Magnepan SMGa for Sale

mpauly · « **on:** 24 Apr 2009, 02:51 am »

I have a pair of oak Magnepan SMGa speakers in excellent condition for sale. I'm no expert on these speakers but I believe the panels to be have no issues and cosmetically they are a 9 out of 10 with no scratches on the side rails and only a small hole in the grill cloth on the top corner of the left speaker (the wood behind is black is black so it's very tough to see). The metal feet and mounting screws are included as is the original box and packing material. Located in North/Central NJ. Asking $225 and prefer local pick-up, but willing to ship at buyers expense.

Feel free to email with any questions and see my album for pictures.
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=gallery;area=browse;album=1851

Michael

bummrush · « **Reply #1 on:** 24 Apr 2009, 03:21 am »

what a price,surprised if they dont fly into somebody's hands like soon, when i sold my pair i let en go for 150,it was to a friend ,he's still quite happy.

mpauly · « **Reply #2 on:** 25 Apr 2009, 02:55 pm »

Bump for the weekend crowd. These are still available and ready for a new home where they will get some use (I've got 4 pairs right now and thinning the herd).

Michael

bpape · « **Reply #3 on:** 25 Apr 2009, 03:23 pm »

Wow. That IS a great price. They'd be perfect for someone wanting to get into higher end sound but not spend a lot of money. Don't think there's much else out there in that price range that will do what the SMG's will.

Good luck

Bryan

mpauly · « **Reply #4 on:** 28 Apr 2009, 01:43 am »

Despite what I, and the other guys that posted here, thought was a great price......these are still available. Had a couple of inquiries, but no takers.

I got some more info on shipping and looks like these weigh in at 60 lbs so should be around $60 to ship. If it's more, I'll make up any reasonable difference, if it's less, I'll refund the difference. I can take paypal (I'll pay the fees), money order or personal check (will need to wait till the funds clear before shipping).

Let me know if there is any other information you need.

Thanks,
Michael

2bigears · « **Reply #5 on:** 28 Apr 2009, 02:25 am »

if those were MMG's i would take them.PG is still waiting on me with frame's built....

mpauly · « **Reply #6 on:** 30 Apr 2009, 09:43 pm »

These are still available.

I realize these don't command top dollar, so I'm somewhat negotiable on price. But, I won't give them away for $125 shipped (basically netting $65 for the speakers themselves).

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Michael

jman66 · « **Reply #7 on:** 1 May 2009, 02:28 pm »

pm sent ...

mpauly · « **Reply #8 on:** 2 May 2009, 12:42 am »

Quote from: jman66 on 1 May 2009, 02:28 pm

pm sent ...

Replied.

I'm getting lots of questions about panel condition and delamination. Short of tearing them apart to inspect anyone know of a way to confirm the panel condition? I'm no expert here and don't want to misrepresent anything so right now all I can say is I don't hear any distortion. I'd rather not tear these apart to inspect them.

Thanks
Michael

*Scotty* · « **Reply #9 on:** 2 May 2009, 01:24 am »

Magneplaner panels don't delaminate as far as I know. Ultraviolet light can damage the mylar membrane and possibly damage the glue bond between the wire that acts as a voice coil and the membrane. Prolonged UV exposure on the back of the panel is required for this to occur. Generally if they sound good they are good. If there is any loose wire on the membrane you should hear a buzzing sound. You might mention if you are the first owner and what vintage these speakers are, ie what year these speakers were built in. The bottom line is they are sold in an as is condition and they are not brand new. I used a pair of SMGs for 17 years with no problems. Here is a link to a discussion on repairing Maggies http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread/t-120418.html
Scotty

mpauly · « **Reply #10 on:** 2 May 2009, 02:35 am »

Quote from: *Scotty* on 2 May 2009, 01:24 am

Magneplaner panels don't delaminate as far as I know. Ultraviolet light can damage the mylar membrane and possibly damage the glue bond between the wire that acts as a voice coil and the membrane. Prolonged UV exposure on the back of the panel is required for this to occur. Generally if they sound good they are good. If there is any loose wire on the membrane you should hear a buzzing sound. You might mention if you are the first owner and what vintage these speakers are, ie what year these speakers were built in. The bottom line is they are sold in an as is condition and they are not brand new. I used a pair of SMGs for 17 years with no problems. Here is a link to a discussion on repairing Maggies http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread/t-120418.html
Scotty

Thanks so much for the info.

I am the original owner and if I rember correctly I bought these about 15 years ago. They were never in direct sunlight and have been stored in the original box for the last 5-6 years. I can't feel any loose wires or anything and they sound fine without distortion.

If you are local, I can demo them.

Michael

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #11 on:** 2 May 2009, 03:11 pm »

Wow, that seems like an amazing price.

I can't believe you've had these for a week and a half with no takers.
I'm half tempted to say something to the wife, not that we "need" anymore speakers, but....jeez. That really seems cheap for a pair of Maggies. I just don't think she'd be to receptive to the idea at this point in time.

