Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I re-sorted all the reviews here from worst to best, then started reading the worst ones first. I like the MMGs. A lot. So reading the negative reviews brought several points to mind.

Lack of bass, loudness, low efficiency and amplifier fickleness (and they are not - read on) need to be compared to one other factor - price. When discussing same, please compare them to a range of similarly priced speakers, don't say JBLs or Thiels are so much better in those regards, when they never retailed for $500.

In short, in the $500 range for a new set of loudspeakers, there is no (box) speaker that can reproduce the transient response and smooth highs of the MMGs. And for $500, you can afford a (cheap $200) sub, which is a must.

I have two pairs of Magneplanar systems. Let's ignore the pair which are connected to my expensive amp, CD deck, fancy cables etc... (The sound difference is noticeable, but even to self-labeled audiophiles, not that much - I've had to get them to do a near instant A-B test with the same material before some - not all - hear the differences!)

Anyway, my second pair of Magneplanars (the MMGs) run off a $200 Pioneer AV receiver. The trick? The lows are sent off to a $200 sub-woofer. Being an AV receiver, it allows me to set the cross-over frequency of the sub-woofer. I set it to 50 Hz. The result is that the receiver does not have to work on the lowest frequencies, allowing more power to be available to combat the lower efficiency of the MMGs. The (cheap) sub never has to work at anything above 51Hz, and so cannot and does not colour the bass from the MMGs. I've ended up then with an extended deep bass that finishes off an almost perfect mid-bass, (the MMGs legendary) midrange, and highs with a transient response second to none.

The MMGs do have a response that curves gently down either side of about 2000 Hz. Since most average sized rooms tend to boost up the mid bass (around 200 Hz) and the sub can be adjusted to manage the missing below 50 Hz, the gap behind the back of the MMGs and the rear wall is carefully adjusted - using white noise - to INCREASE (only) it's highest frequencies. This allows the roll-off from 2kHz to be less so, adding just that little bit more to the above 10kHz area.

Then I use a low-priced analogue SPL meter, set it to the recording studio standard of 83db (C weighted, Fast) and with those levels (I'm about 10 feet back) the 55 WRMS Pioneer AV receiver actually survives driving the MMGs!

Bad points, there are several. But gosh, these speakers cost $500!!! (Okay, $700 with the sub.) These are NOT party speakers. For parties I have a pair of Boom Boxes with 15" "woofers" and horn "tweeters". Loud. Junk. But during a party, nobody cares. They do their job of being loud (and fun).

At all other times, I am in 83db (average) loudness, and in true bliss. Sure 83db is not loud, but certainly NOT soft; get that SPL meter from Radio Shack before you decide. (Actually reviews without measured SPLs should be banned, I think! ;-)) And if you've killed your ears from overly loud iPod 'music', it's about time you stopped before permanent deafness sets in.....

I use Replay Gain. With Replay Gain settings on my MediaMonkey software I can quickly shuffle between my 1,000s of MP3 and FLAC files and not have to touch the volume control on the amp (except for the 6db difference between 'louder' highly compressed and 'normal' recordings), and it is clear that there are many recordings out there that have a poor tonal balance. When recordings are thin, the MMGs sound thin. When recordings are bright, the sound is bright. Don't blame the speakers, don't blame the clear window that the MMGs present. But there are also many well balanced good recordings with a wide dynamic range (about 50/50). This you will only know after listening to 100s of tracks. Don't judge the MMGs too soon on a series of bad music tracks (some from highly distinguised artists).

Tip: Ensure you connect your PC's audio to your AVR with a digital connection, not analogue; PC DACs are woeful! Also turn Off MediaMonkey's "clipping prevention" and set the levels to 83db, not 89db. This ensures your pre-amp stages are NEVER overloaded, and the full dynamic range of the tracks are left to soar.

After the tracks have been Replay Gained and rated (not by good song/bad song but by good recording/bad recording), I then sort my digital music list by their ratings, skip the bad (quality recordings) and can listen in absolute bliss for hours. Starting at 10:00 PM I was once surprised when my spouse walked down at 7:00 AM - and I was still un-fatigued and in full 83db-listening mode!

It is important to understand what MMGs are. No box, no boxiness. Full-wave mid-bass punch like no box speaker. And never any sibilance from vocals. NEVER.

