[stelo]

A newbie on the planar circle here ... looking for the collective wisdom of the group.

I am getting back to hi-fi after many many years, and I have been reading a lot of reviews of speakers,
finally listened to a pair of 1.7 two weeks ago in a dealer in San Bernardino, CA. I could not
believe my ears - I fell in love with those speakers (he also had the 3.7 but I did not want
to listen to them). I do not think I can convince my wife for the 1.7 (due to their size compared to the living room size and
the presence of a toddler) but maybe I could get close to the sound of the 1.7 using the mini.
Anyone has listened to both and compared them?

If I go with the Mini, what kind of DAC+Amp should I consider? I do not want
to spend a lot more than $1.5K for DAC+Amp. I have reading about the
Peachtree nova125 ($1500), the Wadia 151 ($800), and the Wired4Sound
Mini-Integrated ($1500).

Cheers,
Stefano

[SteveFord]

I've heard both and if the room is small enough of you sit near field the Minis are really, really good.
AJZepp went with one of the Peachtree products with his 3.6s and likes it well enough.  He posted a review about it somewhere on this Circle.

[guest61169]

...I do not think I can convince my wife for the 1.7 (due to their size compared to the living room size and
the presence of a toddler) ...

I think I would either go for a pair of wall-mounted powered speakers or choose a listening room where the toddler isn't allowed.  Toddlers, WAF and high-end audio are not a good combo.

[Tubo]

I have heard the 1.7's and I own the Minis. If anything, the Minis are slightly more detailed (higher resolution) than the 1.7's, perhaps because the Minis have true ribbon tweeter whereas the 1.7's have quasi-ribbon tweeters. The 1.7's have a much larger musical presentation, however, and can play much louder. The Minis are designed for near-field listening or small rooms, the 1.7's for large rooms.

If you get the Minis for use in a small room (as opposed to using them as desktop speakers), you probably should get an extra DWM unit. Each DWM unit is placed near the sidewalls, next to each Mini, left and right. My understanding is that doing so will increase the system's ability to play louder and have more punch in the bass. I found this information in a review of the Minis.

I drive my Minis with a Coda 10.5 amp. The Coda produces 50 watts in Class A and 100 watts in Class AB into 4 ohms. If any of the amps you are considering is in that ballpark you should be OK.

[stelo]

Thanks to all for the useful comments. Yesterday I listened to the Minis as well as the 1.7 again.
I liked the 1.7 much better on the low frequencies, but the Minis sounded quite impressive on mid-ranges
and high frequencies. I ended up ordering them.

I might consider adding another DWM later, but for now the Minis appear to be
the best solution for my set-up. I found a Wadia 151 (the DAC+amp that Magnepan suggests
for the home trial) on ebay for a little over $550. I will let you know how I like this $2K combo
when I get them.

Stefano

[stelo]

Clarification: I ordered the Minis (not the 1.7).

[SteveFord]

Those little things are astonishing, aren't they?
You first look at them and think that somebody must be joking.
Congratulations!

[klao]

Congrats, stelo!   

You may also consider adding another set of Minis (instead of just one DWM) and stack them (the mid/high panels) up later.

[stelo]

I've had the mini for a few days. I am driving them with the Wadia 151, which appears
to be adequate. I am very impressed by the mini, but I still think that they need help in
the bass. I am still working on finding the "perfect" placement for my room.

Anyone has a recommendation for a small sub to go with the Minis? I have done some
searches on these forums. Lots of people like REL, SVS, Definite Tech, but the number
of choices is a little overwhelming. I would like not to spend more that $500 and I can
go pre-owned.

Stefano

[roscoeiii]

I'd look into a sealed REL perhaps? Think those might be possible under $500, esp if you look used.

[jk@home]

How about a diy open baffle sub in an H frame setup?

[SteveFord]

I've heard them with the smaller RELs and it was really good. 

[SwamisCat]

I would go with a single DWM now, and perhaps another later. The DWM offers what the minnies lack...bass, and they do so with the same technology used for the 20 series.

