Question for Ex-Maggie Owners

Maggie Magic never wears off!

I gave them up only because I changed abode and the room inherited was just not big enough to accomodate them. Moving and buying equipment at the same time is not easy so I had to settle for something reasonable and I think the current choice is good enough for me. Chartwell LS3/5a and Paradigm Reference Studio 40 v.2

If I have an option later I would sure go back to the Maggie Magic, why not! However, never giving up the LS3/5a they also have that "Magic".

Some 20 or so years ago I scrapped my set of three MG II, because I had burnt up the tweeter wires, and the line array of tweeters that I attached to the Magies (before Magnepan did the same thing with their ribbon) just didn't hack it. I salvaged the heavy oak moldings, which still adorn various shelves around my house.
After wandering in the wilderness for 20 years, I am back in the fold with a set of three MG 1.6. Augmented by a heavy duty set of three subwoofers, I have no complaints. And the tweeters have fuses, which will prevent the problem I had before. The MG 1.6 are greatly improved over the older model, which in their day, were darned good.

Mainly because they were not right for my musical taste. They sound wonderful for certain types of music. I grew up with and still listen to 70's rock. Maggies just don't do justice the way cones do.

Emil...Your concern about shipping Magnepans is valid. The packing material set which they use for new units is really good, (and must add at least $30 to the cost of the speakers). They do suggest that the speakers never be shipped except in this custom-designed packaging, and they say that if you were silly enough to dispose of it, you can order the packing material set from them, at some unspecified cost. You might consider this if you need to ship a set.

Like everything in this world, it's a trade-off. And, depending on your situation, they could be great or not-so-great. I have a pair of MG-12's with a powered sub with an active cross-over as these are a little shy on bass. (This is less the case as one moves up the line into the 1.6's, 3.6's and 20.1's.) I'll echo the sentiment that there is a fairly narrow sweet-spot on the 12's, although once again, moving up the line will minimize this weakness. And yes, they do need power- I had a 100 wpc(at 8 ohms)Counterpoint amp which had a tough time getting to a little more than moderate volume, even WITH the active x-overed powered sub, and quickly moved to the 220 wpc Counterpoint amp. (With all due respect to others, my opinion is that the bare minmum would be a 120 to 150 wpc of QUALITY amp for the 12's and 1.6's, and no less than 200 for the 3.6's.) Lastly, they do need space and are somewhat room and placement dependant and, with respect to size, I did find that the 12's are alot less obtrusive than the larger models.

If these negatives haven't run you off yet, I'd say you need to get a pair of Maggies. They are a great speaker for the dough!

BTW- Maggies are very revealing speakers- the HF harshness that some refer to is quite likely to be caused by an amp that doesn't work well with the Maggies.

Regards
Jim