Size, probably is the big reason,no pun intended, you see and hear it all the time. A lot of times you just don't realize how big they are until your significant other(and I am being PC by not saying women) has seen them in the living room. Even though they look much better than they did, say 20 years ago, they are still large. Another thing,and I kinda hate writing this, there is the "gee whiz" factor, and I mean by that is a lot of people don't like tha idea that anyone can pretty easily own a pair of these. Magnepan took the exoticness out of owning a great pair of speakers. They cause few problems, and some people like problems. Then you have the issue that they don't really sound like conventional dynamic driver speakers, as good as they are they are still few people's choice for rock n roll or metal music. They are not a speaker that reproduces a large venues experience well, but a more intimate night club/small venue type of experience. I love that sound and experience, and I think very few speakers will give you that intimate an experience at any price. A lot of people do not like the bass, and it is a hard speaker(IMHO)to mate a subwoofer to. Also, even though I think it is inexpensive, the quality of the gear that it needs to provide its best performance is rather expensive. I think they love power and need it. I love them , I think the world of them and the company, and I currently do not own a pair. But I will own a pair again soon, just as soon as I find the right deal. |
Jvia has it pretty cold. 1.6QRs were on on short list but suffered the same fate as the Martin Logans when my wife was brought in to veto anything that was too big or ugly for the room. I also suspect that to get the most from the speaker will require placement that even if the looks pass WAF, the location will not ...
In the end I got Hales Rev 3s. They do alot of the same things that the planars do, but without the bass, size and placement limitations. |
I agree with the above post that size is a big factor in deciding to keep the Maggies. Even though they are barely two inches thick they "look" big and need a big room and careful placement to sound their best- at least 20'x30'.
Also, Magnepan has retooled their factory to produce a lot more 1.6qrs to meet the demand; there are probably more pairs of 1.6qrs out there than most other "high end" speakers. (I had to wait 6 months before I got my pair.) Some buy without hearing them because they've read the reviews only to find out later that they really need a big room and some serious high quality power (expensive) to sound really good. They do lack some of the impact and clean/focused sonic edges of high quality cone speakers.
However, if everything is set up right and with the right amplification, the Maggies will reproduce a stunning sense of real prescence of musicians in a real space. This is no small accomplishment. They are also quite forgiving of poor recordings. And at its retail price I can think on nothing that even comes remotely close to delivering this level of performance.
Unfortunately, because I am moving to a smaller place I am in the process of selling my pair of Maggies. Otherwise, I would certainly keep them. |
In addition to size, I would also say that if people buy them without first auditioning them, they may be disappointed in the relative lack of dynamics as compared to a traditional cone speaker. Especially for those who like to "rock the house down". If you are preconditioned to a cone speaker, the Maggies may come off as a bit of a shock to the uninitiated. However, if you stick with them over the initial shock, you grow to love the open and natural sound they throw off - especially the older models.
I also agree with those above that say that these speakers need a good amplifier with sufficient power in order to show there stuff. They can sound constricted and flat if under powered. |
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more.
No, I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more.
Well, I wake in the morning,
Fold my hands and pray for rain.
I got a head full of ideas
That are drivin' me insane.
It's a shame the way she makes me scrub the floor.
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more.
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more.
No, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more.
Well, he hands you a nickel,
He hands you a dime,
He asks you with a grin
If you're havin' a good time,
Then he fines you every time you slam the door.
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more.
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more.
No, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more.
Well, he puts his cigar
Out in your face just for kicks.
His bedroom window
It is made out of bricks.
The National Guard stands around his door.
Ah, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more.
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more.
No, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more.
Well, she talks to all the servants
About man and God and law.
Everybody says
She's the brains behind pa.
She's sixty-eight, but she says she's twenty-four.
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more.
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more.
No, I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more.
Well, I try my best
To be just like I am,
But everybody wants you
To be just like them.
They sing while you slave and I just get bored.
