I drop by this site from time to time,and have always enjoyed your posts. You sound like(and I,m guessing)a "seasoned veteran" and I say that most respectfully. Being an audio fan for 30+ years I am ready to pull the trigger on a pair of Maggies. I have heard conflicting info on power requirements. I know these are 4 ohm speakers, but have been told they gobble up power. I Would be driving them (leaning towards the 1.6's) with an Aragon 8003. Any input or advice would be appreciated. Thank you, Rick
I am not acquainted with an Aragon 8003 amp--did you mean the 8008? I know of the 8008 MkII, which is currently available, and is a very nice combo with planar loudspeakers such as the Maggies. I have not done any extended listening of Aragon driving Maggies, but I have briefly heard one and it had a nice warm sound that would be an excellent combo, sound-wise with the Maggies. It is also a very stable amp, easily capable of driving the Maggies (which are very low impedence, but almost a strictly resistive load).
If there is an 8003, and I don't know about it, I would still think that it would be a good choice to drive some Maggies 1.6s--I know Aragon and I like their amps which match well with Maggies.
Hawk, Sorry for the amp typo. It is an Aragon 8008x3 circa 1997. I also failed to mention the listening room is 18'x18'. So the Maggies aren't looking for mega power-just clean power with good dynamic headroom ??? The Aragon should be fine either way. One last thought if you please... Just how critical is placement, and have you any experience with hanging Maggies from a ceiling? Thanks in advance for the reply and input.
No problem--I specialize in making my own typo errors all the time!
Hey, I know that amp and it is a brute (I say that with awe). I seem to recall it is something like 400 wpc x 3 when driving 4 ohm speakers (such as the Maggies), so I know it will have more than enough power to drive some 1.6s. But I think your statement is correct--the Maggies need really clean power more than mega-power because they are so revealing, another reason an Aragon is a good choice. I have heard the 1.6s driven by a much more modest NAD 762 receiver (100 wpc x 6) and they sounded wonderful. With the power of the Aragon, I can only surmise that it would be a near religous experience.
Placement: boy, this ranks right up there with issues of speaker wire and cables for starting a fight on this BBS! I will tell you my experience and you can take it for whatever you think it may be worth.
Now, I have read many magazines and websites which claim speaker placement is a crucial element in getting the sound "right" with Maggies. They have to be 3' from the back wall, so far apart, etc., etc., ad nauseum. Nonesense! (Board etiquette precludes the real word I would use here). I found my Maggies sounded super right up against the back wall--I got better bass that way and the sound was not rendered muddy sounding which is what usually happens when you park a speaker against the wall. I even strongly considered getting some brackets from the local hardware store and mounting them directly to the wall with about 3-4" clearance, but I didn't have a wide enough section of wall to do it for my right speaker, so I abandoned that plan. As far as I am concerned, I suggest you chuck any preconceptions and simply experiment with them in your house to see what works for you. I have not hung them from a ceiling (I have 18' ceilings in my listening room, so I never even thought of that before), but I see no reason why that would't work. If it would be a useful approach, I would try it to see how it works. My only caution here is that Maggies are pretty directional, but 1.6s are less hampered that way than the 12s or the MMGs, so it may not be much of a problem. If it is, you may need to tilt them 10-15 degrees to get the sound the way you want it.
The only suggestion I would make about placement is that the Maggie manual suggest you mount the ribbon tweeter on the inside of the speaker. However, in experimenting, I found I much preferred having the ribbon tweeter on the outside, so again, you will need to experiment to see what you like.
Hawk, Thank you for your insight on the Maggies. Yes, the Mondial pre-Klipsch Aragons are great amps. I hope the bean counters at Klipsch dont kill a good thing. I'm not planning on replacing the amp any time soon. Since the original post I have ordered the 1.6's. I cant wait to set them up and break them in. I'll give you a personal evaluation in the near future. Hawk, you are indeed a gentleman, and it's nice to see that the "new flock" are in good hands. Keep up the good work and stay well. Rick
I am very envious--the 1.6s are one of the truly great speakers out there. When you get everything set up, I'll come over with a case of beer for some serious listening. What beer do you prefer?
Any time sir, and the Sam Adams would definitely be on me ! Keep you posted, and if the good doctor ever needs a second opinion on a post-give me a shout. Thanks again. Rick