The Magnepan Altar nears completion (shiny picture inside!)

Nils · « **on:** 30 Nov 2007, 07:32 pm »

After hours and hours of playing with room treatment, I feel I've got something that sounds the way I want! Maybe a little more experimentation is in order, but I'm very close:

I have 14 bass traps in my room. Yes, 14. Maybe not as many as Ethan, but hey...

2 GIK Monster Bass Traps
4 GIK Tri-Traps
2 GIK 244 panels (on custom-painted stands!)
4 ASC StudioTraps
2 RealTraps MiniTrap HFs

I'm also using hot-rodded GIK D1 diffusors with 2 layers of constrained layer damping and acoustic foam stuffing in the cavity.

I'm so happy that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel here..

Panelman · « **Reply #1 on:** 30 Nov 2007, 07:44 pm »

Nils,

what a beautiful picture. What are you driving them 3.6s with?

Thanks
Sean

Nils · « **Reply #2 on:** 30 Nov 2007, 07:50 pm »

Those, my friend, are Bryston 7B-SST monoblocks. The rest of the system specs are here:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vevol&1188229613&read&keyw&zzmagnepan

Jason Jones · « **Reply #3 on:** 30 Nov 2007, 09:42 pm »

Nils,

Altar is right!! I see you've got some ceiling treatment in there, good job!....and done just in time for the winter "listening season".

Jason

MaxCast · « **Reply #4 on:** 30 Nov 2007, 10:03 pm »

Sweet, very nice !!

One of these days I'll have my room done

martyo · « **Reply #5 on:** 30 Nov 2007, 10:11 pm »

Nice job Nils.

FYI, theres a page to post your system on here on the AudioCircle too.

Nils · « **Reply #6 on:** 30 Nov 2007, 11:23 pm »

Quote from: Jason Jones on 30 Nov 2007, 09:42 pm

Nils,

Altar is right!! I see you've got some ceiling treatment in there, good job!....and done just in time for the winter "listening season".

Jason

Yeah! Treating the ceiling, even with line-source drivers, did make a definite improvement. The room quieted up quite a bit. Imaging improved, and there was much less "ringing" at higher levels. Giant flat parallel ceiling == never a good thing.

For my rental apartment, the ASC SoundPanels were really ideal. They weigh so little than I can stick them to the ceiling using hook-and-loop fasteners, and they really are a nice voiced blend of absorption and diffusion. It also looks much prettier than foam.

-- Nils

NealH · « **Reply #7 on:** 1 Dec 2007, 02:24 am »

Very nice work with this sound room. And, needless to say, what a great set of speakers you have.

richidoo · « **Reply #8 on:** 1 Dec 2007, 04:14 am »

Nils, looks great. Now I see why you call it the Altar - well said!! I love the GIK products too. Good stuff. Not tried the new diffusors yet.

I see you have the tweeters on the outside. Almost everytime I read about the decision process of putting tweeters inside or out, they always seem to pick the inside. I'm sure with your obvious attention to detail that you've tried both ways?
Thanks
Rich

Panelman · « **Reply #9 on:** 1 Dec 2007, 04:43 pm »

Nils,

thanks for the link to your equipment list. I had MMGs for about 10 years before moving to the 1.6 model. As a ACI Force user I would love to hear your experience with dual Forces if you go that route. Looking at the Bryston 4Bs as a step up from my Rotel RB991. Did you audition other Bryston amps before choosing the 7Bs?

Thanks
Sean

Nils · « **Reply #10 on:** 3 Dec 2007, 11:57 pm »

Hi Sean, I upgraded to Brystons based on research and from what I hear, Magnepans are voiced with Bryston amps. My former amp was a NAD C340, which was a touch warmer, but the Brystons give you a sense of effortlessness. They're a great match for my 3.6/Rs.

Nils · « **Reply #11 on:** 3 Dec 2007, 11:59 pm »

New pics!

Rear wall treatment:

mfsoa · « **Reply #12 on:** 4 Dec 2007, 12:04 am »

The Jeopardy answer:

My wife saw your room with all the treatments and said:

(drumroll....)