Lastly, get yourself a reference speaker system. By that I mean a reference pair of headphones. The Sennheiser HD-650s are my reference standard. They go much much louder than my MMGs, but my system's tonal balance is nearly identical between my loudspeakers and headphones. How? Stand next to a live drum set and listen. Then listen to some drums on the HD-650s. Then listen to drums on the MMGs and other speakers. Then you will KNOW that the MMGs are truly hi-fi. And for just $500!

DPS

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I have had a pair of MMG's for about six months and will most likely quit searching for the elusive audio nirvana I've been chasing since the mid 70's. The simple fact is these speakers provide a window into my music tastes that cannot be duplicated by any other available speaker any where near this price. This is High End audio without the high end price tag. Yes they require lots of clean power, and in my opinion, they must be stood straight up and raised so that the middle of the tweeter is at ear level(that's why Magnepan supplies the tilt back stand). I use Mye Sound stands to accomplish this set up must.
System:
Cambridge Audio 840c CD
Audio Research LS7 pre amp (mint)
Nad C272 power amps x2(mono)
PNF Icon interconnects & Symphony spkr cable
Magnaplanar MMG's
Mye Sound MMG speaker stands

Paracelsus

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I have benefited greatly from the postings on this website and accordingly hope this review will be of use to others.

I have owned many speakers over the years, from bookshelf speakers to Klipschorns. My K-Horns were my main speakers for nearly 30 years - I had to sell them when I moved into my current home which lacks the corners and space required by K-Horns (I almost didn't buy this house on that basis but nearly all modern houses lack corners and you have to live somewhere). My latest speakers were Paradigm Monitor 11 v.3 floorstanders which weren't bad but never quite satisfied me, in particular due to an excessive rise in mid-bass resulting in what I perceived as a congested midrange.

I of course knew of Magnepan but I was somewhat put off by the cultish attitude of many "Maggie" owners and by my inability to audition the larger models at home - and the only store in town that sells Magnepans had them very poorly demonstrated. As for the MMGs, they seemed to be starter speakers - you get them to see if you like planars and, if you do, you trade them in for real speakers like the 1.6 and up. I'm too old for starter speakers. Or you get them massively modified, at triple the cost of the speakers. If I wanted DIY speakers, I'd get them from Parts Express; why would good speakers need massive modification?

Well, I finally decided to give the MMGs a try. After all, I could return them after a 60-day trial if I didn't like them. This was important, since I understood that they needed a long break-in period. I got them the day before yesterday. I have played them for perhaps 5 hours, so I assume they're going to get better - but I don't see how, since they're terrific now.

Setup. Many people say Magnepans are very sensitive to placement. Well, maybe. I wouldn't know, since the first place I popped them down - the tops 2' from the wall (which puts the bottoms - they're tilted back - around 32" from the wall), 6' apart (from the inside edges) and 9' from my main listening chair - sounds great. Maybe I'll try to move them around a bit - they're very light and easy to move - but why argue with success? Then there are the resistors for attenuating the treble: they come with jumpers in place, you replace them with 1-ohm or 2-ohm resistors to calm the tweeters by 1-4 dB. I tried it all 3 ways and prefer the 1-ohm resistors but the differences were subtle and I could have left the jumpers on (not the 2-ohm resistors, though, which I thought made the sound a bit shrouded). I used a bare-wire connection, as recommended by Magnepan, with 14-gauge oxygen-free cable costing around 20 cents a foot, bananas at the amplifier end. That's it.

The sound is very full and mellow and, to my ears, covers the useful frequency spectrum. Indeed, I know that many people say you must augment the MMG bass with a subwoofer or two, but I don't see why. Of course I am speaking only of music, mostly classical, no HT. I think the MMG bass is very nice and entirely adequate for most music - and I am accustomed to K-Horns! If you must hear the 32' pipe on an organ, then I guess you will need something more, but a Beethoven symphony does fine with the unadorned MMGs.

So, so far so good. Unless something untoward happens, and they don't get better but get worse, I can't imagine returning them or trading them in for anything else. Given my tastes in music and the configuration of my listening room, I love these speakers and cannot recommend them too highly.

