[teiki arii]

Hello Steve,
I am french but never could have any answer about my Magnepan 3.7. Perhaps, you could...
I wrote to the french distributor and couldn't have any answer, either.
Could you tell me if it is possible to upgrade 3.7 to 3.7i in France/Europ. And if not, how to do it when you are a foreigner?
Best regards, teiki.

[SteveFord]

Here's the word:

Unfortunately, the mods can only be done at Magnepan.

[teiki arii]

Thank you so much for your answer. But what a pity for us...

[josh358]

Yeah, I guess that's what I'd expect them to say. 

However, the query here is less about the "protection" aspect of the fuses but more about the non-linearities of the fuse under normal operation.  It seems like that aspect of the fuse operation might not be understood by them. 
Replace the existing fuses temporarily with a 30 amp glass fuse and see if you can't hear the difference immediately.

Anyways, depending upon the failure, it's speculative to assume the drivers wouldn't have survived if the fuses weren't there.

Oh well.

Dave.

Sorry to be late to the game, just wanted to say that they do know about it, in fact Mark Winey runs his 3.7's without fuses and reports a slight increase in clarity. However, he also warns that you'd better know your system if you do! Melted Mylar can be an expensive surprise. Besides, everyone knows that the function of ribbon tweeters is to protect the fuse . . .

[buyersremorse]

There was a lot of press about the "mystery speaker" shown at CES 2014 that turned out to be MMWs/MMGs/DWMs, but no real follow-up that I could find.  I already have the "parts" (speakers at least) and would like to recreate that combo to listen for myself.  Any guidance from Wendell (or the AudioCircle community)?  I'm hoping I won't need the Bryston magic processor.

[SteveFord]

The Bryston processor played a big part in making that show successful.

  From me: if you want more info on Tri-Center, call Magnepan and ask for Wendell. 

[buyersremorse]

The Bryston processor played a big part in making that show successful.

  From me: if you want more info on Tri-Center, call Magnepan and ask for Wendell.

Appreciate the advice.  I spoke with him briefly when I first purchased MMGs+MMGWs+MMGC speakers.  At that time (which was after the first descriptions of the "tri-center" approach but before the showing of the "mystery speaker") he said he didn't recommend the MMGW/MMGC combo for that application--I'm interested to see what changed his mind.

[SteveFord]

Wendell's not real big on typing which is why he always says to call.  Maybe he does hunt and peck with two fingers?
I know he's real big on the Tri Center but he doesn't expect it ever to catch on in a big way.  When Josh went up there he said something like it makes stereo sound like it's broken or missing something or words to that effect.
Probably the best approach would be here's what I have in the way of equipment, what I'm looking to do is replicate the sound that I heard at the show, what do I need to do in order to get that to work in my home?  I'll need that Bryston piece and what else will be required?

Let us know what he says, please.

[buyersremorse]

Wendell's not real big on typing which is why he always says to call.  Maybe he does hunt and peck with two fingers?
I know he's real big on the Tri Center but he doesn't expect it ever to catch on in a big way.  When Josh went up there he said something like it makes stereo sound like it's broken or missing something or words to that effect.
Probably the best approach would be here's what I have in the way of equipment, what I'm looking to do is replicate the sound that I heard at the show, what do I need to do in order to get that to work in my home?  I'll need that Bryston piece and what else will be required?

Let us know what he says, please.

OK, had a chance to chat briefly with Wendell.  His first response was that trying to reproduce the Mystery Speaker set-up at home would be impractical because of the associated expense (i.e. processor) beyond the actual speakers.  It made sense to do it at CES to demonstrate what low cost Magnepan speakers can potentially sound like, but the extra dollars otherwise would be better spent on speakers higher up the product line.  I then pushed a little bit and got the following tidbits.  With the Bryston processor, use Pro Logic II Movie mode, crossover at 200hz, and no sub.  Use Y adapter for Tri-Center (should have asked for more details about this--does anyone have more specific info?).  DWMs not required for the effect, but were needed at CES because the room was big.  I may have a chance to borrow a Bryston SP2, in which case I'll give it a try.

[SteveFord]

Yeah, give it a try!
That's Wendell - he always gives good advice but if you persist he'll help you do something outlandish!
I'll be headed his way next Spring and really want to hear the Tri Center and see if that's in my future.  I'm using 3.7s and I do have enough room to flop one on it's side in a custom Mye stand so maybe that's what I'll end up with. 

[buyersremorse]

Yeah, give it a try!
That's Wendell - he always gives good advice but if you persist he'll help you do something outlandish!
I'll be headed his way next Spring and really want to hear the Tri Center and see if that's in my future.  I'm using 3.7s and I do have enough room to flop one on it's side in a custom Mye stand so maybe that's what I'll end up with. 

3.7 on its side? Interestingly, Wendell identified the MMGc as the weak link in the set-up I want to experiment with, and he recommended upgrading to the CC5 as the center.  Have you compared a sideways 3.7 to the CC5? 

[SteveFord]

No but I do own both speakers and have heard the MMG-C.
The CC5 is a big step up from the MMG-C as it sounds more like a 3.7 than an MMG. 
What the CC5 will do is give you the wide dispersion pattern but it won't have the bass that the big panel will, obviously.

My wife and I went back and forth between her system (MMGs/CC5) and the living room system (3.7s) and the sound was surprisingly similar.  The real difference was better highs and lows from the 3.7s, the rest of it sounded pretty darned close. 

