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Magnepan Full-range ribbon and planar speakers |
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#1
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Heard the Maggie 3.7 today for the first time
After reading the many great reviews of the 3.7, I've been curious about them. I mostly listen to rock and I've heard Maggies don't have the bass and slam to do a proper job with it but I wanted to hear for myself. I'm trying to hear as many different speakers as I can.
This was a quick listen though, just to get an idea of what they were capable of. They were hooked up to an ARC DSPre, DS225 and some Esoteric CD player (I didn't pay attention to the model as I don't need a CD player). Overall I really liked them with the couple of songs I heard. I did notice a slight lack of body to the music but perhaps adding a good sub would take care of that? One "troubling" thing though, was when we played AC/DC Back In Black. There was definitely some harshness or a hard edge to the guitar and vocal in some parts of the song. This would definitely quickly become fatiguing to me. And we weren't playing them too loud (~40 - 43 on the ARC DSPre). So I'm wondering what may have caused that? I know there are many factors involved but are Maggies generally known for a potential harsh upper-mid, lower treble region? I'm not really seeing any mention of it in reviews. Perhaps it could be attributed to the gear or room? Or maybe AC/DC is just fatiguing For what it's worth, hearing that same song 10 minutes later through Sashas, ARC LS27, Ref150 and a Linn Klimax DS-thing didn't have that harshness |
#2
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I am very sensitive to shrill edgy forwardness and prefer warmth and weight.
I imagine the digital arc amp may have contributed and wonder if the dealer removed the attenuators. My 3.7s driven by CJ solid state or VAC tube amp is not bright or harsh at all. |
#3
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Regarding removing the attenuators, I can ask. Is that something that one should or shouldn't do? Or does it depend on your gear? I have a lot to learn... Thanks! |
#4
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image-4037300955.jpg I have a jumper for midrange and duelund .6 cast resistor for tweeter. |
#5
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I would think if you were hearing glare it could be coming out of a combo of unhappy elements as Darrin suggested, or something still settling in or a mid range etching in the cables... I used running the 3.7s naked with jumpers instead of resistors as a goal when pairing gear with them always going for transparency without hardness or grain as a primary characteristic... if the Maggies have enough hours up on them and you are hearing things amiss in the mids that they are only revealing a glare somewhere else in the system as they are indeed capable of a breathtakingly exquisite midrange. PS If I were listening to Sasha's, Ref 150 and LS 27 and hearing anything other than bliss I'd be giving the game up there and then Last edited by audiot servant; 01-01-2012 at 01:54 AM. |
#6
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I would definitely run a REL G2 (or two) with them if I was to go that route. Along with ARC this dealer also carries McIntosh, Boulder, Ayre, Linn, Naim, Rega, etc. Out of those choices it seems like I might want to try Mac as well, if I too find ARC too cool. Again, I appreciate all the info! |
#7
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The dealer said that the 3.7s had about 600 hours (IIRC), that the ARC DS225 should be broken in but the DSPre was new and only had about 50 hours on it. When I mentioned the harshness he speculated it was likely the room plus that AC/DC already has some of that built in. Yeah, this setup did not suck. I've heard Sophias and Sashas and really like both of them but they're too spendy for me. I've also heard Duettes and could maybe swing those. They're an option. |
#8
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I'd agree with audiot servant that if you are predominately rock oriented, 3.7s might not cut it. They do have quite a bit more slam than 3.6s...but still no body-blows from deep bass.
If you like the overall sound of 3.7s, then matching with a good sub (or pair of) would be a consideration for sure. I do run the 1ohm Cast resistors on the tweeters.. the high end on these 3.7s "should" be magical all else being equal. I listen to a wide range of music for hours on end, and these are the least fatiguing speakers I've ever owned. just my 2 cents worth. Last edited by Rayooo; 01-01-2012 at 11:54 AM. |
#9
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Last edited by dpod4; 01-01-2012 at 02:02 PM. |
#10
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Maggies give you great detail and transparency, a harsh sounding poorly-mastered disc is going to cause digititis, this version won't
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