Bi-amping mark-Daniel Maximus: Mind-blowing


It escapes me that these unique speakers are hardly spoken of - admittedly tough loads - 85 db, 4 ohm, dipping to 2.8 - must be bi-amped, by decree of makers - understandably - but when they are, do they rock/sing/pulsate/kick butt/image and grab you relentlessly! Probably the most fun/rowdy-yet-musical, vibrant, yet coherent - system I have heard in my no waf play-room. M-D Maximus, biamped with Moscode hybrid 401 (400 WPC into 4 ohms) for the bottom 950 Hz and TAD-1000 100 WPC pure tubes, driven by 1960 Mullards and Amperex orange logo - and JJ 34 EL Blue glass for the highs. Made my hair stand on end. If there is a more dynamic set-up for a medium sized room, placed 8 ft from walls, I've never heard it. These speakers are a revelation and I urge others to listen to them. I dont work for M-D and only know about them from the 6 Moons review and susequent discussions with owners. Wow! I'm still foot-tapping, an hour after they were turned off to watch Papelbon zap the Rockies............Go hear them, but insist on big, nasty, fun amps, typified by the Moscode 401. D amps didnt do it, nor did pure tubes. But MOSFET low end and tubes for the rest sure made this old tube geezer a dancing man:)
springbok10
Springbok, you are beginning to sound like me!!! I have been screeming about the smaller Rubys which won the 6Moons Blue Moon award. I bought them and was using them with either a Carver 1,5T or PRoceed Amp 2 both >>> 150WPC soldid state. I then got the brilliant idea of using a TAD-60 tube amp and I absolutely fell in love. I have since bought a pair of Zu Druids and Maggie 1.6s for other rooms. I have to say that IMHO, the Mark and Daniels Rubys are the most life like of any speaker I have ever heard. I prefer them to the Zus and the Maggies. These were my 31st and 32nd pair of speakers. I love them!! Unbeatable in the price range and the most like live music I ever heard!!
Thanks for the info on bi-amping Mark and Daniels. I just emailed asking the the importance on biwiring and Loren (the Mark and Daniel US expert) and he was kind enough to share your post with me. I hope bi-wiring will be give some of that improvement. I have had many sets of speakers. The Mark and Daniels are incredible. They became more incredible when I upgraded some wiring to Dynamic Design (it may have also been the break in time). I use mine for Home Theatre in a relatively small room, which limits them a bit. They replaced Totem Forests, Totems best Signature Center, and Von Schweikert surrounds. I am soooo pleased I changed. I was going to do Rubies x 5 which would have been more than adequate, but I ended up with Horizontal monitors (made to be horizontal, not vertical) for L/R, their center speaker, and Rubies in the rear. I do not need a (or have) a sub woofer and I am very used to having one. I use 95% for Home Theatre and I think the unique crossover points and the low range drivers make these great for music and HT. To me, at first they sounded a tiny bit loose in bass and veiled. I upgraded only my power cord to my power supply and my digital IC and the change was incredible. The bass now sounds like a tight subwoofer with no integration issues and the speakers opened up and imaging improved (also like do to extended break in). My point is that since these are a bit hard to drive, you must not let size fool you. High end power and cables will benefit them greatly.

I also have no clue why we hear so little about them. We will.. After Stephen at Quest for Sound (my primary dealer who has never led me astray) told me about them, I read all I could. I did eventually read a less than complimentary review in stereo mojo, that made little sense given the other reviews. I figure, like everything else, politics, power, and money, along with personal taste will influence reviews and being different will attract attention. Anyway, I trusted Stephen, the stack of positives I read, and my own ears. I am glad I did.

I also have no relationship with Mark and Daniel except I now feel like part of the family. Loren Charles always is kind and responsive. Emails are usually answered same day, often within the hour. Even while at trade shows he has found time to respond. If you have any concerns about buying Mark and Daniel, write those of us who own them and have had them long enough to break them in and/or contact Loren. Then if you have doubts or just want something different, I am sure their are other superb speakers out there.

And my wife LOVES the looks of these.

Ed