Magnepan owners : past / present

Most of the comments here are 'variations on a theme' of the 'love it hate it' with Maggies.
I PERSONALLY don't find them hard to drive, hence my agreement with the 'I'm using an old Pioneer receiver' comments which I agreed with, pointing out that it's hardly a high current piece.
The overall perception, to my way of thinking, is that Maggies are 'lacking' for those who do not like their presentation--I don't find them so. I find them incredibly transparent, with that continually remindful 'boxless' presentation that in some ways, HAS NO EQUAL in anything but a dipole such as they are.
The Sound Lab, to me, other than the MBL, (a really expensive, more sophisocated omni) is the best of the lot.
At $20K for the pair when I bought them...they were about the most realistic speaker I'd heard, in many, too many to mention characteristics that all speakers should strive to capture.
It's hard to quantify, but for what they do right, which is 'plenty' for my taste, not many compare to Maggies.
I only mention Sound Labs to note that they are a better, and yes more expensive version of a type of sound...not the same technology--a common misconception.
Good listening.

Larry

4est,

No offense.

People hear what they hear and think what they think.

Thanks for clarifying.

Lrsky, once again Plato said:

"In another room I have a pair of VMPS RM2's, which are somewhat large ribbon hybrid floorstanders, but in my opinion they outclass the Maggies in midrange transparency (they reproduce guitar strings better than any speaker I can think of) and they are certainly more dynamic and extended in the bass (more kick and they go lower).

Believe it or not, at the moment I have them sounding fantastic using a '70's vintage Pioneer SX-939 receiver and an inexpensive Pioneer DVD player to play my CD's. They sound even better with more upscale gear but my point is that they can sound quite involving with well-designed modest gear too. Being more efficient, they are not as amp fussy as the Maggies and seem easier to place and tune in my room."

I love their presentation, hence my Soundlabs. Both are a bugger to drive though. 4 ohm resistive or not, they have always been known to like power. Once you get the power, it is an easy step up to electrostats.

I have owned MG IIIa (my first) MG 3.6Rs and now 20Rs and a whole lot of dynamic driver speakers in between. Plus Quad ELS 63's, 15 ohm Rogers LS 3/5A, highly modded and upgraded Dahlquist DQ 10s, Spendor SP 100's, Soliloquy 5.3s, Bose 901s (seriously in my college days), B&W 805, and have heard uber high end systems from Usher BE20s, Duntech Sovereigns, Princesses, the big Avalons, Genesis, original IRS V Infinities, Wilson Watt puppies, and......I have always come back to Maggies.

Several things I have discovered. One-either bi amp, tri amp or at least mod the passive crossovers with cap upgrades or use an Active crossover such as the Marchand 126 or Bryston 10B, absolutely get the Mye stands, and -feed them quality amplification. Once you have the bi/tri amping or crossover solved then your amp choice opens up dramatically. I am now running my 20R with a pair of CJ Premier 8A monoblocs with rhBackert Reference conversion (not just a mod but basically a totally new proprietary design) with a full complement of V-Caps, gold/silver internal wiring etc. A lot of people trash the maggies because they require proper amplification. It is a little like trashing a V-12 Ferrari F 430 because it needs proper engien balancing. I have heard most all of the big rig systems but I have never heard anything to surpass a properly driven and set up pair of MG 20 series, in the right room and especially for their modest cost. Of course, this is just IMHO. And if you want to complete the circle get a pair of Rythmik F-15 subs. Will blow you away.

I have had MMGs and MG12s for 4 years.
I loved them: superb imaging, dimensions, overall tone, no box coloration, etc...
What I did not like was the directionality, the need for big amplifiers, and the lack of sub-bass. I did not want to loose the boxless sound so I replaced them with Vandersteen 2Ce signature to get more bass.
Later, when I agreed to move the speakers from my dedicated room to the living room, the speakers were too close the the front wall and too big for the decor.
Tough to find something as good or better for the price. I replaced them Paradigm studio 40. Not much bass below 36-38hz but a much more developed midrange, and more transparency. the studio were a good surprise, very different. My next speakers will be either the fb1i PMC when I am rich or vandersteen 1C.