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What are some of the downsides of owning a Magneplanar .7 or 1.7i ?

Thinking of moving up speaker wise, and so am considering  the fabled Magneplanar speakers, that is, either the  the .7, or supposedly new 1.7i.   (BTW, I am not sure the Maggie .7 is necessarily an upgrade, and has less bass than my current box speakers...see below)

Besides "Maggies" having outdated speaker terminals that might be a struggle with banana plugs,, and they are generally power hungry, I am curious if anyone can honestly tell me of any other downsides of this design.  For the last 30 years, I have owned several traditional box design speakers. 

I currently have a pair of Golden Ear Technology model 7's....which I like and generally sound good However, I  would like to confirm what a planar design brings to the table in sound quality. I have read many times about the box-less sound  provided by this design, and its wide sound staging and low distortion. 

I think I have enough power with BAT VK-200 amp (100RMS) to drive the .7, but not sure that is enough to drive the MG1.7i. to higher volumes The pre-amp is a Conrad Johnson PV-14SE. 

The listening room area 12 X15ft, but opens into kitchen/dining area divided by a medium size couch. The rest of the space is approximately 12X18ft behind the sofa with a stupid counter island ( so I cannot move the sofa back any further.. The ceiling is 8 to 9 ft feet high ( not a cathedral ceiling, praise the Lord) . It is a bit of haul to the dealer I bought the Golden Ear T's from who also carries Magneplanar line.  All advice welcomed.    Thanks, SJ   

sunnyjim
kalali's avatar
kalali
1,977 posts
 

randy-11, do you believe everything the manufacturers tell you? One reason Magnepans are popular is the "value" they offer and that’s accomplished by making tradeoffs. In my relatively short time of ownership, both the stands (Sound Anchor) and voodoo fuses made considerable difference. I enjoyed them for what they offered but just couldn’t deal with their narrow sweet spot and hollow bass. I have Martin Logans in a different/larger room and they sound both warmer and go lower.

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 

All speaker design are compromises. Every listener has to realize his priorities in the sound of reproduced music, and then find products that have been compromised to achieve those same priorities at a given price point.

Panel speakers like Maggies provide a sound NO box speaker can, regardless of price. If "that" sound is what one has as a priority, it’s failings can be accepted and lived with, while the failings of a box speaker, though superior in some ways, can not.

ps
747 posts
 
First of all, I'd like to nominate Randy-11 for president and bdp24 for vice-president.
Second.  At what point does one accept the characteristics of speaker A,B,C, or D and simply listen to the music?  My .7's provide listening enjoyment on many levels, far beyond their price point.   But of course that's just me.

Meanwhile I hope the OP is ok since he's not checked back in some time.
gbryant's avatar
gbryant
83 posts
 
I own 1.7i

MYE STANDS RULE!!!

If you don't agree... you've never listened with them...


Maggie's rock... I listen to all genre on them. Mostly jazz, vocals and rock...

You need a HUGE amp.... at least 400w per channel. Then turn it up, Maggie's will surprise you...

Disclaimer; I use a pair of NHT subs. ;)
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 
The price of the Mye stands is not inconsiderable (though not exorbitant), so if one wants to get an idea of the improvement they can provide to the sound of a pair of Maggies before ordering a pair, find a way to brace the top of the speakers. One Maggie owner on the Planar Speaker Asylum Forum installed a wood plank between his panels and the wall behind them. I came up with the idea of putting a spring-loaded 2-piece metal tube (like for a shower curtain) between panel top and ceiling, to lock the panel in place. No more swaying to and fro! If you like what you hear, but don’t like what you see (if there is a female in the house, she certainly will not!), go for the Mye’s.
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