Confusion is perfectly natural when trying to make any decision, and it’s 1000 times worse in the world of audio. In fact confusion can be said to be the genres one main strength. The gear is expensive and most of us simply can’t keep buying and trying and buying and trying… We need an answer.
It also doesn’t help that Magnepan has always used a very confusing naming-numbering system for it’s products…. the 3 series is bigger than the 10, the 12 series is smaller than the 1 and even when you land on a model type you like there can be multiple variants of it such as the a, b or c variant or possibly an “improved” model. Good grief.
To make a good decision, you need real facts. That means the first thing that has to be accomplished is you coming to accept and understand that some, if not most… if not all of the things you believe about Maggies (and possibly audio in general) may be incorrect. If you are going to best help yourself you will be honest with yourself. It is very easy with audio to get fixated on certain things, but you need to allow wisdom to overcome that if getting the most enjoyable sound you can is your true and ultimate goal. One thing I do know is it never comes from listening to the online shysters and blowhards.
So how do you choose?
That answer is really simple - You don’t. Your room and the gear (meaning amp) you plan to use decides.
Due to the high quality of the current XO parts I use, any old musings about how each model sounds is now irrelevant. They all sound the same. The major difference is the larger they get, the more they load the room. You will also obviously get a larger sound stage with larger models (assuming the room can realize it) and finally, if the room is good and large enough you will get more inner micro detail with larger models, assuming your gear can resolve it. One last thing - Bass - this is really counter intuitive however… because you don’t get more with size. On larger models I would say it goes deeper, but the MMG is “punchier”. I can’t think of any better word. It hits with more impact on the MMG if not lower in frequency.
Consequently for most people, the MMG is the best choice. At 4 feet tall it is by no means a small speaker. You’re not “settling” for anything getting this model. It truly is a world beater once modded. (I know countless sobbing 3 series maggies who had their asses kicked by it) It also incorporates into less than ideal rooms better than other models, and while it needs power like all maggies it makes due with less better as well. It’s size also allows a lot more freedom of design and wood usage. I run across a lot of gorgeous “shorts” that are only just 4 feet tall or so… they can be used for the MMG only.
To use 1.6’s I suggest the room be at least 12 feet across and 18 feet wide. 14 by 20 is better, and that is absolutely the size needed to best use 2.7’s. Note however that the MMG will sound fine in all of them, even the larger ones. And obviously if your room is large but your wallet or amp size is not, then the MMG is the way to go. Just keep in mind the following -
SIZE DOES NOT MATTER Get the speaker that fits your room and gear, and for most of you that is the MMG.
UNDERSTAND THIS FIRST
The mod has reached the level that there is little difference between modded models other than how much they load a room in SPL's. That said there are 2 distinctions that must be understood. The first is that the MMG can and will still sound good in a very large room. It does not hinder it, and that model is also the most forgiving of badly tuned or treated rooms. However larger models don't work in smaller rooms, because they overload them too quickly. The second distinction is if you do have the larger room, (or rather a properly sized one) the larger models will have the ability to resolve even deeper into the recording. That is their advantage. So the MMG is most forgiving and works anywhere, the 2.7 (being largest) has restricted use but sounds best if you have the space.
THE FIRST CAVEAT - NEW MODELS
At this juncture in time I cannot mod any new production model Magnepan speaker. And I mean any. (not the LRS, not the 1.7… none of them) I personally believe they made modding them pointless because for some bizarre reason, they abhor the idea of anyone altering their product in any way. To me that would be like Porsche or Mazda being angry people buy and mod their cars to race them. It’s a compliment, but one this company clearly doesn’t fathom. The good news is there is 30 years of used speakers out there and they are one of the most common used speakers out there.
To understand why they can’t be modded, the reason is this - Unlike box speakers which have different drivers for highs and lows, Magnepans only have one driver, which has different voice coils for highs and lows. These wires are obviously designed to be used for specific frequencies and not others. Magnepan deliberately removed all the midbass wires from every speaker. They are now only wired with the QR foil, which is for tweeter sections. So essentially, it’s like taking a cabinet speaker and removing all the drivers and replacing them with tweeters… and you get exactly what you would expect in my opinion, and that obviously cannot be fixed. And before you ask, yes I have tried. The result was overly expensive (compared to the older models) and the finished product, while better, still retained frequency humps and a distinct lack of bass. The MMG, MG-12 and 1.6 are clearly much better.
What do you do if you bought the wrong model and then found me? You sell it and buy the right one. That’s the only correct and sane option you have. You may not like the sound of that now, but in time you will be very glad you did it. If one embarks down the wrong road one has only 2 choices - Go deeper down the wrong way, or turn around. My advice is turn about as soon as you know it’s wrong.