Maybe if you still have them later down the road I'll drop the hint to her.

I wish you the best of luck on the sale Michael.

Bob

mpauly · « **Reply #12 on:** 4 May 2009, 08:19 pm »

So close....had a buyer but his wife stepped in last minute to put the kibosh on the deal.

Still available.

Michael

Peter Gunn · « **Reply #13 on:** 4 May 2009, 11:55 pm »

I happened to catch this thread and the info being posted is very incorrect.

Magneplaner panels don't delaminate as far as I know.

That's so incorrect it's almost funny. EVERY old maggie is going to go one way or another. If they go green, they will delaminate. This could start as banana peeling at the ends, or mid wire delam or both. If they go red they will not delam, however at some juncture the tweeter wires will dry rot and fail. EVERY old maggie will go thru one of these stages. It's not if, it's when and how bad.

Ultraviolet light can damage the mylar membrane

This is an urban myth. Obviously sunlight isn't good for anything but it is not going to harm mylar and I have never seen maggies come undone because of the sun.

Generally if they sound good they are good.

This is the most dangerous line of them all. In almost all cases major delam is banana peel, and it makes no audible sound at all. Most owners have no idea it has happened. Nobody should ever buy maggies under the assumption they are fine because "the owner said so" or because "they don't make any noise". They could be 95% delaminated and not make a "wrong" sound. If you are considering buying a maggie older than 1990 assume going in one of the above problems will already be in the process of happening.

If there is any loose wire on the membrane you should hear a buzzing sound.

This is also incorrect. Only mid panel delam where both ends are still attached will buzz. If you have banana peel, the most common occurance, it will not make a sound to let you know it is happening.

I offer this not to rain on anyones parade, but people should know what to expect going in and there is far too much mis-information already. For the price they are the best speakers there are, and if you can deal with these issues they are very worthwhile.

mpauly · « **Reply #14 on:** 5 May 2009, 02:09 pm »

Thanks Peter....more good info.

If the 'banana peal' affect were taking place, would I be able to feel the end of the wires pulled off the mylar through the grill cloth? If not, in the interest of not mis-representing anything, I may just pull up one side of the rear cloth and inspect the panels. If I'm in there, should I be looking for anything other than wires pulling off or tears in the mylar?

Thanks again,
Michael

Peter Gunn · « **Reply #15 on:** 5 May 2009, 02:42 pm »

Unless they are covered in the old, thick, white burlap you can shine a flashlight in and see if they are lifting. It is also usually possible to press your hand into the fabric there and feel the wires as well. (don't worry, you cannot damage the mylar pressing into it) If they are up, you'll feel it.

You can also do this over the entire panel and see if you get a tacky feeling or sound. This will also be a sure sign it is going on, and if they are not lifted they will be at some point soon.

If you have the white burlap you should almost assume the worst. Burlap is a natural fiber and as a result it rots over time because micro organisms eat it. This causes the panel to decay faster than usual. My advice to anyone with white burlap is to remove and replace it.

Finally, to be 100% sure all you need do is remove the rear plate, pull the fabric up and have a peek in with a flashlight. You'll be able to see almost the entire driver this way.

mpauly · « **Reply #16 on:** 10 May 2009, 12:33 am »

Thanks again Peter.

Finally got around to pulling the rear plates and was able to see the bottom of the wires very easily, the tops were a little difficult to be 100% sure. None of the wires have started to banana peal or pull off mid panel. Reading some of Peter Gunn's post elsewhere and on his site, I understand that if the glue starts to turn green, then there's a strong change the process has started. Again in the interest of full disclosure, the glue on these panels is a light green, so not sure how much life is left.

Wife keeps bugging me to get these out and I don't have time for another project at the moment. I'll take reasonable offers, but again, I won't give them away (I'd rather store them somewhere out of site and rebuild them later)

Michael

satfrat · « **Reply #17 on:** 10 May 2009, 01:14 am »

Here's your Maggy album Michael.

Peter Gunn · « **Reply #18 on:** 11 May 2009, 03:32 am »

"I understand that if the glue starts to turn green, then there's a strong change the process has started."

That's akin to saying "If her stomach starts growing, there's a good chance fertility has started..."

There's no maybe about it.

However if your assessment is correct, then your situation is actually ideal. All old ones are going to go, and if they go red then you're faced with repairing the tweeters. If they go green and are not caught you'll have a mess with lots of delam to fix.

Your problem can be solved in 5 minutes with a spray can of clear DAP Touch N Tone, and they should never get gummy again. Info on this can be found in the audio asylum planar archives, and the DAP can be found in craft stores like AC Moore or online at drago supply. My advice is to fix them yourself, and resock them. In repaired condition (especially if you can verify you did it) you will likely get far more $$ for them. Done right the touch n tone will stop all the gummyness and prevent it from re occuring.

best

mpauly · « **Reply #19 on:** 1 Jul 2009, 03:00 am »