[SteveFord]

A place for Magnepan's best bang for the buck speaker and for those who modify them.
There's only two requirements:
post pictures if you can
AND
no bashing of anyone, please, as that kind of drags this Circle down into the muck if you know what I mean.

This is starting off with Rclark sending out his babies to Peter Gunn whose woodworking skills are about 10,000 times better than mine will ever be.

[Rclark]

So far it's a pretty neat experience.. And I have learned the ingredients of the upgraded crossover. Not sure if I can tell everyone yet. Anyhoo, please carry on with this thread, and I'll sure start a nice picture and impressions thread of the mmg's later.

Oh, just fyi, he just did a Tympani and is doing a 20.1 now

"One of the last two major hurdles has been added to my catalog, as I've just finished modding a set of Tympani IVa's. It wasn't fun but the result was incredible. Next on the agenda is the last hurdle, as I'll be modding a pair of MG-20.1's. Look for info on both mods soon."

http://www.indiespinzone.com/magnestand

[berni]

Keep us all well informed about yours and others mods.

[Rclark]

Part of me wishes I could have the option of a sleek metal frame like yours.

[Davey]

You do have that option. 

Dave.

[berni]

 A friend of mine has his 20.1 also for sale , so what are you waiting for?

[SteveFord]

Why dink around?  So you'll need a bigger house, grab the speakers and worry about the details later!

[Rclark]

Oh yeah  I wish ! Someday 

Hey Davey, ironically I was looking around at systems and saw your name but no pictures! Are you gonna let us see those frames?

[Davey]

The photos of my framing project have been out there for quite a while now.

Cheers,

Dave.

http://home.comcast.net/~dreite/MMGframe.htm

[SteveFord]

Dave,
Did you ever put socks on them or simply leave them as is?

[Davey]

No socks.  The original ones won't fit, but it wouldn't be difficult to make a (slightly bigger) replacement pair.

Since the photos I've flipped the speakers around so the mylar is facing to the rear.  They work/look just fine that way.

Cheers,

Dave.

[SteveFord]

Here's one that I was cc:d on some time back and it was posted over on AA. 
Basically, it's an idea from Magnepan and while it engendered a flurry of posts nothing ever became of it.
Perhaps someone here who is technically adept and would like to give it a go?  Here's the idea from Mr. Diller and they will sell the adhesive and aluminum so there's no problem with sourcing the materials. 
The actual design, I believe, will be left up to you.  If it were me I would give a long look at the 1.7's crossover network but that's simply my supposition.
At any rate, he compares the MMG to a Volkswagon (everyman's car) and here's what they did to turn it into a Porsche (or Ferrari, if you prefer) although it never made it to market.
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A cheap receiver from Best Buy will do a better job on the test bench than mega-buck speakers.   (Look at John Atkinson's tests in Stereophile).   Converting an electrical signal to sound waves in a manner acceptable to consumers (at a reasonable price) results in a wave form that is hardly recognizable compared to the electrical signal.   (Amazing how the brain fills in for the “mauled” signal.)

But, if we can accept lower efficiency from our MMG, we can make it go MUCH faster.   Power is cheap compared to improving the efficiency of a Maggie.   So, if you have a big amp available, the NET result of a hot-rodded MMG with a really big amp could sound better than, for example, your favorite SET amp with a high efficiency speaker.

We like full-range electrostats, but, ribbon speakers have a special magic that we can't get any other way.   But, they are inefficient.   I am proposing that you make them LESS efficient and see what happens.   (As you might guess, we have done it.).

Convert the MMG (or any older Maggie) to a full-range quasi ribbon with ultra low mass aluminum foil.   Now, you are talking-- FAST!!!   Your new “Volkswagen” will get horrible “gas mileage”, but, the “0 to 60” performance will make all the other tweaks pale in comparison.

[jk@home]

OK, here's my ugly ducklings  These were framed "sandwich" style similar to (and inspired by) the design Davey came up with above, but also with a lot of help from PG (John) of Magnestand and others on AA. Started this project in the summer of '10, still not finished yet.

Poplar wood frames and oak struts from the local HomieD, butcher block bases from the local Bed,Bath,and Beyond. These were designed to be painted black and covered with MG12 socks (already have on hand), maybe I'll get to that this winter.



I use the series crossover in seperate x-over boxes. My next step is to cut square holes in the bases, and support/isolate the boxes from the frame assemblies. The back pole pieces of the MMG panels were given the "Razor" treatment with dynamat.



Working on refinishing some sealed sub boxes now (to be placed on the empty SubDude platforms shown above), which will be cross-overed down to the two IB sub manifolds that are in the ceiling above. Then on to finishing some bass traps I have, and coming up with some sort of budget diffusion room treatments.

