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Anyone send back Magnepan MMG's?

I'm currently trying out some MMG's under their 60-day money-back trial period. I'm two weeks into it and I've already made up my mind that they're going back. The presentation is interesting, but the soundstaging is no better (perhaps even worse) than my trusty Audio Physic Tempo's. There is a problem in cohesion from midrange to bass, and this manifests itself quite frequently when I play 80's rock and pop (Pat Benatar especially). And they get congested with complex orchestral music. Granted, with simple chamber music or guitar solos, they sound pretty good. But they just can't handle the gamut of music that I play like my Audio Physic speakers.

There are those who may claim that perhaps my amp isn't up to the task of powering the Maggies. I have an Innersound ESL 300 which is designed for planars and electrostats, being able to double down twice to 2 ohms, and still stable at 1/3 ohm impedance. It should be more than enough to drive the Maggies.

And some will claim that the MMG's don't adequately represent the abilities of Magnepan's higher-end offerings. I've heard a 3.6 previously, driven by Classe electronics, and while it sounded OK, I wasn't thrilled with it. Which surprises me, because I tend to gravitate toward electrostatics, and I thought I'd gravitate towards planars as well.

And I will admit, my old Audio Physic Tempo's originally retailed for $4000, which is substantially more than the MMG's $550. But still, even at their entry level, the Magnepan's should be hinting at something that those box speakers can't quite do. But I'm not hearing it. I came into this with a very open mind, and I'm somewhat surprised that the speakers are likely getting shipped back to Magnepan.

Has anyone else come to this conclusion?

Michael
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sthomas12321
408 posts
 
I would say the MMg's are more musically enjoyable, and less acurate, or typical audiophile like speakers. This is not a bad thing at all. The first thing I look for in a speaker is how musical they are. I also like the MMG's in small rooms, actually with a EQ(extremely rarely the case with me)to enhance the bottom end a little, and in some cases tweak the treble a little.

This is probably do to the fact the mmg's sound seams sort of dead or flat when left alone to me. While they do have a sound of there own for sure, I dont feel its in the tone they produce as much, the EQ helped a lot at least for me and some excitement to them.
missioncoonery
1,215 posts
 
IMO..send them back,heard them several times...way too limited in what a speaker should offer at any price
gbr
10 posts
 
i have to respond to this thread.

i own mmg's. i still own a pair of apogee ribbon speakers, too. i also have had many dynamic speakers. many amps and preamps.

planar ribbon loudspeakers are the most placement critical piece of equipment you can buy, and placement of the seating position is directly related.

mmg's are an entry-level speaker. spending some money on stands, better crossover components, and a brace for the frame elevates them tremendously.(the frames are thinner than the 1.6 and up) basically, spend a bit where the manufacturer cut costs to meet a price point.

now to the point ...... if you can tolerate their need for critical placement, planar ribbon loudspeakers can provide you with one of the most lifelike, organic playback mediums available. mmg's are an introduction to the medium, and are true giant killers with a bit of work.

don't send them back. keep them...tweak them...learn from them. they're worth it.
audiojan's avatar
audiojan
402 posts
 
I used to have a pair of MMG's in my college apartment... loved them to death. I think the "problem" is that they are only $550... they are pretty picky when it comes to amplification and upstream components... and with such a low price, I have a feeling many times they don't get the equipment to really shine.

Before I sold them (to purchase a pair of 1.6's), I briefly (for a couple of weeks) ran them with Krell amplification, a very good tube line stage and a good CD player (probably close to $10k in all but the speakers) and the MMG's can really shine if you give them that and the space to breath.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,151 posts
 
Audiojan,

You make a very good point that MMG's and other very good yet affordable speakers often do not get mated with the upstream equipment needed to make them shine, which may lead to more mixed reviews.

On the other hand, very good yet expensive speakers are most likely often mated with equally good equipment feeding it upstream.

The thing to remember is to never judge a speaker alone without also considering the foor chain that is feeding it.
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