they present the recording with a 'physical presence' of the artists, instruments, and emotions like few others can.

the speakers are wonderful. i don't think you can buy a better speaker for the money. period. i have had mine for three months now.

if you are a first time buyer of planar/ribbon loudspeakers, you will be blown away at what they can do for you. they do have special placement requirements, and the more time you spend figuring out the best place to position them IN YOUR ROOM, with respect to YOUR SEATING POSITION, the more you will be rewarded. in my room, they are 46" and 50" from the rear wall. i placed mine on top of 1" thick, square concrete tiles from home depot. they became even more detailed. over the last three months, i have moved the speakers dozens of times. 1 or 2 inches this way, or thatway. different tilt angles. different toe in angles. sometimes they get better, sometimes just different. but now they are just right.

another word about break-in. when i first got mine, i let them play for a week straight before some serious listening, and fine tuning.

at that time, i found them a little too bright, and edgy, and installed a (supplied) resistor in the tweeter attenuation posts.
after last month, they smoothed out even more than the first week. the edgyness has disappeared. i removed the resistor, and put back the jumper bar. still no edge, just a little more highs. perfect.

i highly recommend that anybody who buys these speakers take some time to get to know them, to find out where they like to be, and give them time to settle down and relax. they will reward you in spades !!!!!

i use a subwoofer with mine, and had some difficulty at first figuring out where to place it, and the phase switch (0 or 180). i think this is because they (mmg's) are dipoles. i had to move the sub a little bit. i set the switch in the position that lets the kick drum, beats, etc. all STOP ! at the same instance.

the results are really worth it. buy these. they are that good !

I can't say anything here that hasn't been said before: I have never heard higher-quality sound. Even if you consider yourself a jaded listener, you will be impressed. Paired with a small, unotrusive sub, this system is amazing.

The Maggies are a musical instrument, simply outstanding. Clarity, detail, and "efortlessness" compares very well to $100+ headphones, which I consider to be a big statement.

As you probably know, despite the size, they have weak bass. Clean but weak. So a small non-boomy sub is of paramount importance to rounding off the maggies sound. Note that it is VERY easy to overdo it with the sub and destroy the Maggie's sound quality: I recommend a crossover around 50-75 hz on a sealed-box sub.

The wire binders are allen-key, not the most convenient. But super secure.

I I bought my pair about 5 years ago after my dad had a pair, with which I was very impressed. I have not been dissapointed, these speakers live up to their (well-deserved) reputation.

This is my music-only system. I have a much bigger, louder box system for my home theatre. It would seem crass to pump an action soundrack through the Maggies, though I don't doubt it would do fine...

I drive them with an older 4ohm stable Yamaha receiver, nothing fancy.

Customer Service

A big plus was the hassle-free transaction with Magnepan. I sent the monay, and a few days later the MMG's arrived, extremely well packed in reuseable boxes. Perfection.

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I've auditioned a lot of speakers, actually this is the only set I've EVER bought. I build the rest in the garage with mdf and componenets. I can't build this sound quality at this price point, though... They're that good.

Clear and engaging. You mya find yourself Wanting to Listen.

Magnepan seems to like the word "Resolution," which may be simply a way to market these speakers to HT buyers. They use it on their web site quite a bit. Iit is a good term to use, though: These speakers reveal great detail, and you are likely to hear new things from your source material, both music and movies

They are relatively small and light, versus Some alternatives.

Great WAF.

The quality and feel of the sound is not for everyone. They do sound differnt from my previous speakers, and those of my friends, and IMHO they sound Better. But I think it would be fair to say that they are not as flexible as regular 'box' speakers. If you enjoy all types of music, if you enjoy music at all types of volume levels, and if you really Get Off just sitting and Listening, then you should hear the MMGs -- They may knock your socks off. On the other hand if your car has a sub in it that announces your presence two miles away, then your listening preferences are probably not a good match for the MMG.

There are already over 250 reviews here, but I felt compelled to write because of a review from last year (somewhere below) where a user experienced clipping with several differnt amps. I don't know how that ultimately worked out but I'd like to say two things on the matter. Number one, it is apparently a Known issue that Mags want a very solid amp which is really able to operate at 4ohms. I don't know how tricky that is to find, but I would advise anyone looking into the MMGs to find out what the 250 folks here have used successfully.

The other thing I wanted to say is that these are simply Not speakers built to blow your hair back and knock things off the shelf. In My living room they go plenty loud and no mistake, but if your listening preferences tend toward concert-level volume and bass-emphatic contemporary hip-hop, these are not the right tool for you. I have no doubt that a combination of the wrong amp and the wrong music can make MMGs a very unsatisfying experience.

