Magnepan Magic - Why Magnepan speakers - sound so good.

Radically different in sound and looks from box speakers, Magnepans produce a life-like sound that surprises and delights. Find out more here.

[@geickmei]

You promised to tell us why Magneplanars sound so good, but not a picture or even a word about speaker placement or room acoustics - and I can't wait to see those 3 meter wide panels.

[@1QKGLH]

Yeah, I had to rewind it to see if he really said the panels are 10 feet wide lol. I agree, placement and some basic acoustic info would have been important.

[@50Kvful]

Interested

[@danielgigante7053]

I've had Magnepans since 1978 when I bought my 1st pair which were the 5' tall MGI's. I moved up to a used pair of MGIIIa's in 1995 and use them to this day. The key to getting good sound from any Magnepan is you must pay attention to the room accoustics. They are Di-Pole radiators which means they radiate equal sound from the back as well as the front, the rear wall behind them needs to be treated with some type of accoustic foam. You don';t want the reflected sound from the rear (or side) walls to interfere with whats coming off the front. Moving them away from the wall helps but not as much as room treatment. Another must do is you need to mount them to a wooden base. I made my bases from 3/4" Birch plywood and also use aluminum cone spikes underneath to firmly couple them to the floor. If you just leave them as they come from the factory sitting on those flimsy metal legs they rock, not in a musical way, but actually rock back and forth, they need to be rigid so when the panel vibrates with the musical signal it's able to do so with enough force to create it's own sound. It's basic physics, for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. This is why people think they're not as dynamic as box speakers and they lack bass. Making them more rigid improved every aspect of these fine speakers. There are many more modifications to improve Magenpans but I won't get into that now, I've already said too much!!

[@davebutler3905]

Thanks for the tips... Just been offered a pair that need fixing. Never heard of them before. I realise that the thinness is a selling point, but would they perform better if fitted to a heavy, tuned port enclosure?

[@DANVIIL]

I wish you’d tell me more I just bought the .7s and love them, but I know they can much more.

[@geickmei]

Chief among popular audiophile misconceptions is that all you want is the direct sound from the speakers. It is the back wave of dipoles that gives the depth and space from the reflected sound - just like in the concert hall. Don't kill it.

[@DANVIIL]

You haven't said too much, yoou are just gettingg started for those of us that recently purchased our first Magnepans. I appreciate your suggestions. I'd love to see how you set up your speakers with the stands on spikes.

[@kellywilliamson2187]

FYI, Magnepans are made in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, not Michigan.

[@jonm52]

You are correct - thank you.

[@DANVIIL]

I’m using a 100 WPC Integrated Amp from Rogue, the Sphinx v3 with a tube pren amp and they sound fantastic with the .7. I’m still working on placement options but the SQ is out of this world.

[@50Kvful]

Whilst my Very Old Japanese electrostatics Headphones are exceptional. I wish to hear these Speakers.

[@alanmodimages]

Most succinct explanation of these ever. Thank you! I don't have the space for them (or even the wall mounts since my listening room over the garage has slanted ceilings...), but at least I now understand what they are :)

[@chrisantoniou4366]

I have a pair of 3.7i's paired with two Channel Islands D200 power amps and a Khozmo passive pre amp connected with single strand silver wire. I used to sell Hi Fi equipment in the early 90's but we never had the Magnaplanars (unfortunately) and got my first taste of them back in the late 80s. Needless to say, I bought a pair of second hand speakers and put them in my small flat before I moved out with my then girlfriend to a house with a room made for large dipole speakers. A couple of observations if I may... If you have never tried solid silver wire (0.6 mil) to connect your equipment I can honestly say you will not only hear a difference but the improvement will be quite noticeable. My second observation is that you should try a passive preamp. This time, the difference will be substantial! I must admit that I have never heard an activepreamp sound better than a passive preamp - ever. Of course, I haven't heard everything that is out there, but from my experience every passive preamp has sounded better than any active preamp I have listened to. Good to hear a fellow Australian who loves the sound these speakers produce. 🙂👍

[@astolatpere11]

I have a pair of .7 and use a Freya S preamp into a Vidar. My room is 9'x14.5'x8'. Huge synergy with Magnepans and Vidar. Excellent soundstage, at any price. Did swap the oval stands on the Maggies for much better stands. I use 10g speaker wire. I have them positioned 40% into the room, as far apart as I can get them, tweeters on the outside, toed in a bit. They simply dissapear if I close my eyes. I hear that the Timpani was tremendous, but never heard them.