Adding a subwoofer will give you sub bass, and if you set it right, it will also give you lthe low and mid bass you are probably missing. However, I would suggest for the best integration and bass quality, the DWMs are going to be nearly impossible to beat. IMO

[Robin Hood]

I recommend two (or three) options:

1. The Rythmik F12 subwoofer - if you want excellent sub-bass from 14 Hz up to 80Hz.  I believe the subs are ordered through Ascend Acoustics for $874 and they offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.

2. A 2nd DWM woofer and 2nd amp with volume control - if you want more bass and mid bass from 40Hz up to 300Hz.  A 2nd DWM woofer is $795 and you can budget $500 for a suitable integrated amp (new or used).

3. In time - Options 1&2 at a whopping $2169.  While this will let you reach new levels of audio enjoyment it will also reinforce just what a fantastic value the Mini Maggies are at $1495.

Bottom line - stay pat until you can afford to add quality to quality.

[stelo]

I like the idea of a second DWM to keep everything coherent,
although I will have to wait a little to save for it. Maybe I can find it used.
I am not a big fan of subwoofers in general.

But ... how would the second DWM be wired if I was going to use only one amp?

[stustan]

I second the Rythmik F12.  My system is a 5.1 Maggie setup.  CC5/DWM as center, 1.7's as LR, MC1's as surrounds.  The Rythmik blends seamlessly whether I am listening 5.1 or 2.1 for music.  It can really, really dig down to subterranean depths when movies demand it and then turn around and add the subtlest weight to an acoustic bass.  It is a remarkable bargain.  It can also be ordered from the Rythmik website.  Highly recommended.  Good luck with your search.

[jarcher]

REL T-5 : The Absolute Sound winner.  I have one (w/ Totem Arros) and love it.  Very tight + musical + has the LF you want even if it doesn't plumb the deepest depths. 

But w/ mini maggies, maybe a T-Zero would be enough / better.  T-ZERO Retails @ $500 & T-5 around $700, but if you're patient you can often find demos etc for 20%+ off.  Or buy used........

Sound aside, the glossy finish + hardware is very attractive.  If any sub has WAF, this is it.

I think they are both small / fast / tight enough to play well w/ the mini maggie + DWM.

[Robin Hood]

I like the idea of a second DWM to keep everything coherent,
although I will have to wait a little to save for it. Maybe I can find it used.
I am not a big fan of subwoofers in general.

But ... how would the second DWM be wired if I was going to use only one amp?

This is the typical configuration recommended by Magnepan when using the Mini Maggies with a 2nd DWM.  The left channel of the amp drives the left DWM woofer and left satellite speaker and the right channel of the amp drives the right DWM woofer and right satellite speaker.  The distance between the left and right speakers is typically 6-8 ft, though you may want to move the DMWs further out to butt against the parallel walls for greater bass (passive way to increase the bass by relying on bass reinforcement from the floor and wall).

[stelo]

This is the typical configuration recommended by Magnepan when using the Mini Maggies with a 2nd DWM.  The left channel of the amp drives the left DWM woofer and left satellite speaker and the right channel of the amp drives the right DWM woofer and right satellite speaker.  The distance between the left and right speakers is typically 6-8 ft, though you may want to move the DMWs further out to butt against the parallel walls for greater bass (passive way to increase the bass by relying on bass reinforcement from the floor and wall).

Thanks for the answer, but if you connect each DWM to only on channel, would you not "power" only half of the DWM? 

[Robin Hood]

Thanks for the answer, but if you connect each DWM to only on channel, would you not "power" only half of the DWM?

That's what I thought when I posted the question (under "Do you have a question for the Magnepan factory?") on 19 Oct 2011.  I posted something similar again on 5 Jan 2012 and called Wendell a few weeks later.  I posted a brief summary of our conversation as Reply 81 on 24 Jan 2012, hoping that Wendell would correct anything in the post that seemed incorrect.

I am not sure how the DWM is wired to operate when being fed on 1 channel or 2 channels, but I do not recall hearing any difference in volume levels and I hope that does not mean that I am going deaf.

Maybe I will try that setup again this weekend and use the Radio Shack sound pressure meter to record any volume differences when a DWM is fed 1 channel or 2 channels.