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Magnepan 1.7 speakers (asking for a friend)

Hello, this question is for a friend who's considering Magnepan 1.7 speakers. I've not tried Maggies in 20+ years, and not as familiar with the new generations Magnepan like the 1.7 model, can imagine they may have improved some...  

>>Hoping others with 1st hand experience with these recent generations speakers from Magnepan might reply<<. 

New Magnepan 1.7
Room: 14'x19'
Amps: Tube, Mono, Ultralinear, custom 60-80wpc
Positioning: various ways

Questions:
How far apart in a 14' room works for you, with open sides/pockets?
How far from the front wall?
Low capacitance speaker wire matter?
Other thoughts?

No need reply about tube vs solid state amplification, have plenty to test but this will be for tube amps primarily. Thanks in advance, will be happy to pass along your comments. 

decooney
russ69's avatar
russ69
3,501 posts
 
Depending on the amps and volume expectations, maybe. I run the MMGs with a Prima Luna integrated at 42 watts and it works well but the 1.7s like more power than that. May I recommend the Martin-Logan ESL? Easy to locate, can be closer to the front wall, easy to drive and much more efficient. 
decooney OP
1,972 posts
 
THANKS to all for the feedback. Very helpful and saved valuable time.

Appears the 4ohm 86db 1.7s might be a bit much to handle for my buddy’s smaller EL34 tube amp, in a tad larger open room setting. While he does not crank it up much, he and his wife also do a lot of "walk around" listening adjacent in the kitchen just behind the great room area, not always seated directly in front of the speakers. He tried some lower cost horn speakers for 30 days and was not thrilled having to consider upgrading brand new speakers, so he sent them back.

To get by for a few months while looking, he’s now experimenting with updating and modding some older Vienna Acoustics Mozart 2.5 speakers he received from a family member for free, for now. Will keep looking. Thanks!


g11657
41 posts
 

I have the original 1.7s driving them with a Krell400 xi 400 very clean watts great sound quality positioning is very important I have mine tilted in so the tweeters cross in front of my listening chair also pull them out at least 3 to 4feet from the back wall.My room is 18 by 22 ft 8 foot ceiling good listening.

secretguy
1,697 posts
 

As always, faulty info seems to follow Maggies.

esporma
21 posts
 

20x14x8 room.

Both 12s and now 1.7s.   Laid out along the long axis.  Three feet from sides, four  from front room.  My couch is about six feet from the back wall, so about 11 feet from ear to speaker.

Slightly toe'd in.  Tweeters to the outside.

I used to run them with 90w Pass Aleph 5s ( clone monos )... now I use a pair of cloned 200w Pass Aleph2.  As backup, I got a Conrad Johnson MF2100 200w solid state amp. 

The one thing, besides getting them off the wall is to give them LOTS of clean power.

Have fun.

 

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