[@jonm52]

Well said - my thoughts exactly.

[@stephensams709]

Great video! Just one correction though, White Bear Lake is in Minnesota not Michigan : )

[@Rickzolla]

I also have a pair of .7s and also a Freya, Vidar and a Gungnir. I didn't go for a pair of Vidars because they are not rated into a four ohm load when used as mono-blocks. One Vidar has more then enough juice for me.

[@davidkosa]

I picked up a gently used pair of 1.7s for well under $1k. The sound blew my mind.

[@reyiiteleco]

I picked a pair of 1.7i used for 1200 the blew my mind away, I’m selling the b&w805d3 I have. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to box speakers .

[@kurtbrisch5776]

I'm running my 1'6's with a Bryston 4bsst2, works great.

[@thorstenfleiter8238]

We are lucky enough to hear quite often absolute world class opera performances live and there is no doubt that nothing comes close to Magnepans when it comes to reproducing the live atmosphere in our living room. But they need space - lots of it, actually. And every slight manipulation used for the recordings is revealed by these speakers right away. We are therefore almost exclusively listening to live recordings that are less manipulated during the recording process. MP3 - regardless how good they might be - sound exactly as what they are: awful. And they absolutely love power…lots of it and your amplifiers better be fast…because you can hear if they are struggling to get enough current send to these speakers . If you like vocal or for instance piano music and have the space…forget those boxes and start listening to the music instead of a loudspeaker….get a pair of Magnepans and I am sure you will keep them for a very long time.

[@thomasstambaugh5181]

This reflects my experience since 1983 -- especially regarding compressed audio. Because Maggies are so revealing, they reveal weaknesses in the audio chain just as much as the marvelous quality of great recording with electronics.

[@Wissensmeer]

I had heard over a dozen speaker systems from the early seventies, until I stopped at Magnepan. I've been hearing about the MG 2.6r for 15 years now and I am thrilled every time I hear a new recording. For me, these loudspeakers mark the end of my search. There is simply nothing missing in music reproduction. A pair of "Restek extract" fires up the speakers in a brilliant way. The unbelievable space that opens up after the first sound always creates goose bumps, of course in a positive way.☝️😊 // The only downer are the tweeters, who have experienced sacking over the years, meaning they warp and need to be renewed. It would be an advantage if the customer could send the dismantled tweeters directly to Magnepan to have them re-ordered. Unfortunately, there is no account there to order the new move. 😏

[@thomasstambaugh5181]

"It would be an advantage if the customer could send the dismantled tweeters directly to Magnepan to have them re-ordered" -- I've sent my MG1Bs back to Magnepan for refurbishment twice since buying them in 1983, most recently last summer. I got them back at the end of September and they sound as good as new. It is not free, of course. The tradeoff for me was what it would cost to buy speakers today that sound as good. I stuck with my MG1Bs, and I'm very glad I did.

[@Wissensmeer]

@@thomasstambaugh5181 Hello Thomas, sorry for the late reply. Because I live in Germany, it is very expensive to order Magnepan ribbons through TAURUS distribution. But alternative, we have a very accomplished man in Germany called "MaggiDoc" who can thread the original ribbons into the magnetic sleeves. With very good success. The shipping risk is minimal when the magnetic strips intended for shipping are attached. Spring-loaded, they can then be shipped without any problems. I have never heard a better LS under 10,000 euros like the MG2.6r. This indescribable stage performance is unique. The next level for me would be a pair of BRODMANN vc7, but they cost almost 20,000 euros.

[@keithmoriyama5421]

Since Magnepan switched to their 'true' ribbon tweeters-- 1.7i and higher, you can order the ribbon strip only which is an easy swap just like replacing a conventional speaker. Unfortunately you still have to dismantle the frame and covering assembly.

[@user-cf2bu6if2k]

QUAD ARTERA MONO! FOR MY 1.7 .PERFECT!!