THE SECOND CAVEAT - RIBBON TWEETERS
For many years this was the supposed “holy grail” with these speakers. If you added a ribbon tweeter they were fantastic. To be honest, even way back when these were the first models I listened to where I came away feeling they were strident. In any case, the good news is this is all a fallacy. Modded properly, and using the Jupiter copper caps, any model using a QR foil tweeter can equal or beat anything any ribbon does. (and countless modded MMG vs 3.6 shootouts prove that) Even better, the QR foil tweeter doesn’t fatigue or degrade. The ribbon does. Within 5 years most ribbons, while still technically playing, are adding nothing. They have stretched to the point that they cannot make highs like they once did, and you have to go thru the process (and cost) of having them replaced. Who needs that nightmare?
So what models will I modify?
The 3 best choices are the MMG, MG-12 or 1.6. (any “variant” of the MMG (MMGi etc..) is the same and also fine) The good news is most of these were made for nearly 20 years (longer for the MMG) so they are out there in sufficient numbers and they can be found used. In fact Magnepans are one of the more common used speakers. As far as other models -
Original SMG and MG-I - These cannot be modded.
MG-I IMP - This can be modded - see below
MG-Ic - This can be modded - see below
SMGa-c - These can also be modded - see below
MG-II series - Avoid this model and any of it’s variants. It was known for not sounding “right” back in the 80’s. I did eventually mod one and while it improved a great deal, it did not “sound right”.
The caveat with these older models (older meaning pre QR foil tweeter - they have a fine aluminum wire) is not delam. Delam, if not out of control, can be fixed. The problem is when the opposite of delam happens - oxidation. If the driver has gone a red/amber/orange color, looks crystalline, dry, hard etc… then it has oxidized. That means it’s only a matter of time before the tweeter wire(s) break and fail. And the “exuberance” the mod places on them is often just the nudge needed. If you wish to use them you can, but they should be sent back to Magnepan for rebuilding BEFORE you engage me to mod them, not afterwards.
MMG - Possibly the best all around choice. Finished height apx. 48” with a footprint of 1.3 square feet
MG-12 - A somewhat rare model (most either got the MMG or the 1.6) but it is a nice size… not small, not over large and mods nice. Finished height apx. 53” with a footprint of 1.4 sq feet.
MG-1.6 - The “main” model of the Magnepan line for many years and the steady go to for medium to larger rooms. Apx. 61” tall and a footprint of 1.5 sq. feet.
MG-2.7 - Possibly the best maggie of all if you have the proper sized room. I will mod these, but a very large or well treated room is required.
3 series - This is for the IIIa to the 3.6 - Yes, they can be modded, but due to shipping issues (and the fact nobody needs a speaker this big) I will no longer mod them. Ask me for the DIY if interested.
2 series with ribbons - Same as above.
“Weird” models - This covers things like the 1.4, the 1.5, the MG-10 etc… Most are possible so ask if interested. For all models not listed here email me.
Tymps - Been there, done that, never going back again. Here is a pic of Tymp IVa’s in flamed Red Birch to prove I did it. They are out there somewhere… Montana I believe….
And power?
I am famous for making the following quote years ago about these speakers -
“In regards to power, Magnepans are like a whore at the docks waiting for the fleet to come in.”
What this means is there is no such thing as too much (good) power. But do not be confused, it is not for volume, it is used for resolution. I saw a study many years ago that showed to recreate the sound a scissor makes cutting paper, (at real world volume) required over 6,000 wpc of power. Now while speaker efficiency is raised to about 92 dbl after the mod this should not be viewed as an excuse to use a smaller amp. What it means is your high current amp will deliver more detail. Magnepans confuse people because yes, you can hook a 5 wpc SET amp up to them and yes, they will play… It won’t be great but they will play at least passably well at a medium to low volume level. But if you want all the detail they can unlock, especially at medium volumes, you need power. Yes, they will play with less, but you’ll be getting less. It is beholden upon you to provide what they require. These are not a magic pill that fixes every stereo woe. Meet their requirements and you may find there literally is no ceiling to what they can do.
That is actually the most common after the fact customer comment I get. “I was sure it was as good as it could ever be… I changed this… it got even better.”
If you need amp suggestions, one of the best bangs for the buck is the D-Sonic M3a-1200S Stereo Amplifier.
A number of my customers use it and they are all very happy. Tell Dennis I sent you….
And if you must have tubes, then seek out John Miller at Tomcat Audio and have him make a pair of his “Earth Shakers” for you.
And as long as we’re doing it, the best bang for the buck cable is Signal Cable. Avoid all silver cables with maggies - it makes them strident.
