Experienced Maggie Lovers Please Advise
I have the itch to buy another set of Maggies (MG2s were my last set many years ago) There are no stocking dealers near me (I'm told Magneplanar is leaning into a made to order manufacturer) so I'm going on the advice of experienced fellow Maggie lovers.
I see reviews all over the place on LRS, MG .7 and MG 1.7i. I see little on MG2.7i or x and and nothing on MG 3.7i or x. My questions are these:
Have you ever listened to a set of MG 3.7i and if so did you have a chance to hear them compared to 2.7 or 1.7? Please share your experience.
In your eye/ear witness opinion Is the X upgrade worth the bump in price?
FWIW My nearest dealer said he'd give a full refund and pay return shipping if I wasn't satisficed after 30 days of ownership.
The other thing to consider with maggies is the power. They love power and the bigger you go the more power they can take. You don't mention what amplification you have or are considering but, in my opinion, the 3.7's I've dealt with sounded much better on a good 200wpc amp than a 100wpc amp. I suspect the 2.7 would also be in this category. With that said, I'm sure others would agree, if you go down to the 1.7 or below a good 100wpc amp will do fine. |
@aniwolfe That would be my big knock on the 20.7s. They really open up around 80 dBC. On most music they simply don't bring the magic at listening levels 10 dB lower. I have no idea why that would be true but it is certainly my experience with them. |
@aniwolfe: Your wise recommendation (and choice) of the Eminent Technology LFT-8b will no doubt be ignored, as always. I’m a long-time Maggie owner, starting with the Magneplanar Tympani T-I purchased in 1973, and currently the Tympani T-IVa (the current MG30.7 is very similar). The ET LFT-8b is priced only $200 more than the MG1.7i, and is (imo) significantly better (I compared the two). Review by Steve Guttenberg on YouTube. In print by Robert Greene in TAS, as well as a few reviews in UK mags, all very positive. While the 1.7i can use as much power as you can afford (83dB sensitivity, 3-4 ohm impedance), the LFT-8b doesn’t need an arc welder amp. The planar-magnetic panel presents an 11 ohm load to the power amp, making it a better choice than Maggies for those who prefer tubes. Dual binding posts for easy bi-amping. And most importantly, the LFT driver, unlike that of the single-ended/unbalanced MG1.7i, is a push/pull magnetic design. That is a BIG deal. Would you buy a dynamic loudspeaker (cones) with non-push/pull drivers?! On top of that, the LFT driver reproduces 180Hz to 10,000Hz, with no crossover in it's operating range!
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The 3.7i is the sweet spot in the Maggie line up, the best value. If you are a Maggie lover with the right amp, I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Examples of amps that make them shimmer are the Bricasti Design M25, The Parasound JC 5, and the Pass X250.8. The speakers should be in symmetrical corners 3 feet off the front wall and at least 1 foot off the side wall aimed directly at the listening position. The wall behind the speaker needs to be deadened with 6 or 8 inch thick acoustic foam tile floor to ceiling to limit comb filtering and provide the best image specificity. |
