Does anyone own these or have comments on them? They seem to be a steal at the $299 pair MMG W and $299 MMG C. I am interested to know whether they would work with Onkyo or Pioneer receivers.
They will work with your receiver choices. I auditioned the "Maggies" at a dealer in the SF bay area and disliked them entirely (I'm sure I'll pay for that remark). Be sure and take CD's with low frequency BASS energy and see if you find them to your liking. The soundstage, tonal balance and midrange detail are fine, MAKE sure you like the bass behavior and find the bass output to your liking. Otherwise the price is attractive on Maggies, they have a demo program, placement may not be as flexible with planars as with ordinary speakers.
I have read great reviews from places like Home Theater Sound, etc. But I wasn't sure if the receivers I am looking at will handle the 4 Ohm load. I have an Energy 10" sub, so the bass is not that important to me. I am just wanting to get the best sounding speaker for my budget of $200-400 per speaker. I am also considering the Wharfedale 8's and Athena Asf2's. Does anyone have suggestions for speakers in this range that might perhaps sound better with those two receiver choices I listed earlier.
In comparing planar/ribbon speakers to conventional dynamic speakers, keep in mind they are fundamentally different. The wave launch sound of a planar/ribbon is different than the heft of a bass ported speaker in a large cabinet like your potential choice of an Athena. If you have the Energy 10" sub, then perhaps the balance of your sub + maggies will be to your liking. A sub + Athenas would surely be excessive bass. Rick's remark that the maggies are one of the best sounding speakers on the planet 'period' is a bit of an overstatement to say the least. If you try the maggies in your home with the sub (as their 30 or 60 day offer) you can experience them first hand.
With all due respect, are you saying that Magnepan is not a world class speaker?
Let's take the floorstanding MMG's @ $550.00 a pair. At that price point, what do you feel is a better sounding speaker? I do realize you can only answer this if you have heard the MMG's.
Chicobiker---heathen!!! Just kidding I need to hear what you did not like about them. I like looking at the pros and cons, all I hear are praises. Besides critical placement and lower frequency defeciencies...what else do you think its lacking??
In responding to the Maggies MMG/W/C being "Best/finest sounding speaker on Earth - PERIOD" No they aren't. Sorry. Some of the upper end Maggies are decent for sure, given what they do, but not the BEST. Are they world class? I'm might be inclined to state they are competitive in the planar/ribbon industry and have a fairly loyal following. They represent good American Value; I've heard WORSE (alot worse!) for $550 that's for sure. It is indeed a good thing, though, when audiophiles can get a decent looking, well reviewed planar speaker for $500ish. When I auditioned the 1.6 with my usual "acid-test" CD's I felt the midrange was free from most mid-range induced crossover-type driver smearing - they had the planar open, dimensional, agreeable sound with good detail and of course no cabinet diffraction, but should be made sturdy on the intended listening floor. The highs were neither dull nor overly bright, but rather were "reticent" in revealing fine instrumental detail. This was noticeable in CD's with complex upper harmonic detail. The mid-range though, as I recall was very fine indeed with strings, voice, chamber music, and trumpets quite succulent and my jazz was dizzy with rhythm. When I used analog rock and digital symphonic recordings with LOW bass energy, the Mags were simply too low frequency weak to remain a contender on the speakers I was auditioning at the time. That argument of Maggies having a 'wave-launch' that ultimately adds up to bass output the equal of an ordinary magnet loaded driver didn't gel with me. In a quick audition of the 3.6 at $4100 I noted exceptional detail and noticeable improvments over the 1.6 at $1400, but the 3.6 were too large and ungainly as I prefer slim, svelte tower types. The MMG system was not BAD, it wasn't horrid, it just didn't tickle my fancy as it has for others. Eliminate concerns about source equipment as the shop in SanJose is upper crust for sure. Some audiophiles get hooked on the planar, electrostat, ribbon, hybrid thing - I just haven't; that's all.
I truly thank you for your response and personal opinion on the Maggies.
I only suggeest that you go back to my original statement, and reread it. I never said they were the best...period. I said they were ONE of the best sounding......period. As always with this hobby of ours, it's just my opinion. I also agree that Maggies are sometimes hard to live with. The physical size, placement issues, small sweet spot, power requirements. I'm just curious, what was driving the Maggies you auditioned? They need clean high power.
I just know that I got hooked on planar sound. Excellent detail, huge soundstage, fast transients, accurate bass, great imaging. Keep on listening, it took me 34 years to think outside the box (LOL!). Pun definitely intended.
Then along came OHM (or should I say came back), but that's another ongoing story.
Rick - I quoted you exactly in response to referring to the Maggies as one of the finest sounding speakers on the planet.......... But no matter.......I won't split hairs. We are all just discussing opinions on this board, and I notice posters are as polite here as anywhere, especially compared to one of the car boards I post too.......YEESH. Loudspeakers draw strong opinions. The maggies were on the short list of speakers I was auditioning recently, and fell short in MY personal preferences, expectations and requirements. Even the sales-lady gave mention of the loyal following of Maggie buyers. I also have a friend who is an OHM fanatic, and at the time he just despised my KEF Reference 3's and never cared for my Thiels. To each their own! Incidentally, I don't seriously audition any loudspeaker on any mass market receiver or amp, no garbage cables (often take my own), disallow any equalizers or switching loops, and no other speakers sitting nearby, and no 16 bit harsh, steely CD players, no turntables, no MP3 shi*t etc There are plenty of upscale audio dealers in the SF bay area and Southern Cal and where I live in the California Central Valley. I routinely audition the SAME speaker at different dealers, to broaden my evaluation. I recall the Maggies were hooked via expensive MIT cables and HIGH watt Parasound amps. The negative Maggie features you mentioned were factors that also made me disinclined to own Maggies.
Anyone have a suggestion for driving 4 Magnepan MMGs for SACD surround (and movies, I suppose)? I hear Rotel is a good match for Maggies, so I'm considering the Rotel RMB 1075 or 1095. Anyone have strong feelings one way or another? I want the BEST match for my 4-ohm power-hungry speakers.