And if you want something more esoteric and cutting edge, then try my friend Grover Huffman.
Doing it Right
The section below includes some background history, as well as what I view as the most common problem effecting hapiness -
That being, the inability or unwillingness to fix what more often than not is a really bad room to have a stereo in.
First…. A Little History
When Magnepan started I genuinely believe they were trying to make the product as good as possible for a reasonable price. It’s my understanding (although I may be wrong) that Jim Winey was one of those engineers who was taught, and so believed, that a 5 uF capacitor is a 5 uF capacitor - Therefore it doesn’t matter which one you use. There were many men who thought like that back then, and that goes a long way to explain the cheapness of the parts they use. (I actually spent time looking up the main cap used by them, and it was hard because it had no name, just a brand label. It turns out it’s an industrial cap meant for appliances and you need to order a minimum of 1,000 to even buy them, and at that they cost .33 cents each. (And that’s for a 100 uF cap!) Not big time spenders.
I was involved in audio in the 80’s ( I was even an audio salesman for a few weeks - no lie) and I can tell you that nobody was trying to mod their Magnepan speakers, or even trying to replace that 33 cent capacitor back then. We assumed the limitations they had were just that, and we were happy enough with how they sounded that we were content. It probably didn’t hurt that they were made with so much wood “trim” (which was just for show) that it almost certainly was absorbing some vibration and helping, which was entirely unbeknownst to everyone at the time, including me.
But then the 90’s came and many things started changing (for the worse) with it. High end, which had seen a renaissance in the 80’s took a sharp decline and it’s future looked genuinely dire when the public went mad over the idea of “Home Theater”. Virtually the only money spent on music in the home had to to with HT in some way. Stereo listening… not that it was ever a mainstream practice… was looking doomed. It was at this time that Magnepan made major changes to everything they did, and many of us believe they did what they did to appeal to ignorant people who give 15 second auditions. This is what happens when staying in business becomes more important than doing a thing well. (And that’s not meant as a slight. We do our best work when poor because art is all that matters. Once success comes, we then work to maintain the success and the art suffers) This period saw the introduction of foil for the tweeter section (which is bright) and the sudden and unexplained reversing of the driver. (putting the mylar front instead of rear where it had always been) This change also makes them brighter. These are all things that add “sharpness” and appeal to the 15 second auditions of ignorant people… but to the rest of us…. “God… these things sound awful.”
So it was by the late 90’s that people were meeting and making boards and discussing this. We were all in agreement (for once) that these new models were not as enjoyable as the old ones, and people began trying to undo the damage… or in other words “mod” them. Not everything was bad, and it turns out that with a good XO and quality resistor the QR foil tweeter is a wonderful addition, and the driver problem is easy enough to rectify as well - Just turn it back around. However once this Pandora’s box was opened, people weren’t satisfied fixing the stridency issues, we began to actively try to see just how far these things can go.
The most important thing to gather from this old period is Magnepan never made any models “better”. Aside from voice coil type or arrangement, all Magnepan speakers do is get bigger. The 12 is better than the MMG because it’s bigger and the 1.6 is better than the 12 because it’s bigger and the 3.6 is better than the 1.6 because it’s bigger (and has a ribbon tweeter that wears out every 5 years) If you bought your kid roller skates and they came back and said “Dad, these roller skates suck” would you say “I’m sorry….let’s go buy you a bigger pair.” “Let’s make it bigger” doesn’t fix problems… it amplifies them. “But why do they sound different?” The larger the model, the more it can hit you with a higher SPL and dbl’s and as a result of that more info will get thru. It’s like using binoculars on a foggy day - the thing you are looking at still can’t be clearly seen, but you can see more of it. The problem with these speakers wasn’t stiffness, nor is it a lack of size and the marginal improvement from doing those things is not fixing the actual problem.
And remember, any “fact” you ever heard about what these speakers can’t do when stock (whether true or not) will be rendered irrelevant once modded.
So where do we start then?
In the most over looked place of all - YOUR ROOM. The most important thing you should come away with is you are not listening to your stereo or speakers, you are listening to the ROOM they are in. You only need take your exact stereo to another house, another room… and it will sound different in every place. The world of classical music understands this - It’s not orchestras that are famous….. it’s their concert halls.
For some reason people want to believe they can suspend the laws of physics when it comes to their stereo. They have an expensive wood or tile floor, tons of untreated windows with a view, a bare spartan “modern” decor… all things they WILL NOT change, and they are agitated why the stereo sounds bad, is bright and appears to have no bass. You tell them the room must be treated and their response is an adamant no. Well then, I’m sorry… you’ll never enjoy the best stereophonic sound. That’s just the way it is, and if looking at the wood floor means more to you than listening to the stereo… well, that’s the choice you made.
