Review: Mye Sound speaker stands Magnepan- MG-20 Tweak


Category: Accessories

In hind sight I have no rational or sane reason why I did not purchase a pair of Mye Sound custom stands for my MG-20's, to replace their stock footers, along time ago. I had read on different websites scores of glowing reviews regarding how the Mye Sound stands dramaticly improved the sonic performance of any Magnepan model. I had never read or heard even one negative comment regarding these custom stands. Well, better late then never.

The Mye Sound stands are beautifully hand built by Grant VanderMye in Kelowna, B.C. Canada. Grant and his wife were a delight to work with and made the purchase a very easy and pleasant experience. If you can handle working with a total of 12 screws/bolts it's a breeze to install these stands on your Maggies. They replace the stock footers with a very heavy and extremely well built stand, which come with very high quality carpet piercing brass points, and a pair of struts which lock the speaker panels into an iron fisted triangle.

I have gone through many upgrades and tweaks over the years, haven't we all, but nothing prepared me for what took place when I placed my dearly loved MG-20's on these stands. The improvement was not subtle or slight but a significant transformational change that brought the already reference level attributes of the 20's to even a higher level. If I had to try to give this a percentage rating I would say at least 25%, which is quite remarkable considering the performance level of the MG-20's with the stock stands to begin with.

Here's the details of what took place sonicly with the Mye Sound stands:

1) I have always found the MG-20's to be sonicly "seamless" and speak with one voice in a very cohesive fashion. With the Mye Stands this quality was taken to even a higher level.

2) The level of transparency/clarity was vastly improved so microdetails and decay trails become more apparent in a very natural/organic way.

3) The location of each individual player became more precise in the soundstage, with greater air around them and a yet still blended in with the rest of the music very naturally.

4) Bass became much faster, more dynamic/powerful, and accurate and blended with the lower midrange in a much more realistic way.

5) Overall timbres became more lifelike in their harmonic structure and tonality.

6) The final change seems the most paradoxical to me. The Mye Stands totally energized and made the MG-20's come "alive" and at the same time made the experience of listening to music through them a more relaxing/emotional situation.

To say I'm enthralled with what the Mye Stands did for the performance of my MG-20's would be an under statement! All this for a total of $600.00. If you own any Maggies, regardless of the model, you really owe it to yourself to put them on Mye Sound stands. My experience now is that you really don't know what sonic performance Magnepans have to offer when used on those dinky stock footers, unless you cement them away from performance killing vibrations with Grant's custom stands!

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teajay

Showing 6 responses by cwlondon

Listener614

Do you have any agenda or commercial affiliations which might bias your views or prompt you to scrutinize any praise of the MYE stands?

I am just curious, because Grant is pretty universally well reviewed, and I also note that that you have enthusiastically jumped into this discussion in what is registered as your first thread.

But as an owner of 3.6s and former owner of Typanis, you certainly don't sound like a "newbie".

In any case, welcome to Audiogon.

I too can confirm the dramatic improvement of the MYE stands which I use on my Tympani IVa's, as well as the good value and no BS service of Mr VanderMye.

cwlondon

I am not an analyst or an engineer.

Intuitively, however, I would think that the stands do at least two things:

1) Couple the speaker to the floor with more weight using the stands and the spikes, and

2) Significantly increase the rigidity of the Magneplanar frames surrounding the drivers

My impressions may be entirely explained by the placebo effect and have no scientific justification.

But it seems to me that minimizing or elminating any front to back movement of the panels would greatly reduce "smearing", increase bass and clarity and bring any number of other sonic benefits as described above.

Although not related to the sound, it is also nice to know that Magneplanars might not be knocked over so easily by a pre schooler, or any friends who drink more than 1 martini.

Look forward to your thoughts as an analyst.

cwlondon
Eldartford

Less compared to cones, but nonetheless the MYE stands might further reduce Dopler distortion?

Or are you with Listener, suggesting MYE stands are an expensive placebo effect?

As for me, I dont remember what I paid for them, but it was worth every penny simply to know they wont tip over as easily.
I like to think I am pretty level headed about these things, at least insofar as I don't own a Tice Clock, Harmonix "room tuning" devices, or croygenically treated anything.

But I am nonetheless in favor of all placebo effects:

Because if you really believe something sounds better - well....than for you, it DOES.

So the MYE stands are a reasonably priced placebo effect tweak?
Teajay,

If you re read carefully, you will see that I have generally defended the MYE stands and the fair dealings of Mr Vandermye.

You will also see that I offered what I felt was a perfectly plausible explanataion of how and why the MYE stands should significantly improve the sound of the Magneplanars.

In other threads, I have also praised the improvements that the MYE stands brought to my Tympanis.

My "silly" comments were directed at the skeptics, initially Listener614 and apparently Eldartford?

I think there is far more to MYE stands than placebo effect, but was simply inviting counter arguments from the skeptics.

Again, I am a fan of Grant and his products and think they represent excellent value as well.

I hope this is clear.