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What are some of the downsides of owning a Magneplanar .7 or 1.7i ?

Thinking of moving up speaker wise, and so am considering  the fabled Magneplanar speakers, that is, either the  the .7, or supposedly new 1.7i.   (BTW, I am not sure the Maggie .7 is necessarily an upgrade, and has less bass than my current box speakers...see below)

Besides "Maggies" having outdated speaker terminals that might be a struggle with banana plugs,, and they are generally power hungry, I am curious if anyone can honestly tell me of any other downsides of this design.  For the last 30 years, I have owned several traditional box design speakers. 

I currently have a pair of Golden Ear Technology model 7's....which I like and generally sound good However, I  would like to confirm what a planar design brings to the table in sound quality. I have read many times about the box-less sound  provided by this design, and its wide sound staging and low distortion. 

I think I have enough power with BAT VK-200 amp (100RMS) to drive the .7, but not sure that is enough to drive the MG1.7i. to higher volumes The pre-amp is a Conrad Johnson PV-14SE. 

The listening room area 12 X15ft, but opens into kitchen/dining area divided by a medium size couch. The rest of the space is approximately 12X18ft behind the sofa with a stupid counter island ( so I cannot move the sofa back any further.. The ceiling is 8 to 9 ft feet high ( not a cathedral ceiling, praise the Lord) . It is a bit of haul to the dealer I bought the Golden Ear T's from who also carries Magneplanar line.  All advice welcomed.    Thanks, SJ   

sunnyjim
randy-11
1,913 posts
 
Well, I don't have a Super 7 but I'm on my 2nd 911 and 2nd Maggie pair.

I find that soundstaging is the most critical SQ factor to be impacted by position.  Freq. response is still pretty good if I'm lazy and leave them 2 ft. from the walls (3.7i).

The oval bases make them easy to move and do not alter SQ -- the projecting feet do seem to make aiming them easier.  I swapped to the oval bases after verifying the lack of impact on SQ with Wendell.

If you don't like Maggies, Vandies are another xlnt speaker.  I had those before getting my 1st set of Maggies (and did extensive comparisons for about 5 months).
schubert
4,867 posts
 
+1 for Gallo Sub with Maggies, fast and great tone .
tgonzales
30 posts
 
I agree with the 911 comments and subs.  I tried the DWMs with the 3.7i's which sounded nice but a pair JL Audio F110s gave the visceral feel that both the 3.7is and 3.7i + DWMs lacked.

I'm not one for loud or boomy sounds, but I was surprised how much deep bass information the two F110s offers below what the 3.7i offered.

The maggies plus sub still have different sound than other speakers but don't lack anything.

And the 911 (991) is as close to 'cycle as I've ever owned, I still prefer being on the bike but no other "cage" seems the same.
 
czarivey
4,494 posts
 

Maggies are like Porsche 911s or Lotus Super 7sEnter your text ...

i.e. toys for very limited usage on clear and flat roads.

I prefer tools or instruments such as Toyota Tundra or Dodge Ram 3500...


Ag insider logo xs@2x
gdnrbob
2,421 posts
 

Maggies are like Porsche 911s or Lotus Super 7sEnter your text ...

i.e. toys for very limited usage on clear and flat roads.

 
That's why I got an Audi. Quattro is a 'good thing'.
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