That said you don’t need to get overly carried away, but you need to understand and do what is required to get good sound if that is what you want. The room must be soft, compliant, no reflective surfaces, lot’s of material, wood, books, leather etc… In fact, a Victorian parlour is an ideal starting place… see below…
With that understood audiophiles also have a bizarre penchant for sticking their stereo on the short wall in the room. This is the WORST place it can go. It is not as dire for box speakers, (but still not ideal) but it is terrible for planars. It isn’t like shouting down a bucket, it IS like it. All you need to do to understand why is stick your head in a bucket and sing. It will sound awful. The same thing happens in the room. In fact the pic at left is a prime example of audiophile lunacy. Take a bare room, refuse to use a rug (and in this case, it’s really insane because the room IS carpeted everywhere EXCEPT where the carpet is most needed - it’s like deliberate sabotage) and stick the stereo on the short wall…. and then to compensate for all these mistakes, treat the room to look like Space 1999.
A little less furniture in the middle of the room of course, but this is FAR closer to ideal than the pic above
In fact I would wager it sounds very good (Looks better too)
Here is an example I made using an online furniture designer. They’re not “speakers” but you get the idea. Both rooms are the exact same size with the exact same objects in them.
Now shut your brain off and just look at it, and let your insides speak to you. One of these images should look right and one should look wrong….. if you need a clue, I labelled them.
The image on the left should be clearly more “natural” looking, and the one on the right should give you pause. Something inside should be telling you that it won’t sound good. This image makes it very clear that doing this is forcing music down a pipe, out a bucket, whatever imagery you prefer…. the point is it’s not good. And moving the sofa up to where the rug is (a thing many people do in this arrangement to help counter the problem) does not fix it. Wrong is wrong.
And because Magnepans hate this layout people who use it are forced to do 2 really bad things to make it even tolerable. First, the speakers must be swapped so the tweeters are on the inside, because the room can’t play a wide soundstage and it sounds awful, so it must be compressed into the narrow middle it has been given, and second, they usually need to bring the speakers way out into the room to help kill the “bucket effect” and doing that is a real bass and ambiance killer. And too many audiophiles “in the know” tell people they HAVE to set their rooms up this way… and far too many strangely want to.
Think about this. They tell you the right way is wrong, and you MUST do it their way, and use the short wall.
But to make it work the speakers must be swapped tweeter in which kills the soundstage.
Then the speakers must be pulled out into the room… to kill the bucket effect, which kills the bass.
Then the couch must get pushed out into the room to escape the echo… and then ?
It resembles the image below, and…. hold on….that setup now looks exactly like the “right” way they told you was the “wrong” way only now it’s all crammed sideways in the middle of the room… and it still sucks. So they tell you to add 3K in room treatments to make it look like Space 1999 above and you’ll be all set…. they promise….
That is how confused, ignorant, (damaged?) the people handing out advice in this hobby are. THINK FOR YOURSELF
So what’s the Best Room Advice
Reflective surfaces are bad. I sometimes get people who say they are not getting bass. I ask for a picture of the room. What they send me is an image of a bare cubicle, with bare floors, bare windows and often a big TV between the speakers. If you take a glass of sugar water and keep adding salt you’ll reach a point where all you taste is salt. In bare rooms highs are reflecting off of everything, so much so that it amplifies their presence like the salt, to the point that you can no longer hear the bass like you can’t taste the sugar. It’s there… it’s just being overwhelmed by something else you are fixated on. Upgrading your speaker is NOT a magic pill. You need a quality listening room.
The 2 largest reflective surfaces in every room are the floor and ceiling. The floor is easy - get an area rug that covers a large section of the center, if not all of it, and it helps if the speakers are on it as well. (or you can stick smaller ones under them) The ceiling is more tricky. Maggies love A frame ceilings. To mimic that you can run acoustic foam panels down the center of the ceiling line. This works wonders.
If you can’t or don’t wish to use acoustic foam in the rest of the room, it should look like the victorian parlour pictured above - fabrics, wood, leather, objects in the room and on the wall. The more stuff in the room, the more diffraction and absorption you get, and they are both your friends. You can test the room by standing in the middle and clapping your hands once loudly, and then listening. Did it echo? Was it sibilant? Did it die instantly? The room is speaking to you… listen to it, and treat the issues until they are no longer there.
I have always used and recommend the Foam Factory for all my acoustic foam. Audiophile grade at sane prices, and lots to choose from.
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We’re happy answer any and all questions you may have.