Maggie 3.7s vs 20.1s?

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #160 on:** 23 Mar 2012, 01:53 am »

Quote from: Scott F. on 23 Mar 2012, 01:17 am

Naa, think Home Theater....as in 5.1. You just need to get one of those ginormous TVs a Maggie center channel and a sub and you're in business (also officially broke)

Scott seconds the motion!

Would be neat if they'd make a Maggie that has a 16:9 shape, perfectly flat, and a dull shade of light gray.
Then you could use it to shine a projector on.

Bob

thunderbrick · « **Reply #161 on:** 23 Mar 2012, 03:44 am »

Quote from: SteveFord on 23 Mar 2012, 01:10 am

Are you planning on running solid state and tubes on these beauties?
You never did tell us about the turntable, I don't believe.

Both! Rogue 66 Magnum pre, Dahlquist active crossover, Moscode 300 for the mids and highs (a little smoother than the Parasound HCA1000a I'm running tonight), and either a BGW 500D, Hafler 500, or the Parasound for the bass.

TT is a SOTA Sapphire with Series V motor, Eminent Technology ET-2 air bearing arm, laminated arm board, Dynavector DV-20X (thanks, Scott F.!) and a simple Pro-ject II phono pre. Eventually I'll replace the Project II with something nicer, but no rush.

The boss comes home around 1 a.m., so I am listening to CDs.

thunderbrick · « **Reply #162 on:** 23 Mar 2012, 03:49 am »

Quote from: Bob in St. Louis on 23 Mar 2012, 01:53 am

Scott seconds the motion!

Would be neat if they'd make a Maggie that has a 16:9 shape, perfectly flat, and a dull shade of light gray.
Then you could use it to shine a projector on.

Bob

Look, if we have to back to the 50s, 60s, and 70s to find something worth listening to, what makes you think I'll find enough decent TV programming to justify a BMF TV???

Hell, I watch mostly History, Comedy and Military

channels, and don't have an interest in concert DVDs.

Rclark · « **Reply #163 on:** 23 Mar 2012, 05:25 am »

Quote from: medium jim on 23 Mar 2012, 01:02 am

Really?

Jim

Yeah when I first got mine, they were on the short wall, and inside sounded better by far. But since going long wall, tweeters inside is almost unpleasant to listen to, outside is nice and open and just as precise as tweeters inside on the short wall.

Rclark · « **Reply #164 on:** 23 Mar 2012, 05:27 am »

Have you had a chance to really open them up and let em rip? Full review please

steve k · « **Reply #165 on:** 23 Mar 2012, 01:47 pm »

When should we stop by on Saturday? I'll bring a case of PBR and my reference CD's.

Congrats Thunder! You're living my dream, I hope you know that.

steve

medium jim · « **Reply #166 on:** 23 Mar 2012, 02:28 pm »

Quote from: Rclark on 23 Mar 2012, 05:25 am

Yeah when I first got mine, they were on the short wall, and inside sounded better by far. But since going long wall, tweeters inside is almost unpleasant to listen to, outside is nice and open and just as precise as tweeters inside on the short wall.

Very interesting, but contrary to what most experience with them on the inside.

Jim

thunderbrick · « **Reply #167 on:** 23 Mar 2012, 02:38 pm »

Quote from: Rclark on 23 Mar 2012, 05:27 am

Have you had a chance to really open them up and let em rip? Full review please

Not so much, Steve. I have to run the preamp volume to at least 2:00 o'clock to get them to play reasonably loud. I don't think the Parasound can keep up. It sure gets hot after an hour or so.

I pick up my other amps from Computronics, and we'll see how the extra "oomph" helps. So far, except for Belafonte and the Phantom of the Opera, I have only played smaller ensembles. I need to try some more studio recordings instead of live or "hall" recordings. I DO find that they outclass the 1.6s at lower volumes, and the amount of detail that comes off the LPs is amazing. CDs? Not so much.

I'm teaching this Saturday, and next weekend I may be hauling my 1.6s to a buyer in STL, so we'll see. I also want to experiment with closing the blinds and even setting up my muslin photo backdrops to dampen things.

And in MY neck of the woods, we don't 'llow no PBR! For me it's Diet Coke and Slice of Pie! About 20 years ago I found out that half a beer will knock me on my ass, so I don't

drink any more.

steve k · « **Reply #168 on:** 23 Mar 2012, 03:13 pm »

A case of diet Coke it is then and pie from Cowan's!

thunderbrick · « **Reply #169 on:** 23 Mar 2012, 03:31 pm »

Cowan's?

Nah, Slice of Pie is the best in Missouri, and it's 5 minutes away!

steve k · « **Reply #170 on:** 23 Mar 2012, 03:37 pm »

Residents of Washington would dispute that claim but Slice of Pie sounds inviting.

thunderbrick · « **Reply #171 on:** 23 Mar 2012, 03:39 pm »

You show me yours, and I'll show you mine!

berni · « **Reply #172 on:** 23 Mar 2012, 04:08 pm »

Quote from: thunderbrick on 23 Mar 2012, 02:38 pm

Not so much, Steve. I have to run the preamp volume to at least 2:00 o'clock to get them to play reasonably loud. I don't think the Parasound can keep up. It sure gets hot after an hour or so.
I pick up my other amps from Computronics, and we'll see how the extra "oomph" helps. So far, except for Belafonte and the Phantom of the Opera, I have only played smaller ensembles. I need to try some more studio recordings instead of live or "hall" recordings. I DO find that they outclass the 1.6s at lower volumes, and the amount of detail that comes off the LPs is amazing. CDs? Not so much.

