[cujobob]

I'm interested in trying out a Planar design, but was curious as to some thoughts on whether it would be smarter to just save up for a higher model over the MMG from Magnepan. At around $500 used, I can't imagine a better value. Most people seem to upgrade which is why I ask...where is the 'sweet spot?' (in the product lineup)

[Crimson]

Whatever you can afford.

Room size be damned. 

[cujobob]

Haha....obviously room size will come into play when it comes to the big boys, but from what I've seen most of their models below $5000 I should be able to accomodate (if I really want to  ) Living alone has its perks.

[thunderbrick]

I'm interested in trying out a Planar design, but was curious as to some thoughts on whether it would be smarter to just save up for a higher model over the MMG from Magnepan. At around $500 used, I can't imagine a better value. Most people seem to upgrade which is why I ask...where is the 'sweet spot?' (in the product lineup)

1.6s are a better bargain used.  I am astounded by what mine do.

[Rclark]

mmg's!


If my room was a lot bigger I'd have gone 1.6. As it is, my MMG's could use a little more space.

[SteveFord]

The ribbons on the 3.7s are a good thing, 1.7s will get you close to the sound of their bigger brothers.

[josh358]

Magnepan has a special offer with the MMG's that allows you to trade up to a larger model at up to full credit within a year, as well as a 60 day money-back guarantee. Of course, this assumes you buy from the factory.

Next step would be the 1.7, then the 3.7. Each step will bring you more clarity, higher output levels, deeper bass. All of them are considered among the best bargains in audio. The MMG -- well, let me put it this way, I've never been less than astonished that they can produce that kind of sound from a $600 speaker (slightly modified, in my case). I'm not exaggerating when I say "astonished." I bought a pair a few years back for my home office and ended up keeping them in my listening room as my main speakers for a few years, they're that good. But I also own bigger ones and the MMG's do have limitations that they don't. I haven't heard the 1.7 and 3.7's yet (no dealer near here), but judging by the formal and informal reviews, a pair of 3.7's is a no-brainer if you have a reasonably sized room and can afford them. Harry Pearson says they're the most realistic speakers he's ever heard. He also said they're the best audio bargain ever.

Another consideration is the smaller the model the more likely it is you'll want to spring for a pair of subs. You *may* want them with the 3.7's, if you like sub-40 Hz bass. You almost certainly *will* want them with the MMG's, which only go down to 55 Hz, and probably with the 1.7's.

The used models can be great bargains but it isn't necessarily a simple thing to buy them, some of them need factory refurbishing, etc. There's really no way to predict because they age at different rates depending on environmental conditions. If you buy them used, you have to take into account shipping and rebuilding costs. So that pair of 3.6's on Audiogon may not save you as much money over a pair of 3.7's as it first seems, and you're getting the older tech. The exception to this would be if you're willing to DIY it and rebuild them yourself, or if you can open them up and examine them carefully for signs of delamination, or if you can find a pair that's been factory rebuilt within the last few years -- I've noticed that these tend to be bargains in that the premium they get used doesn't equal the cost of the rebuild + shipping to the factory.

I'd go with the 3.7's.

[Robin Hood]

This is how Magnepan answers the question:

What is the best Magneplanar for my room?
Conventional wisdom-- Small room, small speakers. Big room, big speakers.
Wait a minute. Conventional wisdom isn't always right. Most of the area of a Magneplanar is needed for bass reproduction. A large Magneplanar in a small room is mostly an aesthetic issue and and a question of proper bass reproduction.  More than any other performance parameter, what you are buying as you move up in the Magneplanar line is RESOLUTION (or definition).
The higher performance Magneplanar will sound better than a lower-priced model--even in a small room. To use an analogy-- a high definition video monitor does not lose resolution when placed in a small room. Buy as much Magneplanar resolution as your budget will allow. However, the aesthetic objections from family members of a larger Magneplanar in a small room is one we can't help.


So if Magnepan is correct and I can afford their top product, why shouldn't I buy the 20.1 speakers?  Assuming the speakers are 3ft away from all walls how small a room is too small for the 20.1 speakers?  Or if I buy one of the smaller speakers, what else is changing for the better except for the small width of speaker?

[Rclark]

From what I understand, resolution isn't as much of a factor once the smaller models are modded. It becomes more an issue of bass spl, which the larger panels will have.

 but im a subwoofer guy.

[josh358]

So if Magnepan is correct and I can afford their top product, why shouldn't I buy the 20.1 speakers?  Assuming the speakers are 3ft away from all walls how small a room is too small for the 20.1 speakers?  Or if I buy one of the smaller speakers, what else is changing for the better except for the small width of speaker?

Since the speakers are the minimum distance from the wall, there are two factors to consider: distance between the acoustic centers of the tweeter and midrange, and bass loading.

In the first case, the issue is lateral imaging precision. The 2-way Maggies can actually have less precise imaging when listened to up close because the distance from the acoustical center of the midwoofer to the tweeter is greater than the distance of the acoustical center of the midrange to the tweeter in the 3-way models. This can be corrected by moving the listening seat back a bit since it's the angles that matter but in a small room, you may not be able to do that, either because there's no room to get far away or because you can't maintain sufficient stereo spread.

In the second case, well, put a big Maggie in a really small room and it will start to sound boomy or tubby because it's too close to adjacent surfaces. Essentially, you're increasing the baffle size. In addition, small rooms have more and rougher bass with any speaker. You could probably just EQ the bass to restore balance but many audiophiles are reluctant to do that.

I'm not aware of any formal room size guidelines. It's the sort of question an experienced dealer might be able to answer, or Magnepan, or someone who's had experience with a particular model in a room the size of yours. I think it's also worth adding that much of this is relative -- a speaker may not perform at its best in a given room, and for most of us, with less than ideal listening rooms, most speakers probably don't, but it can still sound pretty spectacular.

[cujobob]

Well I do know that with Line Sources, bigger is better because distortion/load on each particular driver is lessened...I don't know if any of that wisdom would apply here at all. I have a sub or two I could use with a pair of MMGs if that's the route I take. I may look for a local deal on a pair of 1.6

[SteveFord]

Boomy is a good word for it.
Too small a speaker and the soundstage won't be right, too large and the low end will be overpowering. 
If you're looking for a speaker that will sound good at lower volumes, check out the 1.7.  The 1.6s sound great but you'll need to crank the volume up a bit to get them to come alive.

[Chuckdog2005]

The 1.7's are an incredible value. Well worth their price. I'm very pleased with mine.

They provide a life like sound stage at all but the lowest volume. At lower levels they do lack the impact of a conventional box. Turn em' up a little and enjoy!

[cujobob]

Thanks all for the suggestions... one other question, what would be a good affordable used electrostat to look at?

[rw@cn]

There are usually good Logans for sale. Of course, there are questions that will needed to ask. The important ones concern the life of the panels and their environments. Sanders are good but you rarely see them offered used.