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more.
|
It has been several years since I owned Magnepan 2.7's. At that time the ribbon was a true ribbon tweeter as is in the Maggie 3.5, 3.6 series, and sounds much more open on top than the 1.6's. I've auditioned the 1.6 and agree they are a great value, however, the older III series resolves upper frequency details and sounds more balanced. Bass, to me was and remains a stong limitation of the panel speaker. This includes the Maggies, Apogees, Martin Logans, unless you go to a hybrid with cone bass driver, then the weakness becomes getting the integration correct. Magnepan has a great product, but like all else in audio, it is the trade off of strengths and weaknesses that must be balanced. Many who purchase the 1.6QR find the weaknesses of speaker size, room integration, placement, ancillary electronics, and, wife acceptance as too many weaknesses to settle on them long term. If you notice, most turn within 6 months to 1 year. Again, it's a subjective and personal choice. |
I agree with the above, but also take into consideration the folks that upgrade to higher models. ie 3.6 & 20.1 |
Once you get em home and discover that they won't play "Alice in Chains" or "Metalica" for beans, people get discouraged. I hate it when that happpens.... |
I had 3.5 and currently have SMGc in my bedroom (very little use). The bottom line is that you get what you paid for. It is very diffcult and expensive to do full range speakers well. They are limited in both frequency and dymanic range. Limited air movement. You can't expect to get $5000 performance by spending $1600. |
All of the posts above are correct. There are several reasons for this.
There are a lot of them out there. Because of their low price and high performance, I think many people use these as a stepping stone to higher end products. I personally am waiting for the right pair of 3.6s to come up.
Part of the reason for their lack of WAF and room domination is color choice. I own 1.6s (for the second time around). The first time I got them in black fabric with rosewood side rails. They looked BIG and UGLY. If you'll look at most of the ads, they have the black fabric. Now I own them in lt beige fabric with oak siderails. Now they blend with the color of the walls and don't even seem as big as the Merlin VSMs I've got. No, they don't ROCK, but that's why they make Cerwin Vegas. By the way, Sound Anchor stands are the way to go if you own maggies. This improves bass considerably. Now they ALMOST rock!
I also think that people try to under-power maggies. Doing that results in sloppy bass and a muddy upper bass, lower midrange. From my experience, you have to have at least 100 high current watts, but really don't get the full benefit of this speaker until you go over 200 watts. They are a fantastic speaker for the money as long as your musical tastes are within their capabilites. They don't do rumble-butt bass or in-your-face dynamics. What they do give you when set up right is pristine clarity, detail that is not edgy, natural tonality, lifelike re-creation of the soundstage, and pinpoint imaging. |
I think one of the reasons for the turnover is a more generic issue. Speaker placement for bipolar speakers (all brands mag or electrostatic) is critical. In the proper place in the right room they are killer. Unfortunately I think the problem pans out as follows.
You: Look at these wonderful new speakers!
Wife: They are too big but they are thin so I'll live with them up against the wall....
You: Well I've spent a week finding the perfect location for them. How do you like the sound?
Wife: THere is no way I will let you have them out in the middle of the living room like that.
You:Guess I'll look for a new wife or new speakers. |
A friend of mine owns a store that sells Maggies...
1) Maggies tend to be purchased by "Audiophiles", most of them don't keep anything too long, there is always the allure of something new and different.
2) Many people buy 'em and like them and decide to upgrade to their larger models.
3) Some people just can't get them to work well in their room or with their ancilliary equipment.
4) They can be a bone of contention where the owner has to share a listening room with other family functions.
5) Actually, it isn't as much turnover as it seems! They were a BIG seller, most dealers couldn't keep 'em in stock, for their price and performance they were a no-brainer for many people, especially after some of the hot reviews. So there are a LOT of them out there!
Kevin |
Jade,all of the above is true and be thankfull you can buy
them at a 33% discount used.Mine are modded and in another
room allowing the mandatory 3' room behind and walls.BUT
the sound !! For $1k used, Nothing comes close ! Especially
for Jazz,singers (Krall will be there in front of you) etc.
Go for the light look (NOT black) an old Adcom 200wpc amp.,
Morrison preamp and spend the rest on a good CD source/
FM tuner (Fanfare) and you have 90% of a $100k sound syst.
Allright $50k.The secret is that 30-36 inches all around for
the sound delay to fill in the incredible Lifelike, Huge soundstage.Oh yes and it allows you to take a Long break from this HiFi addiction of ours. Except mabe cables,the only other tweak is a power conditioner (RGPC works) Now
if only I can find the room next to my new Sony XBR 36"... |