"OOOHH, that is one pretty room!!"

The Jeopardy question:
"What is a keeper, Alex"

steve k · « **Reply #13 on:** 4 Dec 2007, 01:25 am »

That's just gorgeous!!! All color coordinated, neutral background brings out the wood and I bet it sounds wonderful!!! Way cool rig!

steve

KCI-JohnP · « **Reply #14 on:** 4 Dec 2007, 01:31 am »

Beautiful job Nils, I wish I could sit in your chair for a few songs!!

John

bpape · « **Reply #15 on:** 4 Dec 2007, 02:16 am »

Very nice looking Nils. A suitable home for those beautiful Maggies.

Bryan

launche · « **Reply #16 on:** 4 Dec 2007, 03:03 am »

Nils, I really like this room, dedication and spectacular implementation in a living and listening space. You get my mag-pie award. The 3.6's are some of my fav. speakers... fun, fun, fun. When I get a suitable space I would have no problems going back to maggies (I had 1.6's.) One of the absolute best speakers I've heard were maggie 20's in a large open living space, the glory of the audio gawds where present at every listen. I have never, ever heard the walls disappear and the speakers take over a space like that before. If there were not two grown men behind me I would have cried.

Yours is a room I would love to hear, maggies were my first and we will be together again, someplace, somehow (shhh, don't tell my quads that.) Seeing your alter reminds me of a long lost love, enjoy your sweet love affair, I bet she is enchanting.

Nils · « **Reply #17 on:** 4 Dec 2007, 03:54 am »

Quote from: launche on 4 Dec 2007, 03:03 am

Nils, I really like this room, dedication and spectacular implementation in a living and listening space. You get my mag-pie award. The 3.6's are some of my fav. speakers... fun, fun, fun. When I get a suitable space I would have no problems going back to maggies (I had 1.6's.) One of the absolute best speakers I've heard were maggie 20's in a large open living space, the glory of the audio gawds where present at every listen. I have never, ever heard the walls disappear and the speakers take over a space like that before. If there were not two grown men behind me I would have cried.

Yours is a room I would love to hear, maggies were my first and we will be together again, someplace, somehow (shhh, don't tell my quads that.) Seeing your alter reminds me of a long lost love, enjoy your sweet love affair, I bet she is enchanting.

Thank you for the kind words! I do wish I had a larger space for them. Working with an effective width of 12 feet is difficult with such large speakers. Perhaps when I eventually buy a house (ha ha ha, when you live in the bay area, that's a bit of a joke for a single guy), I can get myself one of those beautifully-proportioned 11'H x 17'W x 27'L rooms.

What was most telling was when my audiophile colleague and I were discussing his new $22,000 Magico V3s. There's a beautiful recording of Don Quixote de la Mancha by Jordi Savall, and in the narrated tracks, there are birds outside the recording venue making a racket. He said he had to really crank it up to hear the birds. However, in my acoustic space with my maggies.. the birds are there, not buried under any smearing whatsoever. There's so much resolution with these speakers it's scary. His speakers cost about the same as my ENTIRE system. How's that for a deal??

Bill O'Connell · « **Reply #18 on:** 4 Dec 2007, 05:23 am »

Nils,

Your room is an inspiration that all should aspire too. Beautiful!!

launche · « **Reply #19 on:** 4 Dec 2007, 05:58 am »

Well Nils, there's alot of factors involved in how you all might be hearing those birds differently, resolution being one. I've never heard the Magico but just a glance at each design speaks for itself. Maggies and the like cast a big open sound, a babbling brook on one speaker can sound like a rushing river on maggies. You know the design, it can be their fame and their curse. Accuracy aside, involvment is the key. Makes for a great Sunday of listening while you guys ponder those birds in each system.

Single in San Fran. with a killer system, you are the envy of many men. Hope it's not too hard tearing yourself away from listening to go out to some of those fine restaurants and enjoy a meal with a nice lady friend. You know some of us audio buffs can be shut-ins.