Fezmid Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 Didn't you have a friend who was looking at Maggies a while back? Did he/she ever pull the trigger? I don't know how much interest you have in this, but my understanding is that they give factory tours at the Magnepan headquarters. Since you live so close you should check em out sometime and put that camera of yours to use I've spoken to several of the folks at the office, including the director of marketing, Wendell Diller. They are good people...very cordial and professional. He never did as far as I know. A tour of the place would be awesome though - I should definitely look into that! Maybe even write a story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted December 30, 2010 Author Share Posted December 30, 2010 He never did as far as I know. A tour of the place would be awesome though - I should definitely look into that! Maybe even write a story. Heck yeah! Now that you're a professional writer, that would be a great piece! I helped get a new planar forum started over at the audio circle, so we could get your story pinned over there, and I'm sure the magnepan users group at audio asylum would love to read it, too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBillsForever Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I've never heard any Maggies. The last pair of speakers that I found were excellent and among the best value going were some Ascend Acoustics bookshelf speakers. I would like to audition the PSB Imagine T floorstander in the near future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted December 31, 2010 Author Share Posted December 31, 2010 I've never heard any Maggies. The last pair of speakers that I found were excellent and among the best value going were some Ascend Acoustics bookshelf speakers. I would like to audition the PSB Imagine T floorstander in the near future. PSBs are fantastic. The big canadian speaker companies - Paradigm, PSB, Energy, Totem - are all excellent, IMO. Fez and I both started out with Paradigm products, and I think Fez still has his...they are very, very good. I have never heard the Ascend speakers, but they have a very good reputation among those who participate on the various audio forums. This is really a great time to be into home audio and HT....lots of amazing products, especially for the money. Another company you guys may want to check out if planars aren't your bag, is DeVore Fidelity. I know the owner (friend of a friend), and he's a great guy. He is based in NYC and although a few of the drivers are European, the cabinets, crossovers, and manufacturing are all from the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 PSBs are fantastic. The big canadian speaker companies - Paradigm, PSB, Energy, Totem - are all excellent, IMO. Fez and I both started out with Paradigm products, and I think Fez still has his...they are very, very good. Yup, still running the Paradigm Studio 40s in front and 20s for the surrounds. Sound great. My boss bought the Paradigm Studio 100s v5 for his fronts. They sounded AMAZING in the store. I still need to get over to his place to check them out - he said they sound just as good at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBillsForever Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I believe all those companies you mentioned minus Totem have had some form or another, ties to the National Research Council in Canada. They each take on a similar design philosphy. Totem is a bit different cat with their luxurious cabinetry and design philosphy. However, since Klipsch purchased Energy and Mirage there have been some sick deals at times on some models. RC series and some of the Mirage Omnipolar models at places like vanns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted December 31, 2010 Author Share Posted December 31, 2010 (edited) I believe all those companies you mentioned minus Totem have had some form or another, ties to the National Research Council in Canada. They each take on a similar design philosphy. Totem is a bit different cat with their luxurious cabinetry and design philosphy. However, since Klipsch purchased Energy and Mirage there have been some sick deals at times on some models. RC series and some of the Mirage Omnipolar models at places like vanns. IIRC, Scott (SDS) had some Mirage omnis that he was pretty happy with. And yeah, the Totem guy (Vincent something or other) is a pretty unique fella. I've always been fond of those little Totem arros, though. Very small footprint, precise imaging, decent soundstage, etc. Definitely on my short list of best speakers at or under the $1k mark. Yup, still running the Paradigm Studio 40s in front and 20s for the surrounds. Sound great. My boss bought the Paradigm Studio 100s v5 for his fronts. They sounded AMAZING in the store. I still need to get over to his place to check them out - he said they sound just as good at home. That's awesome...I loved my few years with the studio 100s (v.2) a while back. Great for both HT and music. Edited December 31, 2010 by ajzepp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I know there are several TBD'ers who are into home audio/home theater. I wanted to take a minute to promote a new product from one of the great American companies...not just in audio, but in any field - Magnepan. Anyone in this hobby is already familiar with this great company and their amazing speakers. While they aren't for everyone, many an audiophile has fallen in love with that "Maggie Magic" over the past several decades. I first discovered them in 2004 when I ordered a pair of their entry level MMGs ($550). I've since upgraded to one of their top models, the 3.6, and they've brought me much enjoyment over the past year. Anyway, there are a lot of people who consider the Magnepan 1.6 one of the absolute best audio bargains in hi-fi. This speaker has stood the test of time, having been in production for the last twelve years. Today I just found out that Magnepan has introduced its successor, the 1.7. I thought this might be a great time to talk about Magnepan to my fellow TBD brothers and sisters, so here ya go! CNet Reviews Magnepan 1.7 If by chance any of you have questions or just want to talk further about the Maggie products, please let me know! Dunno about the new model, but the sound on the older mags was astonishing. They were also quite challenging to set up. A friend of mine tried a pair and they were simply unusable in his home. The difference between how they sounded in the show room and how they sounded in his environment was enormous. And while they are great for jazz and classical music, those who like to "feel the bass" may be disappointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 And while they are great for jazz and classical music, those who like to "feel the bass" may be disappointed. That's what a subwoofer is for... Then again, I'm not really a music guy - I'm a home theater guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted December 31, 2010 Author Share Posted December 31, 2010 Dunno about the new model, but the sound on the older mags was astonishing. They were also quite challenging to set up. A friend of mine tried a pair and they were simply unusable in his home. The difference between how they sounded in the show room and how they sounded in his environment was enormous. And while they are great for jazz and classical music, those who like to "feel the bass" may be disappointed. The smaller Maggies absolutely need a subwoofer to get much below 45hz, but the larger ones (3.6, 20.1) can hit into the 30s. I sold my subwoofer before moving into my apartment a few months ago, and I was fearful that my HT experience was going to suffer. While it's not the same as having my beloved SVS subwoofer, I'm getting plenty of usable bass to where it's more than satisfactory. It also depends a lot on the amp you use. I have 400wpc of nice, clean Butler power feeding my 3.6s in a true biamp configuration. I have some tracks I could put on (eminem and 50 cent, in particular) that have thumping that you can feel in your chest, even without a sub. Maggies used to be more for the folks who prefer jazz and similar styles, and less for people who like to rock out. That's not so much a concern anymore. These speakers give up very little in terms of dynamics to traditional box speakers anymore, except for in the low end, which you mentioned. If someone is after top level dynamics and max SPLs, then Maggies are NOT for them lol. But for the rest of us, they are the perfect speaker. That's also a great point about set-up. Maggies are typically less expensive in terms of their price:performance ratio, but they need a capable amp (receivers need not apply), at least 2.5-3' from the front wall, and some room to breathe. One of their most inexpensive models, the MMG, is a great starter Maggie...it is very light and easy to move, and it gives people a great chance to play around with placement in their room in order to find the best location. I lived with them for 2 years and loved every minute. Pair them with a subwoofer and you have a fantastic 2-channel system that will blow away just about anything else you could get for the same money, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I sold my subwoofer before moving into my apartment a few months ago, You sold your sub...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted December 31, 2010 Author Share Posted December 31, 2010 You sold your sub...? Yeah,I didn't want to take any chances of being assaulted by the neighbors lol. It sounds really good, though. I rented theLast Airbender b/c of the reviews of the audio quality, and it was very impressive! I didn't watch the movie,just a few choice scenes...it pretty much convinced me that I can live w/out a sub for the time being running my mains as "large" and letting them play lower than they're accustomed to playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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