However: IMHO these are very forgiving speakers, and I have no trouble cranking them up to levels that scare the cat, that can be heard outside the house, and that make my kids look at me funny.

I have an Odyssey Khartago Amp. It's a 110wpc. It's a nice, highly-rated amp (read about it here on audio review) which lsits for something like $800. I got mine used, for less. Anyway: It's a Fine mate for MMGs, not esoteric, not garden-variety, either. I recommend it.

I listen to both vinyl and CDs, using moderately-priced sources (Music Hall and Sony, respectively).

Until the Fall of 2006, when i got the Mags, I had owned and used Boston Acoustics A-100 speakers for about 20 years. They were decent, reliable, and had a great tweeter. I recognize they are not The Best, etc., etc., but they cost about the same amount as the MMGs, so from That standpoint, the two make a very good comparison. Anyway, after making modest upgrades to pretty much everything else in my system, I reluctantly decided I had to hear some new speakers. I was not really excited about dragging speakers back and forth and trying to compare them, but I wanted to know if my upgrades had done more than my speakers allowed me to hear.

Friends recommended the MMG. I ordered a pair, intending to get a 2nd kind of speaker simultaneously, so-as to demo Two kinds of speakers in my LR. The other set sort of fell through, so I ended up with just the MMGs. Yes, there May have been some aspect of laziness about my settling on these. No regrets!

I do not love the simple little iron-bar legs which come with the speakers, simply because I feel the angle they create -- leaning back -- is wrong. I think these speakers are best served with after-market 90deg stands.

After moving these around the room for a couple days, I was disappointed to realize that they really wanted to be out quite far from the rear wall to sound their best. That may or may not be true for Your room, but be warned of the possibility. Given the traffic pattern, the cat, and the visiting toddlers, I concluded I'd be shipping the MMGs back. Too bad, because the sound was sort of entrancing.

Then, Madness Struck. I have a post & beam home. The MMGs have wooden side panels on them -- trim -- which attach to the main body of the speakers with countersunk wood screws. I decided to try Hanging the MMGs from the ceiling.

I should explain: I have the best wife in the world. She accepts my madness because it keeps me home most nights. She has allowed these speakers to be flown in her living room because she loves how they sound, and I think she has a secret Jones for the slightly high-tech look they create. I should also say, before I go on, I'm not recommending this madness to anyone Else, OK? I'm Just Sayin'.....

Using what I had learned from various floor placements, I make a lot of measurements relative to the rear wall and to my listening position, and I put several sets of small hooks in the ceiling. I got identical but Longer wood screws, some bead-chain, and went to work.

Fast Forward: For the last 8 months, these MMGs have hung from the ceiling, angled downward, slightly, and inward slightly. The top of each speaker is therefore about 2.5 ft from the rear wall, and the bottom of each is about 1.5 ft from the rear wall. Bonus: For some reason, when hung, these speakers can be closer to the wall than when standing on the floor. I think this may be due to several things. The angle. The relative lack of objects between them and me. The larger unobstructed wall area the speakers have behind them, when hung in my particular living room. Whatever.

Burn-in: I do Believe these speakers have changed in the last few months, but it's really hard to prove that. It could be that I have changed. Which ever is true, and however You want to believe it, I suggest that Something good has happened

The result is the same -- the Experience Has Changed, and it has gotten better and better. Many, Many times I sit down to listen and for reasons I cannot explain it simply Makes Me Smile. Listening to music -- really Listening -- is a whole new, much more Active experience. I listen to more classical and jazz now, and more folk/country/world music, vocals, because it just sounds so darn good. It don't ever feel like I'm On the stage -- there's no 3D voodoo going on here -- it's just that things sound so much more interesting. That's a boring word -- interesting -- but I use it intentionally because there is no more creative term to use which is any more accurate but doesn't sound like hyperbole.

Note on the MMGs and Home Theater: Wow!

Note on Music: The first several songs on Luka Bloom's Turf LP are amazing on MMGs. turn the lights out and Listen! Roxy Music's Avalon album -- hear it in all its percussive precision. Dire Straits. The Jam's "Ghosts." The Lord of the Rings Sound Track. Diana Krall. The Cure's Mixed Up....I Will say, though, that "What's the Story Morning Glory" sounds confusing, muddled, and perplexing. I Love it, but the speakers perform no magical transformation on the song -- it's still an opaque wall of sound. The recent addition of an inexpensive sub woofer has not clarified this, which leaves me with the feeling that either this track is intentionally messy, or that it is a work-in-progress, or that it's an example of a track not suited for flat panel playback. Not meant to be a music review, but it's the sort of stuff we often have on, and we love it.

