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What speakers can make a convert of Maggie lovers?

After living with Magneplanars for many years (1.6qr's at present,) I'm wondering what other speakers Magneplanar owners have fallen for. I'm sure this topic must have covered before, but this site's search engine leaves a lot to be desired. There are many things that I like about Maggies, the expansive soundstage, well integrated drivers, and value for the money among their many virtues. Ideally, I'd like speakers that would have better low level detail and palpability, be less picky about amplification, and have better percusive/ dynamic qualities. The need for augmentation with a subwoofer would ok. My listening room is about 15x20' with a 12' ceiling height. I don't favor any one type of music, my tastes are musically omnivorous. Price of contenders would have to be no more than $5-6,000 new. Of course, something less expensive like the Gallos would be fine too, it's good to have money left over to buy more music. I know everyone says "go listen at your dealers." I've done that, but I find dealer's rooms sound so cruddy compared to my acoustically treated room that I can't make really meaningful comparisons.
photon46
gregadd
574 posts
 
Absurd ? No need for name calling. Anyone who has lived with large panel speakers (I have a 30 year old pair of maggies and have lived the m/l cls off and on since '85)has a fairly good sense of the sound of panel speakers. The fact that maggies have to be played loud to resolve properly is so well documented that I don't neeed to waste time arguing the point. Because panel speakers have such a large radiating area they tend to present images that are larger than life. This has prompted comments like "the singers mouth was ten feet wide". These are areas in which a point source excells.
These are all shortcomings I am willing to live with. If you are not then follow the suggestions above.
warrenh's avatar
warrenh
2,299 posts
 
Low level resolution not a problem with Maggies? News to me...I have to agree with Greg.
gregadd
574 posts
 
warren, perhaps I should have stated what a huge maggie fan I am. I think the 20.1s may be the perfect speaker for those with a large enough room and whose musical taste do not require the ultimate in low level resolution.
macrojack
1,303 posts
 
So many of our forum arguments seem to involve assertions about the superiority of one preference over another. I've had ample experience with panels and point sources and I prefer the point source. It's more to the point, so to speak. But the Magneplanar wall of sound is also enjoyable. Does it really matter if somebody likes Bose? Statistics say a lot of people think they are great. When I hear them, I'm usually waiting for someone to hand me a menu. Can't see why anybody would prefer such a product. Clearly they are less discerning than my esteemed self.
All of us seem to agree that audio evaluation is subjective and yet a goodly number of us insist that there exists a hierarchy and that we know what sits at the top of the pile. Isn't that hypocritical?
kkm
124 posts
 
Had the 3.6's for 5 years before selling them for the Gallo Ref3.1's, they perform and do everything you describe that you want. They just don't have the expansive sound of panels if that's what you're use to. But the Gallo's to be properly played need to be fully broken in, and make sure to have the feet's on or other points. Piano music are surprisingly much more realistic on the Gallo's then the Maggies. I do miss the Maggies for movies and their wall of sound.
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