your visit on Saturday! I'm really looking forward to hearing your selections through my system and getting your feedback on the Maggies.

Jay
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=195413)


Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Saturn94 on 10 Jun 2019, 04:24 pm
Sweet!

Looking forward to it.  :D
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Saturn94 on 16 Jun 2019, 05:32 pm
Big thanks to Jay for letting me visit to hear the .7!  I really enjoyed it....even the non audio discussions. :D

Jay has them in a very nice, simple setup; a Mac Mini (optimized for playing music) connected to a DAC which was connected to the amp (class D I believe, 400 wpc).  Having recently completely disassembled my combo audio/HT system ( I swear there must have been 5 miles of cables!), I can really appreciate the appeal of keeping it simple!

Overall, the sound from them was very clear and detailed.  Well recorded voices and piano stood out to me as absolutely superb!  Music with small assembles sounded superb as well.  I can see wanting a pair just for these qualities.  Performance with large orchestral works was mixed, especially with the entire orchestra going full tilt.  Perhaps a bigger panel would be better suited for this.

The .7’s detail/high resolution is a double edged sword.  Great recordings sound great, stunning even.  Sub par recordings, not so great.  They certainly aren’t very forgiving speakers.  Bad recordings have nowhere to hide.

Perhaps they are too small for the room they are in (Jay mentioned earlier he intended to use them in a smaller room), but they were pretty bass shy.  Keep in mind I’m use to a system that includes a large sub with 3 15” drivers (sealed cabinet, 4000 watt amp) that can provide as much bass (extension down to 8hz) as I’d ever want, and most any music recording would call for.  A sub would be a must for me with the .7.  Of course, what bass was there was very clean.

As Maggie’s are known for, there’s a complete absence of any “box sound”.  That lack of a box sound can be very addictive.  I remember back in the early 80s when I was looking to replace pair of SMGs (wanted better bass/output capabilities), I found it difficult to find a box speaker that’s didn’t sound like a box.  I ended up replacing them with the ADS L1290, which I enjoyed greatly over 25 years.

If money weren’t a factor (not that they are particularly expensive), I could see getting a pair to use with  recordings with which they excel.  But finances and space dictate I have something that that can do most everything well (my Soundfield Audio Monitor 1 fits the bill nicely).

Thanks again Jay!  :thumb:



Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: jaylevine on 17 Jun 2019, 12:12 pm
Was my pleasure, Jim.

I think your write up is spot on and captures the Maggies virtues and weaknesses, at least in my set-up. I agree that they need a sub—maybe I’ll keep an eye out for a low priced used one even though I’ve sworn off spending any more money on gear re: their lack of bass depth is glaring at higher volumes.

Lastly, was fun to hear them with someone else’s playlist and was surprised how loud they will play without distortion.

Jay
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: Saturn94 on 17 Jun 2019, 10:43 pm
I hope to return the favor someday. :)

My friend who was suppose to join us mentioned he might be selling his SVS SB13 (sealed sub, should match well) if you’re interested in buying a sub.  Just let me know and I’ll put you in contact with him.
Title: Re: Maggie .7 and tube amps
Post by: I.Greyhound Fan on 17 Jun 2019, 11:42 pm
You definitely need subs with the smaller Maggies.  I run dual Martin Logan Original Dynamo subs and they integrated seamlessly.