Note on Bass: These are supposed to go down to 50hz, I think, and in my set up I believe they do, but it does not really vibrate the listener's body the way big cones will. You don't Feel the bass as much, although, in trade, you can Hear the attack on the bass string in some recordings. I've recently acquired a relatively inexpensive sub and am experimenting with it. So far I admit that I Do like the effect of a sub, but I like it best at surprisingly low volume. I'm not kidding when I say you might not miss the stuff lower than 50Hz, but it depends upon your music and your room's acoustics.

Hope you found this helpful. Good luck with your music!

Customer Service

Excellent, both at purchase and in fielding questions subsequent to purchase. I've not had the speakers serviced, however, and so cannot judge That aspect of Magnepan's operation.

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Boston Acoustics A-100, series 1, 2, and 3

natural sound, realism, detail,

power requirement is much greater than most box speakers and you'll need an amp that can tolerate 5 ohms

I didn't expect much for $550 and was very pleasantly surprised by how good they sound. They are much better than all of my box speakers, most of which are far more expensive than $550. If you like full, natural sound as opposed to booming, exaggerated bass you should try them. Vocals are incredibly good, too. As long as you have plenty of clean power into 5 ohms you'll be ok. I like them so much that I am planning to buy another pair. I will soon be selling several pairs of high-end box speakers.

Customer Service

excellent, helpful staff

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Quad ESL-63

Detailed, airy soundstage, spot on imaging and no listening fatigue. Tight bass. Vocals, jazz and piano especially exciting. A piano sounds like a piano. A cymbal sounds round and detailed, without sizzle. Sounds real. So comfortable to the ears.

They seem to me to need three feet from the back wall. Is that a weakness?

I'm sold. Once I started listening to these wonderful speakers I found no reason to buy any others, at any price. Over the years I have spent crazy money on much of the supposed best equipment and I wish I knew then what I know now: One does not have to spend a fortune on audio gear to get wonderful sound. I sold all of my hyperbuck equipment and i bought a Yamaha two channel receiver and my MMG s, and I do run a Naim cd and its outboard amp. Speaker wire is Naim.

When the speakers first arrived I have to admit I did not like them at all. I never believed in speaker break-in, but I do now. Placement is everything. I started with the factory advice, then quickly experimented on my own. I won.

I do boost the bass and treble, and i am shameless about it. Frankly, I missed tone controls with the esoteric amplification. I do not need a sub. Bass is natural. This is a speaker one can listen to loud, because the midrange is so smooth, yet delicate.

They sucked me in with the mail order and trial period. I want for nothing else.

Customer Service

I don't know.

Sound

Placement issues,

Excellent speakers. I upgraded to MG 1.6 later on, but actually, it wasn't worth the money, once you have the MMG's on an improved stand.
Just get a good sub and enjoy. The sound rivals speakers which are MUCH, MUCH more expensive.

Customer Service

Never needed any

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MG 1.6

I used my SMMG's for years 1983-1987 and enjoyed them times between studying and work. I am an avid listener to modern ellectric and accoustical music. I am in the market for new speakers and am contemplating a new pair. Then I had am integrated amplifier w 35watts/rms now I have 100watts/rms min. . The old amplifier dropped of for loss of power. YES MAGNEPLANAR. for arts sack.


ED

The sound.

the angle of whice they stand.

listen, Ive had these for 9 1/2 yrs now and i am still very happy with these and for the price and sound these are excellent,yes you need a good sub. but once you done maggies theres no turning back except better maggies,plcement is the name of the game,also try changing the angle[little straighter up] use your head for that brings out better highs.still choice speakers and accoustic music with these is a dream.Maholo..

Customer Service

Me

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WHY!

Quantum leap over ordinary speakers, big soundstage, extraordinary detail, great value for the $$$$

Requires thoughtful placement for best results. You will probably want to use a subwoofer with these, but it's possible to really enjoy them without one

Magnepan MMGs are wonderful speakers but you HAVE to have a receiver/amp that can drive 4 ohm speakers. If you try to drive them with an ordinary H/T amp with only an 8 ohm rating they will sound okay, but when you push them the amp will clip, this is what is happening to the previous reviewer. I have never had the problems described when using my MMGs with Aragon and Parasound amps.