As for into the future mods...I would love for someone to come up with a viable ribbon super tweeter mod for the MMG. One that is line source, can be framed separably and kept isolated from the other panel. I know folks have done this with ribbons off vintage Maggies, but a "new" /simplier over-the-counter solution would be better for the masses.

[josh358]

Those are beautiful.

Where would you find the ribbon? You could get an old 2.5/r or 2.6/r, but then you might as well use them, unless you're really short on space. I suppose you could also buy a bunch of ribbon tweeters from Parts Express.

I'd take a serious look at the Magnepan mod. Wendell tells me that they found it a significant improvement in blind tests. You could potentially improve the tweeter as well with a supertweeter segment, like in the 1.7. That would give it dispersion more like the true ribbons.

Another thing you could consider would be using the Neo-3 PDR's. They're quasi-ribbon but push-pull with Neodynium magnets. And you'd get less bass modulation.

[Jazzman53]

I love the "form-follows-function" look... I wouldn't put socks on those gorgeous speakers!

[jk@home]

Those are beautiful.

Where would you find the ribbon? You could get an old 2.5/r or 2.6/r, but then you might as well use them, unless you're really short on space. I suppose you could also buy a bunch of ribbon tweeters from Parts Express.

I'd take a serious look at the Magnepan mod. Wendell tells me that they found it a significant improvement in blind tests. You could potentially improve the tweeter as well with a supertweeter segment, like in the 1.7. That would give it dispersion more like the true ribbons.

Another thing you could consider would be using the Neo-3 PDR's. They're quasi-ribbon but push-pull with Neodynium magnets. And you'd get less bass modulation.

That was my point, an easy across-the-counter so to speak add on. So not to have to comb Audiogon to find and dissect an old Magnepan model. Something that could be added to even a stock MMG.

That "idea" that Wendell put out there seems alot more involved/destructive than just a simple frame/crossover mod, especially without any factory support. To say the least, I was disappointed with the direction it went (his input). But no bashing right? 

I figure in a year or so I will be ready to either entertain the idea of a ribbon add-on (or just upgrade the MMGs).

I love the "form-follows-function" look... I wouldn't put socks on those gorgeous speakers!

I had originally started out with the pole pieces forward, which meant those T-nuts (yes, tacky t-nuts  ) were in the back. Bad thing is now in order to finish the mod, I have to take them apart again, and do without for a while.

[Rclark]

I think we've chosen the wood for my mod. Some type of Mahena (the pics show a bea--uutiful looking wood), with a trim, we haven't decided on trim or pegging. I kind of wanted to leave it plain but he's got his preferences as an artist and has shown me how it might look better.

The upgraded crossover, btw, has some of the same brand components Danny Richie is using in the updated Super V, those square shaped Jupiter caps, which went over well at RMAF.. He says the performance with this top-end crossover is "through the roof".

 I'm shipping tommorrow. Hah, three months ago was it? I'd never even heard a planar.

 I'm listening to the very last music on my stockers right now. Seriously going to miss them, and my neighbors aren't going to enjoy my monitors as much. That planar figure 8 pattern goes a long way.


 Where were you MMG guys all along?? Love the pics! 

[SteveFord]

There's some really talented people on this site so one of us should take Wendell up on his modification idea. 
It can't be that difficult although I would end up cursing and glued to the mylar, bleeding to death from 4000 tiny cuts from the aluminum foil.
Maybe someone who builds electrostats for fun in their spare time???

[Rclark]

If someone can reproduce this mod reliably and document it well, I would definitely give it a try later. What's a mylar panel that can't be repaired if it doesn't work? It's "only" the mmg after all 

[josh358]

That "idea" that Wendell put out there seems alot more involved/destructive than just a simple frame/crossover mod, especially without any factory support.

Heh, yeah, I suppose it's a bit scary in that regard. Maybe that's why more people haven't tried it? But from what I've seen, stripping and rewiring the diaphragms isn't actually a biggie, people use Magnepan's home kit to repair delamination on older models and judging by what they say it isn't hard. More of a psychological barrier, perhaps? After all, you could always just put the wire back if you didn't like the results, and it seems to me that stripping and laying new wires has to be easier than building new frames. (Of course, given the state of my shop, getting a walrus to fly would be easier than building new frames . . . )

I do know that Wendell has tried both the frames and the low mass mod and found that the low mass mod has more of a sonic effect. And the quality of the results have been subjected to blind testing. I think he was puzzled that more people didn't do the mod -- I know of only one person who's going ahead with it. I know that I was.