Can Maggie .7's Be Used Somewhat Nearfield In A Small Room? - Need Your Expertis

tull skull · « **Reply #20 on:** 16 Jul 2019, 01:27 am »

Gosh Slapshot, those records seem to be a real problem. Well I guess I would be willing to take them and free up more room for you but you gotta pay shipping!

This is a pretty nice gesture I am offering after all!

Also wanted to throw a monkey wrench in there... if you somehow get over your speaker size envy and start considering the Mini Maggies then I think you should also consider the ETs as well. They have a pretty loyal following as well but not many companies can match the dedication Maggie owners have.

Slapshot · « **Reply #21 on:** 16 Jul 2019, 04:53 am »

Quote from: SteveFord on 15 Jul 2019, 09:29 pm

Sides don't matter like I.Greyhound Fan said.
It sounds like you've found your solution and as for the retirement home, I couldn't agree more!

I just want a big box to live in.
Upstairs one monster room to live in, small kitchen and bathroom.
Downstairs motorcycles and reptile quarters.

Maybe a small house for the wife, she can bop over for a conjugal visit on occasion.

Doesn't seem much to ask for. Let me know when you manage to arrange all that. I'll happily come by to visit and listen to your 20.7's! And I'll bring the beer.

JC

Slapshot · « **Reply #22 on:** 16 Jul 2019, 05:54 am »

Quote from: SteveFord on 15 Jul 2019, 09:29 pm

Sides don't matter like I.Greyhound Fan said.
It sounds like you've found your solution and as for the retirement home, I couldn't agree more!

I just want a big box to live in.
Upstairs one monster room to live in, small kitchen and bathroom.
Downstairs motorcycles and reptile quarters.

Maybe a small house for the wife, she can bop over for a conjugal visit on occasion.

I cannot possibly tell you how excited that I can add the .7's to my system. Now on to the work required to make it reality.

JC

rollo · « **Reply #23 on:** 16 Jul 2019, 06:42 pm »

Quote from: SteveFord on 14 Jul 2019, 10:59 am

Have you ever heard the Mini Maggies as full speaker system for a small room?
If not, don't dismiss them.
They were Holy Sh*t good and it was just a laptop, a Cambridge integrated amp and a small REL sub.

When they were first introduced at a show (that what's behind the curtain bit) people were expecting it to a big a very LARGE speaker system so they'll fill up a room with sound. I believe they were being driven with a gazillion watts from Bryston amps.

Excellent advice. Agree 100% Steve. My buddy in DC had them set up on stands. After listening to his main system he switched over to the Mini Maggies on stands. I'm still shaking my head as to how good they sounded. Actually better in some ways compared to big Stats.

charles

SteveFord · « **Reply #24 on:** 16 Jul 2019, 11:32 pm »

After their big unveiling demo Wendell started his under sell, over deliver bit and didn't push them like I would have.
I think he was afraid that people would be disappointed by trying to use them in really large rooms where 3.7s or something would be more suitable.
From what I heard they just killed the smaller ones, my MMGs sound pathetic by comparison.

The late store owner said that he replaced his expensive headphones with the Mini Maggies and I always think about that when I'm looking at the latest Stax products.

Oh well, can't own everything (right now, ha, ha).

Slapshot · « **Reply #25 on:** 17 Jul 2019, 06:22 am »

I am happy to announce that I was just able to close a great deal, earlier this evening, for a locally available pair of 18 month old .7's in mint condition, with all original packaging, etc., and the optional plexiglass bases. Now I just have to convince a friend with a suitable vehicle to help me go and pick them up this weekend.

In other news, received the new issue of Stereophile today, with the new Magnepan LRS speakers on the cover. LRS stands for "little ribbon speaker". These are a replacement for the MMG's, per the article, and the review was extremely positive. And only $650.00 a pair. Remarkable.

JC

I.Greyhound Fan · « **Reply #26 on:** 17 Jul 2019, 03:23 pm »

Congrats, keep us posted in how they sound.