Associated equipment. Cambridge Audio Azur 640a v.2 integrated amplifier (120 wpc into 4 ohms), 640c v.2 CD player, Pro-Ject Xpression TT with Sumiko Pearl cartridge, Bellari VP129 tube phono preamp. Listening (living) room is 17' x 18.5' with a cathedral ceiling (9' - 12.5') and arches, doorways, windows, an alcove, a plant shelf - an acoustical monstrousity.

View Comments (3)

Would you like to Comment?
Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

Mulpha

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.75 of 5, 4.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Price paid: $1200? direct from Magnepan for MMG+MMGC+MMGW

Summary:

Please read other reviews below for how to hack the MMG into an even better(?) speaker. I can't speak to hearing subtle nuances of silver vs gold connectors etc. Hopefully what I have to say still helps some of you...

I bought these for both stereo audio as well as surround A/V in my living room, along with the centre channel MMGC and a pair of MMGW for surrounds. Music is my priority but movies are a close second.

I was concerned about our cat using them as scratching posts so I hung them upside-down off the ceiling (2' from back, 6" from sides, stands installed to angle downwards). I can rotate them to adjust focus as needed. I realize "purists" will want to lash me for not have more space behind and beside them, but I'm married and have learned somethings have to be compromised....
Google "nad T775 mmg carada" for my system overview and pics.

I upgraded my NAD T743 to the T775 to ensure I have good power.
I'm using 12-gauge Omega audio wire to handle the larger current (about $1/foot).

The highs and mid acoustics are amazing - more on that later.
The bass was good. With better placement and hacking, I'm sure it could have been improved.
I built a 10" Peerless / BASH 500W "Johannesen" Transmission-Line Sub to handle 80Hz down. It's tight and effective. I let the NAD handle crossover LFE.

The result? Nigel Kennedy playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons: not only can you hear him breathing in through his nostrils, I can hear sheet music being flipped by the crew behind him! Radiohead's In Rainbows vinyl is enchanting. Trent Reznor (NIN) Ghosts I-IV brings you right into the studio.
Audio tracks in movies are wonderful: birds, rain, thunder, as well as voices and music are rendered naturally with subtle and effective surround!

I'm now a Maggie-slut like so many others!

Strengths:
Turns great tracks magical, and highlights bad ones (no stage, compressed, etc)
Natural wonderful vocals, strings, drums
Wicked bang-for-the-buck

Weaknesses:
Cats could love'm
Shy on the low frequencies for (mostly) movies
Low SPL - Axioms might be better for you if you want more kick for near music / $

sqlsavior

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
3.20 of 5, 10.00 votes

Price Paid:  $600.00 from Magnepan

Summary:
After 25 years, the only good piece left alive in my old stereo system was my NAD 3020 integrated amp, a legendary giant-killer in the budget audiophile category for many years. So when I received a settlement for my motorcycle accident recently, I went and bought both a HT setup, and a whole new (& used) 2-channel-only system. The Maggies are my 2-channel speakers.

I am hearing new detail and complexities from very familiar albums. In particular, I can follow bass tracks note-for-note now, that used to get lost in the rest of the music. I am extremely pleased with these speakers; they are the most revealing I've ever owned.

That said, I must admit that the folks who complain about placement difficulties, room interactions, and the tiny sweet spot have valid points. I have a fairly large and irregularly-shaped living room, and an understanding wife. I also listen intently, and don't mind sitting precisely in the best spot. The sound in that spot is fantastic, but these are not good party speakers, and not even particularly good for two people sitting side by side.

They also need a good, clean, powerful (100 watts), 4-ohm-capable amplifier. The 20-watt NAD, while it sounded excellent, would not get quite loud enough before running out of headroom, hence the Hafler, at 115 watts.

With the right amp, in the right room, and in the right spot however, the Magneplanar MMGs sound absolutely incredible.

Strengths:
Large soundstage.
Incredible detail.
Great imaging and focus.
Fantastic mid-bass.
Extraordinarily reasonable price.
30 day home trial, satisfaction guaranteed.

Weaknesses:
Extremely sensitive to placement and room interactions.
Small sweet spot.

Similar Products Used:
Owned: Vandersteen 2Cs, Polk RTiA1, a dozen homemade pairs.
Auditioned: Kef, Harbeth, Quad, others.

Rest of system:

Music Hall MMF-5 turntable
Denon DL160 high-output moving coil cardtridge
Marantz CD5001 CD player
Apt-Holman pre-amp
Hafler DH 220 power amp