Customer Service

No complaints, helpful and prompt service

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MG12

Excellent soundstage, detail, clarity at low to medium power usage.

VERY limited volume before massive clipping.

I've been using these MMGs now from before Chrismas 2005 until 15 August 2006. When I first got them I was blown away by the detail and the soundstage, even though I had to spend a lot of time adjusting position, etc. I had them in two rooms, my living room and my second bedroom. The living room was more spacious and afforded a larger soundstage; I liked them best there.

I paired them with a Yamaha R-V98 integrated amp rated at 160 w/ch @ 2 ch using an iPod as an input source, with CD tracks ripped using Apple lossless compression for CD-quality sound. I used a 1/8" headphone jack with two RCA inputs to move the signal from the iPod to the amp. I never could turn them up very loud in the apartment where I lived, since I didn't want to disturb the neighbors, so the volume control never went up past about 2/3rds of the way up. I didn't really have a problem with the MMGs until I moved crosscountry into a house of my very own with a basement all to myself, where I could crank the amp without disturbing the neighbors.

So the first thing I did when I moved in was set up the MMGs and the amp and the iPod the way I liked it and turn up the volume. The result: incredible clipping at about 1/2 volume on the MMGs--complete loss of detail, crackles, blurred-out bass, you name it. I identified several variables that could have been causing the clipping--MMGs inadequate to the power source, an amp that was rated at 160 watts that was really putting out a lot less, the iPod DAC, and the line-in/headphone jack setup. So I decided to crank up the old scientific method and attack one variable at a time and see what was causing the clipping.

The first thing I did was disconnect the Samsung HD upconverter from the HDTV and haul it downstairs and use it as an input source to the Yamaha amp. I noticed immediate improvement in resolution of detail at about 2/3rds volume, so I figured the iPod or at least the line-in setup was part of the problem. OK, stick to CDs for troubleshooting for now. So I cranked it up to 1/2 volume--still same old clipping story. OK, input source is not the problem. Now let's try something else--swapping out the amp. I had my doubts about the amp, anyway--it was a consumer-grade amp that was 11 years old, and I've heard many stories about Yamaha power supplies hitting levels of infinite distortion well before reaching their max power output.

Today I went out and bought a Rotel NX-1052 integrated amp from the local audiophile component store. It is rated at 140 watts/channel @ 2 channels, and auditioning it in the store, the salesman cranked it up to about 90 db on a set of $2400 speakers whose brand name escapes me, and it sounded absolutely flawless at high volume. Perfect instrument resolution, perfect detail on my highly complex, layered synthesized Delerium "Poem" CD with exceptional vocalists who were flawlessly rendered by this amp and speaker setup--you could hear the vocalists breathing between phrases--so I knew I had an exceptional amp. My judgment was confirmed when I played a CD burned a 192 Kb/s MP3, and I could literally hear the compression on the individual bits. I could hardly wait to get it home and try it out with the MMGs.

I got the thing unpacked, got the monster cable with the spades hooked up to the speaker outputs, the CD player connected, even the iPod reconnected with the old line-in setup. (Skipping ahead a little, the iPod sounds muffled through the Rotel/MMGs. I had my wife run to Best Buy to pick up a dock with RCA outputs so I can run signal through the dock connector rather than through the headphone jack. Hopefully that will solve the problem.)

Anyway, Rotel all set up, CD player tray open, I put on a Conjure One disc. Lots of textured, detailed synth, superior production, female vocalists hand-picked by the project leader for their excellent voices. I set the volume fairly low so I could turn it up until it started to clip, which I thought would be at a pretty high volume level, judging by what I heard in the audition. Guess what comes next.

I get it about 2/3rds of the way up the volume level and--surprise--major clipping in the MMGs. I know it's not the amp, I know it's not the input source--it's the MMGs. They just can't handle the power a good amp can throw at it. The volume level I am listening to it now, which is about five marks below where it starts to clip, is only moderately high, enough to enjoy but not enough to feel it in your bones.

In short, pushing a significant amount of power through the MMGs drives them to their sonic limits VERY quickly. In my opinion, MMGs are good for small apartments where you can never turn the volume up very much or very often, but where you want a decent soundstage and great aural detail with low to medium power input. But this clipping limitation where I want to saturate my basement with sound means I will have to trade in my MMGs for a set of higher-grade Magneplanars that can handle the power my new Rotel amp.

DON'T buy the MMGs unless you are willing to live with the very serious volume limitations of the speakers. Otherwise, share and enjoy.

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Martin Logan