A Question for Maggie lovers/owners

Owning a pair of 1.6s, I'm a maggie owner for life. I've listen to other speakers that have been reviewed in magazines and something always seems to be missing. I guess you could say it's the "naturalness" of how the music flows. I'm very fortunate because these speakers were actually my wife's #1 choice considering maggies do not have a high WAF. She even took it a step furthur and opted to get the full maggie HT setup. The thing she didn't know about maggies that it takes a lot of current to drive them and now she's complains when I swap out amps. I guess it would have happened anyways regardless of speakers. The joy of this hobby....

I am of limited experience and limited exposure to brands not carried locally. I do own a family room system with 1.6's and a second system with little Castle towers in the living room. I really like to listen to both systems, but, TJ as you point out, even the small planars can provide an image and musical impact that the small selection of box speakers I have owned can't replicate.

I have placed both sets of speakers for the most pleasing tonal balance vs. soundstage compromise (to my mind/ear). I can get a sub to integrate well with the little towers, but never have been really satisfied with the sub integration with the Maggies and gave up on it until I can obtain an active Xover.

Several times, I have sat down at the dealer where I got the 1.6's and listened to the 3.6's with a really well integrated front-end and amp (not really expensive). The immediacy and impact of the music from a couple of different genres just startled me. It just got so intense and involving that I had to stand up and move back. It wasn't volume, just intensity, for lack of a better word. Also got to listen to ML CL2Z's (I think that is the model #) and had a very pleasing and involving experience, but not he same impact.

But, as many on this forum have said before, the planars are a two-edged sword. The interplay with room accoustics and atmosphere can be trying. One day, your in sonic heaven, the next day, the weather changes and you can't replicate the sound because the temperature or humidity in the house are not the same. But, on the other hand, you can play with placement and accoustics to create all kinds of tonal balances and images.

In the end, I love the Maggies and will upgrade to 3.6's or maybe even 20.1's as soon as my wife goes back to work. BTW - my wife loves the Maggies. She gets in a mood and up go the spl's until, shortly afterward, the thermal cutouts in the amps take over.

I have a HT set up with Thiel's all round in one room and a stereo with Maggie 1.6's in another. The Thiel's are like a blonde with a bodacious pair of... - big, bold and brassy. The Maggies are like a petite brunette - tiny and oh so delicate.

Both are pleasing in their own way.

i stand corrected. the source is digital, the signal is obviously analog.

HI

Maggie owner here... The thing about Magnepan is the high performance to value ratio IMHO... I have heard speakers that I do find ultimately better than the 20.1 but they do not do everything better and what they do better is not such a huge difference for me to really consider moving toward them...

Let me quickly add that the few speakers I find better than the 20.1 belong to the strastophericly priced... Wilson X-2 , Dynaudio Evidence Master to name these 2...