Magnepan MMG neophyte question.....go easy on me!!!

chriscrellin1 · « **on:** 24 Feb 2009, 02:42 pm »

Neophyte here......just warning ya...

Anyway, I was looking at a set of Magnepan MMG's and was wondering how they would sound UN-modded. Keep in mind that I am still listening to everything on a Bose Acoustimass 5 (might be a 3, just a sub and two cube assemblies) that I got in 1994. I know that I will have to get a new tuner or amp to properly push these speakers, but unmodded will I love them? Is the additional modding necessary to someone who has been listening to Bose for years?

1 more question. What should I get to run these without breaking the bank? Do I need a dedicated amp along with a tuner? Is there a reasonably priced tuner that will push these speakers appropriately? I will probably listen mostly to music coming from my iPod or CD's if that matters....

THANKS!!!!

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #1 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 02:54 pm »

Hey Chris,

Be not afraid to ask questions at Audio Circle....we all were newbies once and hope that folks remember this. I moved this post from Speaker Reviews to more appropriate Audio Central as you had a question, not commentary on a specific speaker.

That said, I owned a pair of Magnepan MMG's. I bought them stock and later modded them. Unless you give them considerable room (even for the baby Maggies like this) to breathe, you won't get all you want from them. My room was 12 x 15 x 8-12' and the sound was 'pinched'. I sold them to a local fella' and got to hear them set up in his much larger room (maybe 15 x 18 x 10' or so) and they took on an entire different/better personality.

I ended up modding mine to the nines (full top-and-botom Mye stands and a total re-wire and crossover changeout). None of these were as dramatic and 'upgrade' as just having a larger room was

It'll sound quite different than your Bose system for certain......but the Magnepan MMG's are audiophile steals for those with the right room to display their character. Another good thing is their resale.....you tend to get back 60% of what you paid for them on the used market if you don't like them. As they only cost $550, you're not out a fortune if you need to sell them later.

Welcome to AC, as well

Regards, John

chriscrellin1 · « **Reply #2 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 03:00 pm »

Thanks for the welcome mat! They are going to be in a pretty big room like your buddies so I am hoping to get some good sound out of them stock without modding. Heck, I think anything would be an improvement over the old-school Bose that I am using now....

What do you think I should power them with without breaking the bank?

thunderbrick · « **Reply #3 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 03:11 pm »

The FIRST mod you need to do to the Maggies is to put your Boze system in the driveway and drive back and forth over it with your car.
Such a proper cleansing is necessary to really appreciate the journey on which you are about to embark.

Seriously, I bought a set of Maggies last year and as soon as I finish my room overhaul I will be asking the same kind of questions as you pose. Welcome to the club!

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #4 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 03:13 pm »

Quote from: chriscrellin1 on 24 Feb 2009, 03:00 pm

Thanks for the welcome mat! They are going to be in a pretty big room like your buddies so I am hoping to get some good sound out of them stock without modding. Heck, I think anything would be an improvement over the old-school Bose that I am using now....

What do you think I should power them with without breaking the bank?

I got good results with both a 100 watt JVC receiver, 150 watt Audiosource amp and 50 tube watts from (vintage) Dukane, as well.

They do drink a lot of juice (you will find your volume control running out of room a lot.....I would stick with an active preamp section, rather than passive, to provide enough gain to use on tap). Buy as much amplifier, or receiver, as you can afford (and reasonably good 100 watts is really affordable today with products made in the Far East).

If you go a receiver route it'll work just fine if it has beefy outputs.....and no worries about 'active' or 'passive' crap that audiophools banter about sometimes (too much info for newbies can happen)

What do you use now for amplification? How many watts is it?

John

Brown · « **Reply #5 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 03:21 pm »

The Maggies requre a bit of power to drive. SS like Bryston , Parasound, and the like seem to work best. Unless you have he scratch for a high powered tube amp such as Audio Research or Conrad Johnson.
Maggies also like rectangular rooms set at least 4' from the rear walls and approx 7' apart with at least 4' to the side walls. great speakers but you can find some older 3As or 3.6s and be a bit happier. My two cents.

audioferret · « **Reply #6 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 03:22 pm »

Outlaw 2150 (Best $$$ Option for Now...$699)
http://outlawaudio.com/products/rr2150.html

Emotiva RSP-2/RPA-2 ("Almost" Overkill @ $1,400...you will never go back)
http://emotiva.com/rsp2.shtm
http://emotiva.com/rpa2.shtm

I really don't think you can beat thee two options...both are well-reviewed. The Outlaw includes a tuner.

If you are into a separate tuner, use audiogon.com to search for a good deal on a classic (the economy is in your favor right now) and send it in for an alignment with Terry Dewick or Stereo Surgeons.

chriscrellin1 · « **Reply #7 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 03:30 pm »

Kenwood KR-V7060
100wpc Audio Video Stereo Receiver
I bought this in 1995 for the Bose that I need to run over with my Jeep now.

ajzepp · « **Reply #8 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 04:55 pm »

Chris: I had MMGs for two years and they completely transformed my love of music, not to mention the fact that they basically ruined me for all box speakers (with the exception of the DeVore line, which are fantastic). I agree with what's been said above, with the exception that I'm not as crazy about using a receiver with Maggies. If you use one for HT, just make sure it has pre-outs so that you can add an outboard amp for the MMGs. I would focus on finding a 100+ wpc amp for the MMGs, myself. There are many great options...the Outlaw and Emotiva options listed above are great choices. I'd also check audiogon for offerings from companies like Parasound, B&K, Rotel, and Anthem. Make sure it's stable into 4 ohms (preferably 2 ohms), and you'll be good to go.