[buyersremorse]

OK, I got a hold of a Bryston SP2 to play with over the weekend to create some tri-center magic.  Can't call Wendell for help, so does anyone have an answer to the following:
From what I understand, I should be splitting the center channel output from the SP2 with a simple Y RCA connector.  One branch feeds the amp input for the center channel speaker and the other feeds the amp input for the wall-mounted side speakers that are wired in series.  If so, there seems to be no simple way to balance volume or delay between the center and sides.  Am I missing something?

[Robin Hood]

I know he's real big on the Tri Center but he doesn't expect it ever to catch on in a big way.  When Josh went up there he said something like it makes stereo sound like it's broken or missing something or words to that effect.

The Tri Center isn't for everyone in terms of cost, space and sound. It does make stereo sound like it's broken or missing something but so will the QOL Signal Completion Stage, the Rupert Neve Portico 5014 Stereo Field Editor, or 5.2 Surround Sound.

[buyersremorse]

Had a fun afternoon yesterday playing with some new toys (although my back is sore from sitting on the floor plugging and un-plugging cables, moving amps and speakers, etc.).
Components were MMG, MMG-W, MMG-C, Oppo DVD player, Bryston SP2 processor, 4 Adcom 555 amps in bridge mode (one for each channel).  Also had a pair of 3.6s on hand for comparison. Here are some initial thoughts.
1. The single biggest change was what Dolby PLII-movie processing did--drove tons of information to the center channel in a way that seemed too "focused" for my tastes when only the center speaker is used.  With the wall mounted speakers added, the effect was interesting--definitely fuller, less artificial, and a wider sweet spot for listeners compared to center speaker alone. Compared to 2 speaker stereo, spatial information (at least left-right) does seem more stable, particularly for things near the center of the sound stage.
2. Still have a lot of things to try, but best result so far has come with the center speaker a foot in front of the wall mounted speakers and the delay set so that the processor thinks the center channel is about 4-6 feet behind the mains.   
3. Not surprisingly, Tri-center highlights any deficiency in the center speaker.  I was never unhappy with the MMG-C in my conventional 5.1 setup, but now I feel a strong need to upgrade.   
4. Overall, the MMG/W/C Tri-center does sound better to me than the same speakers in a conventional (single center speaker) set up, but the sound from a pair of 3.6s in conventional stereo makes me happier than what I have been able to obtained from the Tri-center using "lesser" speakers.  Maybe there is more magic to unlock, so I'll tinker a bit more. 

[SteveFord]

How long do you have the 3.6s and the processor for and where are you located?
Perhaps there's someone nearby with a 3.6 or 3.7 to try as a center speaker?
Here's a photo from the Mye Stand website which is what I'm thinking of:

[buyersremorse]

How long do you have the 3.6s and the processor for and where are you located?
Perhaps there's someone nearby with a 3.6 or 3.7 to try as a center speaker?
Here's a photo from the Mye Stand website which is what I'm thinking of:

3.6s are mine. I'm intrigued enough with the idea that I bought the Bryston processor.  I'm in the SF Bay Area.   For kicks, I tried using the DolbyPLII processing in my Onkyo 875 receiver instead of the Bryston, and it sounded terrible--just sucked the life out of the sound.  So what Wendell said seems correct--there is something special about what the Bryston SP does, and the MMG-C as a center channel doesn't really cut it.  My buddy who helped with the setup and listened with me over the weekend has some large Magnepans himself, so we have the potential of doing some interesting things.  Obviously, we don't have a special stand for sideways placement, but we could jury rig something.

One thing I have to figure out is how best to integrate a sub since the recommended setting is to specify "no sub" to send the low frequencies to the mains.  My sub does not have speaker level inputs or a high pass option. 

[SteveFord]

Maybe drop James Tanner a line on the sub?
Keep us posted on the Tri Center, that's a really interesting project you've got going there.

[josh358]

The Tri Center isn't for everyone in terms of cost, space and sound. It does make stereo sound like it's broken or missing something but so will the QOL Signal Completion Stage, the Rupert Neve Portico 5014 Stereo Field Editor, or 5.2 Surround Sound.

The weird thing about the tri center, and what I think Steve is remembering, is that two channel stereo *doesn't work* after you've listened to it. Wendell told me about that before I listened, and, naturally, I didn't believe him. OK, so I listen, and then I switch back to two-channel stereo, and the image collapses almost to mono! It's the damnedest thing. Fortunately, the effect isn't permanent.

Otherwise, I agree, there's more than one way to skin a cat. And different approaches are going to suit different setups and budgets. The advantages of a center channel, whether in 5.1 or tri center, are well known. My guess is that what tri center ads to the three channel mix is delayed lateral first reflections from the on-walls, in what otherwise would be the dipole null (or close to it). But it's possible that something else is going on.

By the way, re the picture with the sideways center, Wendell tells me that a conventional full-sized panel works fine as a center channel. This is for conventional three-channel; I don't know whether it would work with tri center, since the Maggie centers are cardioids rather than dipoles.

[mojoaudio]

Hello Steve,
I just bought mini maggies.
Unfortunately, the countersunk screws which mount the oval metal plates to the satellites were left out in the original packing.

Could u please help ask Wendell what is the correct thread size and length? My dealer is also helping out but i hope i could get a reply here sooner as my satellites need proper support fast