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Why don't you like Mageplanar speakers?

Popular as they are, some serious listeners do not like the sound of Magnepans.
If you are one of these, why not tell us what you don't like about them?
rpfef
ejlif's avatar
ejlif
1,377 posts
 
I had a pair of 3.6 for a while and also spent a good deal of time at a friend's who had the 1.6s. I personally don't care for them above all because they are so big in size. You really do need a dedicated room to get the most out of these, they needed at least for me to come way into the room. Even in my listening room I had them halfway into the room and they made it seem small.

I think they sound pretty neat and do some really nice things. If you like delicate music like acoustic string quartets and such these are pretty great. I never really liked the non precise imaging that I heard with them and when it comes to higher energy electronic music they sounded weak in the bass slam department, not terrible just weaker than other dynamic speakers I've had. They are also one of those speaker that when you move to one side you basically just hear that one speaker. I personally don't like to have to lock my head in a vice and sit only in the sweet spot to enjoy music. All panel speakers I've had especially electrostats require the head in a vice. That alone is a deal breaker for me.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
I don`t dislike maggies,they sound nice for certain situations.The best quality dynamic speakers just simply have better dynamics,tone,presence and have more realism.Transparency is better with the very good dynamic speakers,maggies have a distinct signature IMO.
photon46
1,089 posts
 
Brownsfan, I like your sense of humor. You are quite right that when we are forced into our seats at mid theater, the low frequency physicality of the tubas, tympanis, etc. are reduced to naught. I've attended many musical performances in smaller halls where I was within fifty feet or less of the performers and in those situations, the feel of air moving from the instruments is evident. That sort of listener proximity seems similar to how most classical performances recorded in the last decade or so are miked (or it seems to me.) I don't want speakers that create unnatural bass that exaggerates that which isn't there. It's just that recording engineers mike many performances in ways that don't replicate the mid-hall listening experience.
stevecham
3,340 posts
 
Lack of dynamic range, too much surface area.
josh358
286 posts
 
Charles1dad, what Maggies have you heard? Your description sounds very different in some respects than my own impression, e.g., realism? As Jonathan Valin just said of the 20.7's, "The listeners for whom the 20.7's are very nearly ideal--for whom Magneplanars have always been ideal--are those seeking the absolute sound. These Maggies' magical ability to transport listeners to a different space and time and to there realistically recretate (with lifelike scope and size) the sound of acoustic instruments and the venue they were recorded in is extraordinary." I think most people would second that, while agreeing with some of your other objections, e.g., limited dynamics. Kinda makes me wonder what you've heard, and where.
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