As Chair Guy said, be sure to give them room to breathe...and also, regardless of what you may believe about break-in time, the Maggies DO need a break-in period.

I consider the MMGs to be THE best value in all of home audio...what you get for five bills is pretty amazing

chriscrellin1 · « **Reply #9 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 05:09 pm »

I checked out that Outlaw that was recommended by audioferret and as long as I can hook up a CD player to it and my iPod, I think I will go with that one. It looks nice and can run the Maggies appropriately.
I am really looking forward to getting a pair of these....I love music but just haven't really wanted to listen to it with the Bose, so I can't wait!!!

Rashiki · « **Reply #10 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 05:53 pm »

I use my Magenpans (formerly John/ChairGuy's) with an Emotiva RPA-1. It pumps out around 300 watts per channel into 4 ohms. The RPA-1 has been replaced with the RPA-2, but it looks to have similar specs and is probably a bargain at $699.

Whatever amp you use, make sure it's rated to handle a 4 ohm load. The Maggies are 4 ohm and many home theater receivers aren't rated for anything less than 8 ohms.

I'd also recommend pairing the Maggies with a subwoofer or a pair of subwoofers. They do their best handling frequencies about 80 to 100Hz, so you'll want to add a high-pass filter and a subwoofer. Most subs already come with a high-pass filter, so you can just feed the speaker out from your amp to the sub, then connect the Maggies to the speaker output on the subwoofer. I've done that with a pair of cheap X-Subs from AV123. If you go down the subwoofer path, make sure you look for subs that are designed for music, as the typical home theater subs tend to be a bit boomy.

-Rob

chriscrellin1 · « **Reply #11 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 06:19 pm »

Specifications
Audio Section
• Continuous Average Power:
100 watts per channel, 20 Hz - 20kHz,<0.03% THD, both channels driven into 8 ohms
160 watts per channel, 20 Hz - 20kHz,<0.03% THD, both channels driven into 4 ohms

As I was reading the Maggie website, under the FAQ they recommend that the receiver double the power going from 8 to 4 ohms. These are the specs from the Outlaw and it doesn't double. Will that be ok? 160 watts per channel seems pretty stout to me....but I am new at this...and I want the speakers to perform.

MaxCast · « **Reply #12 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 07:56 pm »

I listened to the MMG's with a AV receiver that was rated at 85 per channel. It was not near enough for these speakers, IMO. I doubt 15 watts is going to make any difference at all.
Your receiver does have pre outs on the back so you could easily hook up a used amp with more balls. Or you could add in a powered sub with high and low pass filters on it to unload the bass from the the MMG's and your receiver. This might negate the need for a separate amplifier.
Do you have a budget for the electronics side?

DustyC · « **Reply #13 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 08:15 pm »

Invest in a $30 Radio Shack SPL meter. Getting a benchmark as to how loud you listen on a daily basis will help you determine how much power is reasonable for your needs. Then the decision can be made as to how much power is really needed.

chriscrellin1 · « **Reply #14 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 08:29 pm »

Quote from: MaxCast on 24 Feb 2009, 07:56 pm

I listened to the MMG's with a AV receiver that was rated at 85 per channel. It was not near enough for these speakers, IMO. I doubt 15 watts is going to make any difference at all.

But it is 160 watts at 4 ohms. Is that enough? I plead ignorance to understand most of this stuff so I could be pretty off-base....

Rashiki · « **Reply #15 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 08:31 pm »

If you're happy enough with using your Kenwood as a preamplifier (meaning it has preamp outs), you could add on a low-cost power amp to drive the Maggies.

I haven't heard it, but the Emotiva UPA-2 looks like a deal at $269. http://emotiva.com/upa2.shtm

I've also read that there are a lot of fans of the Behringer A500. 230 Watts into 4 ohms. Available for around $200. http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/A500.aspx

-Rob

chriscrellin1 · « **Reply #16 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 08:32 pm »

I apoligize. The stats listed above are from the Outlaw. I will probably keep the Kenwood running the Bose in the basement for movies and just have the Maggies in the living room for dedicated music listening.

MaxCast · « **Reply #17 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 08:47 pm »

What is your budget for the electronics in the living room.?
Amp
preamp
source

chriscrellin1 · « **Reply #18 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 08:49 pm »

Probably about $700 which was great because that is what the Outlaw cost. But I MAY be able to stretch that a bit....

Rashiki · « **Reply #19 on:** 24 Feb 2009, 09:03 pm »

Quote from: chriscrellin1 on 24 Feb 2009, 08:29 pm

But it is 160 watts at 4 ohms. Is that enough? I plead ignorance to understand most of this stuff so I could be pretty off-base....

It may be enough. As I said, I drive my Maggies with the Emotiva RPA-1 which is rated at 300 Watts into 4 ohms, but the VU meters rarely move more than a quarter of their range, so I doubt that I'm using much of that rated power.

-Rob