Larry

Slapshot · « **Reply #27 on:** 23 Jul 2019, 03:27 am »

Just was finally able to get things set up and working. This may be the single most difficult audio experience I've ever had (at least other than driving two states away one winter to pickup some very large speakers in a very large, rented SUV ). It was a series of setbacks that started this morning when the seller of the ,7's that I went to pickup was delayed in getting home for over three hours due to a flat tire. I got to his apartment building at the agreed upon time, and no one was home. Not his fault, certainly, and no real choice but to wait until he got home, as it was a nearly an hour and a half trip to get there. So, I read a lot of a book on my phones kindle app, while sitting under a tree, and looking out over a big lake. Met with him got the speakers loaded, arrived back at my house, and had to wait a bit longer for assistance in getting the box out of the car and into the house, having been delayed so long.

Once the package was in the house, unpacking was easy and stand mounting was also without issue. And so, I moved the speakers to my upstairs office where they will reside, gave them an initial placement, and went to connect them up. Problem number two then appeared. I had no idea that Maggies (I don't know if all models, but certainly at least the .7's) only accept banana pins, not spades. The only pair of speaker cables that I had available of the necessary length were spades. Of course my other speaker cables were all terminated with banana pins, but were, of course, too short. I then made a call, and ended up driving over to an audio friend's house, about 20 miles each way, where he loaned me a pair of cables that would work, as he was going on vacation for two weeks and could spare them temporarily.

Finally made it home again, and got the speakers connected, only to find that the digital front end of my system (NAS, USB to SPDIF converter, streamer/network player, and DAC) had developed an unknown problem. Spent two hours troubleshooting that without success. Went downstairs to the main system and disconnected the cd/sacd player, took that and a handful of cd's and SACD's upstairs, and connected up the unit. Finally, now, eleven hours after the process started, I am sitting here and listening to the .7's which sound wonderful, even with just my first take at positioning. They are currently 25 inches from the back wall, about just over three feet apart (inside edge to inside edge, based on room limitations), five feet from my listening spot, and toed in a bit. Even this early on, and without any further tweaking the sound is bordering on amazing. Imaging is dead on, soundstage is quite surprising for a small room and their placement. There is also, front and center that seamless presentation of music that Maggies are famous for. I'm jumping around and playing favorite songs and couldn't be happier.Even the degree of bass that the .7
s are capable of, at least in my scenario, is surprising.

JC

Slapshot · « **Reply #28 on:** 23 Jul 2019, 05:06 am »

Sadly, and unbelievably. forty or so minutes after I sat there listening, so entranced by the ,7's, and the new to me/used, very high quality, integrated amp, with widely noted ideal power for even the 3.7i's, the sound suddenly stopped. An issue I eventually identified with the integrated amp. I will not name the manufacturer as his products are superbly well built, and this was almost certainly the fault of the company that shipped it. All I know, is that after all I went through to make this happen, as told in my last note, I'm essentially gutted. I can tell myself that I need to look to the future, and that I own these amazing .7.s, but, just now, it's a serious challenge, given all that has passed in this effort.

And now, I am at the mercy of the very good brick and mortar store that sold me the integrated amp, who is already dealing with the manufacturer to see that this is taken care of. But, in the end, I don't know how this works, I still, at best need to ship the integrated amp back to the manufacturer, wait weeks before it is shipped back, and sit here without any music in my office. Oh well. There is even more to this, but I won't bore you with it.

JC

SteveFord · « **Reply #29 on:** 23 Jul 2019, 09:24 am »

That sounds like a totally frustrating ordeal.
Hope it all gets sorted out.
You can get banana to spade adaptors from PartsExpress, I believe.

Elizabeth · « **Reply #30 on:** 23 Jul 2019, 12:07 pm »

Sad to read about your frustrating experience with the equipment. I hope it can be rapidly resolved.

rollo · « **Reply #31 on:** 23 Jul 2019, 01:40 pm »

Wow that sucks. Hope it was not UPS who damaged unit. It may take some time to resolve. If your close to NY I could lend you an Integrated amp in the mean time.

charles

I.Greyhound Fan · « **Reply #32 on:** 23 Jul 2019, 02:24 pm »

Sorry to hear about all the problems but I am glad to hear that the near field set up is working.

