Review: Magnepan MMG Speaker

Category: Speakers

Summary:
I’ve owned my MMGs for 3 months. I purchased a used pair so mine were broken in before I received them. Before I purchased the MMG’s I had never really listened to planer speakers. Like many of the people who have reviewed these speakers they were purchased to satisfy my curiosity rather than as a planned upgrade. Along with a newly acquired sub the MMGs have replaced my Vandersteen Model 3s.

Looks: Oak trim with black cloth. Not stunning but not bad. Look at them on the web site. If you like the looks there, they look the same in real life. Note: The screws that hold the side panels on are exposed on the sides. The legs are strong enough to do the job but the speakers are not going to sit firmly on the floor like my 85+ pound Vandy’s with spikes. The flippers to adjust back angle are not the strongest looking parts but they do work. Some people may find the speakers imposing (most non-audiophiles find 4 ft tall speakers imposing) but I find them less imposing than my 2” taller Vandersteens. They are more imposing than my previous ~3 ft tall Meadowlark Kestrals. Like the Vandersteens these are cloth monoliths in the listening room. Unlike the Vandersteens you do have a choice of grill cloth colors.

Sound:
Please note placement is important. I placed them too close to my Vandy’s while doing an AB comparison and the sound became thin and shrill. When set up properly in my room they sound great. The soundstaging is almost as good as my Kestrals but it has more height. The images come from a large area in front of me instead of a line between the tweeters. That said, the MMGs do not have the pinpoint accuracy of the Kestrals. The sound is more coherent than the Vandys. I believe the Vandy’s were suffering from being a big speaker in a small room. They simply couldn’t be placed well enough to really work. Where as the height of the tweeters and midrangers was obvious with the Vandys the Maggies act as if the highs and lows are all from the same wall of sound in front of you.
The MMGs are not the last word in depth. I think the Vandys are a bit better in my room. The Kestrals were also very good in this regard.
As other reviewers have said, voices are stunning through the MMGs. Details are superb. I think the Dynamics are very impressive. They do not have the slam that dynamic speakers can have but they have the lightning fast transients that for which electrostats are famous. This makes instruments like cymbals, acoustic guitar and banjos (yes banjos) sound there best. The large size of the radiators also makes them good for classical by giving the impression of a large performance in front of the listener.
A word about base. Some reviewers have criticized this speaker for not having enough base. I think this is half true. The MMGs do not go low. Over the range they do cover they have strong prominent base. My Kestrals went lower but the base was laid back. The Maggies give a full showing right down to their 50 Hz rating. The Dayton Titanic sub has proven to be a good match. I actually have the crossover set to a little over 40hz. This gives me the lowest notes that the Maggies just can’t reach. As set up, I have had no issues integrating the sub with the rest of the system.

Power: I have heard that the Maggies can be run with lower power amps. I’m sure an honest 100 watts into 4 ohms would be good for regular listening. Unfortunately I like to go to PA type volumes from time to time. The maggies have clipped my Bryston (rated at 400 watts/channel into 4 ohms) more than a few times. Mind you this is loud but not party loud. In short, if you aren’t the sort of person to crank you system, 100 watts into 4 ohms should be fine. If, like me, you like loud from time to time you will need lots of power and a willingness to give up some volume anyway.

Overall, try them. They are cheep new or used. They are easy to move around so tweaking the placement is not backbreaking. They sound great. I’ve already converted one audiophile (and myself).

Associated gear
Original Rega Planet CD player
Classe Cp 45 Preamp
Bryston 4B-NRB Amp
Home brew interconnects and speaker wire (thanks www.tnt-audio.com)
Dayton Titanic subwoofer kit from Parts Express.
Rooom: 12ft x 22ft Converted car port, wood panel on three walls and the ceiling. Right wall is brick., floor is carpet over concrete.

Similar products
MG 1.6 QR