I had the same feeling when I drove them with a "normal" amp. It just couldn't deliver what they asked. After hooking them up to a monster amp(but civilized) I got a way better presentation. 20.1 are hungry and you must feed them well and good.
Especially large ensambles and lot of dynamic can easily show you if your amp is up to the task.
If I can catch the plane I will bring a special cake to you . The "gibanica" a slovenian cake.You do know that I cant' bring beer or other liquids on a plane?!

Rclark · « **Reply #173 on:** 23 Mar 2012, 06:03 pm »

Quote from: medium jim on 23 Mar 2012, 02:28 pm

Very interesting, but contrary to what most experience with them on the inside.

Jim

Oh yeah? How do you have yours set up?

medium jim · « **Reply #174 on:** 24 Mar 2012, 12:59 am »

Quote from: Rclark on 23 Mar 2012, 06:03 pm

Oh yeah? How do you have yours set up?

On the inside in a 16x15x8.5' room....3' from the side walls and 3.5' off the front wall. Square room. My local Magnepan Dealer, has all of their presentation rooms set up with the ribbons on the inside, no matter the room configuration.

The final issue to consider is an eternal one: innie or outie? That is, do you position the ribbon tweeters on the inside or outside edge of the speakers? Magnepan gives some pointed information in the MG20.1's manual:

"Room acoustics and your own personal tastes will determine whether to position the panels with the tweeters on the inside or outside edge. In most rooms, placing them on the outside will give good dimensionality. Placing them on the inside will, in most cases, increase the central focus and improve imaging."

What I found is different and has to do only with integration. No matter the speakers' positions or toe-in, I could hear the tweeters apart from the rest of the sound when they were on the outside, but I couldn't detect them when they were on the inside. Were dimensionality, central focus and imaging affected by tweeter position? Maybe, but I couldn't hear past the sense that the highs seemed to have exaggerated width because the tweeters were as far apart as possible. Therefore, the third truth I discovered was to place the tweeters on the inside; however, I will concede that in a narrow room where the speakers are closer together, outside placement may create a wider, more lifelike soundstage. As Yoda would counsel, "Varied may your mileage be."

Jim

SteveFord · « **Reply #175 on:** 24 Mar 2012, 01:29 am »

If you need a little more output from your amps it might be time to drop a hint to Mrs. Thunderbrick about your birthday coming up (sooner or later):

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1MNNEO500

When you stop to think about it, it's really as much for her enjoyment as it is for you. If you're not happy with having to crank the volume to 2:00 to get some decent sound than she's not going to be happy, either, and it's important to keep your wife happy.
This would be a selfless act on your part as it's for the greater good, wouldn't you agree?

medium jim · « **Reply #176 on:** 24 Mar 2012, 01:57 am »

Brick:

Every now and then, I hook up my BGW 500D which is around 400wpc @ 4ohm and I still have to go past 12:00 to get loud with my 2.5's. With my Marantz 9's, almost to 1:00.

Not sure where you had to go to with your 1.6's, it would be interesting to know as I owned a pair of 1.6's several years ago and find the 2.5's a little easier to drive. Could be in part to upgraded x/o's.

My BGW really sounds nice, but has a small hint of grain in the HF. If you are going to bi-amp, any of your amps would be fine for the bass & mids, but I personally would consider tubes for the ribbons.

It is nice to have choices!

Jim

medium jim · « **Reply #177 on:** 24 Mar 2012, 02:37 pm »

The real story is that someone stepped up to the plate and got a pair of speakers that simply stated are sublime!

Jim

thunderbrick · « **Reply #178 on:** 24 Mar 2012, 03:07 pm »

Quote from: SteveFord on 24 Mar 2012, 01:29 am

If you need a little more output from your amps it might be time to drop a hint to Mrs. Thunderbrick about your birthday coming up (sooner or later):

http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=1MNNEO500

When you stop to think about it, it's really as much for her enjoyment as it is for you. If you're not happy with having to crank the volume to 2:00 to get some decent sound than she's not going to be happy, either, and it's important to keep your wife happy.
This would be a selfless act on your part as it's for the greater good, wouldn't you agree?

I like smooth but detailed sound, played LOUD. She doesn't like loud (maybe she considers loud competition?)

And since she travels during the week, it'll be 90% my listening. And no, I have no plans to show her how the system works. I don't want her to wreck the ribbon tweets by playing Celine Dion

Side note: Many years ago I had an all-Crown system that was controlled by ONE toggle switch. Every time I would leave town my (then) wife would throw that switch and blow every fuse in the system, every time. I'd come home, replace all the fuses, have her show me what she did, and it always worked perfectly. Leave town again, repeat process.

I don't know what the problem was, but it sure kept her the hell away from my stereo. Wonder how I can duplicate it now?

kevin360 · « **Reply #179 on:** 24 Mar 2012, 03:11 pm »

I understand that 'brick is teaching today, but we didn't hear from him last night. Hopefully, that means that he couldn't tear himself away from those awesome speakers. I do hope, however, that he managed to tear himself away for a bit of shut-eye.

That's an interesting cake, Berni. Which variation is pictured? How many variations have you eaten? It appears as though some versions could actually be considered a meal.

Don't get too hung up on the volume control position, Jim. A perfectly powerful amp could simply be mated with a preamp having inadequate (for that particular amp) drive. That's what makes the specs referring to impedance, voltage and gain nice to know when selecting components.

The photos reveal that 'brick has his tweeters oriented inward – the 1.6s were and the 20.1s are.

I have to confess that viewing the photos did trigger an unfortunate epidermal reaction which would have been more appropriate a week ago

. Enjoy those things and have fun sorting out how best to feed them. It's nice to see them in their new home, but this saga isn't over yet – keep us posted on the progression.

(as I clicked post, I saw that 'brick is currently active)
Ah, Celine may hurt our ears, but I think the ribbons can take it.