Slapshot · « **Reply #33 on:** 23 Jul 2019, 04:14 pm »

Quote from: rollo on 23 Jul 2019, 01:40 pm

Wow that sucks. Hope it was not UPS who damaged unit. It may take some time to resolve. If your close to NY I could lend you an Integrated amp in the mean time.

charles

Thanks for the very kind offer of a loan, but I'm quite a ways from the state of NY. And yes, it was indeed UPS. I suppose I should prepare myself to expect a significant delay in getting the issue resolved. Yet another reason why I always use FedEx for anything I ship. Thanks for the information.

JC

timind · « **Reply #34 on:** 23 Jul 2019, 08:57 pm »

Quote from: Slapshot on 23 Jul 2019, 04:14 pm

Thanks for the very kind offer of a loan, but I'm quite a ways from the state of NY. And yes, it was indeed UPS. I suppose I should prepare myself to expect a significant delay in getting the issue resolved. Yet another reason why I always use FedEx for anything I ship. Thanks for the information.

JC

I'd also loan you an amp if you were near me. Indiana.

Slapshot · « **Reply #35 on:** 24 Jul 2019, 05:23 am »

Quote from: timind on 23 Jul 2019, 08:57 pm

I'd also loan you an amp if you were near me. Indiana.

I have to say I'm very touched at now having received two incredibly considerate offers from people who would loan me an amp to help me through this process. Just another reminder of what great people you come across in the audio world. You guys are immensely kind to make such offers. Thank you, very much.

Through his assistant back in the office, the owner of the company who manufacturers the integrated in question, has already been in touch with me about ensuring a very quick resolution to the problem. And he took the time to do so while on vacation in Europe with his family, no less. He believes he has an idea of what must have been compromised by the rough handling the unit received during shipping from the brick and mortar in Nova Scotia to me, in Michigan. And to his credit, he is still clearly disappointed that a product he made failed to stand up to such treatment.

JC

I.Greyhound Fan · « **Reply #36 on:** 24 Jul 2019, 07:54 pm »

JC, you should hit up any local Pawn shops for a cheap receiver. I have seen several high end Denon AVR's for $75-100 in my local shops.

SteveFord · « **Reply #37 on:** 24 Jul 2019, 11:41 pm »

I just took a look and Denon says that they'll handle 4 Ohm loads as long as the listening levels are kept down.
That might make for a good temporary fix for a low price.

I.Greyhound Fan · « **Reply #38 on:** 25 Jul 2019, 03:41 am »

Quote from: SteveFord on 24 Jul 2019, 11:41 pm

I just took a look and Denon says that they'll handle 4 Ohm loads as long as the listening levels are kept down.
That might make for a good temporary fix for a low price.

The older Denon 3800 and 3600 series AVR's from the early 2000's had robust power supplies and should be able to handle Maggies at moderate volumes. I was able to run a JVC AVR at 120wpc with my MMG's at moderately loud volumes. It would occasionally go into protection mode if I played it too loud with dynamic music though. The Denon's have way better power supplies.

Or he can look for one of the older high powered Harmon Kardon 2ch receivers as they put out 45 peak amps. A lot of people ran them with MMG's.

Slapshot · « **Reply #39 on:** 25 Jul 2019, 06:12 am »

Thanks, guys, for the suggestion of buying an inexpensively priced older receiver to hold me over. I'll look into your suggestions. The sad part is that, until very recently, I had about a six year old, top of the line Denon, with surprisingly high quality and very substantial amplification. I used it in my home theater before replacing it only due to needed surround sound technology upgrades. Just a couple months back, I gifted it to a friend who loves movies, and has had some serious financial setbacks in recent years. He had been using a much older, absolute minimal receiver for his very modest home theater. He has probably thanked me half a dozen times for elevating his home theater sound and performance. I certainly don't regret doing that, but as always, timing is everything.

JC