[@thomasstambaugh5181]

I drive my recently-refurbished MG1Bs with an also recently-refurbished Crown DC300A and IC150 (each from 1974). My system sounds better than any other system I've heard at any price. Two nits about your video. At least in my listening room, I don't need a pair of subwoofers. I have a single consumer-grade downward-facing powered subwoofer that does just fine. I keep the crossover set at about 150 Hz, and it doesn't require much power. It adds the really low "kick" that is needed for rock, R&B, and movie sound tracks. Second, at 4:20 you talk about needing an amp that drive high current into the 4-ohm speakers. I think you meant 4.5-5 AMPS, not volts (power is I^2*R, so 100W corresponds to 5A).

[@frederf69]

According to Schiit Audio Vidar's don't go down to 4 ohms as MB's. Glad it's working for you as i'm thinking of doing the same; Freya+ Vidar's Maggies 😁😁

[@AmazonasBiotop]

I have a pair 40 years old MMG. That Ibought from a chap that had moved from USA and were in UK. I imported them to Sweden. Seams that someone had made a crossover rework on them at some point that is probably needed when they are so old. I saw the new filmed of the magnapan factory and there were a clip were they mounted the binding post plate arrangement. It is the same "shit" that I have on my 40 years old speaker still being used. With "shit" I mean come on.. a allen key to connect a bare wire.. maybe that were ok 40 years ago but today we have 5 way binding posts.. The only upside is keeping the cost down with 0% development/refinement. Anyway the new info from the owner of magnapan that is in process to produce a line of subwoofers also, is that the "best" type of subwoofers to pair with magnapan is dipoles like what the magnapan are. To keep up with the speed and details I can concur with that my two 18" OB do a fine job but the DSP is fixing so they "disappear". (DSP is the present and definitely better SQ that purists think that they get.) If you have a sweet spot and only one is listening then a setup tips (again from the magnapan owner), make them facing the sweet spot.. Because if left and right side of the speaker has the same distance to the sweet spot then the drivers will be aligned with each other. When they are sitting beside each other and not as a traditional speakers on top of each other in a vertical line.. There is so many tips and tricks but my 2 x 5w amplifier is actually enough. Now it is the smaller mmg but I think that when it is a Class A that helps it to be "powerful" anyway when it is always ON and "amplifying" and not like AB resting at NULL when there is no signal for it half if the time. And class A has big transformers rellative to it's wattage so the power is there all the time.. I think that is the reason why I can get away with

[@don7680]

White Bear Lake, Minnesota. You're forgiven being an Aussie 😁

[@MikeOsborne1962]

Magnepans are made in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, not Michigan.

[@if6wuzz9]

Correction: made in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, USA

[@systemawarrior]

Nice video John. It would have been nice to hear some of how your speakers are set up in your room e.g. distance from each other; the back wall etc. How do the vidars cope with 4 ohm in mono? Best regards.

[@jonm52]

Thank you systemwarrior. Magggies are 3 feet out from each corner on a slight inward angle with the tweeters on the inside for best focus. The mono block Vidars drive the .7i's very well at 4 Ohms - can deliver up to 95db at 2 meters which is about as much as I can stand.

[@JoeDoe1]

Thank you.

[@randycochones5965]

now me waiting for them LRS+ to arrive. 👍😀

[@rtel123]

thanks. A bit of a mis-speak at 1:50. I doubt the aluminum strips are 6 METRES and 3 METRES wide. I think you mean millimetres. Agreed about the great sound. Loved my maggies for decades.

[@mjot2360]

They sound amazing with music thats not too dynamic and complex.

[@CarlVanDoren61]

Hmm. Interesting statement 😮

[@roberthart9886]

I struggled with 3.5Rs after numerous amps, including biamping and active XOs. I eventually got a pair of Emerald Physics Open Baffle 3.4s which have 12" woofers with 1" polyester tweeters. Truly amazing. If someone wants more bass the 2.8s should take of that with dual 15" carbon fiber woofers per speaker. Sadly they are no longer made, but do come up used from time to time as fabulous prices

[@EatItWithSticks]

Make that Minnesota!

[@50Kvful]

BTW Magnepan is not Electrostatic. It's a Dipole and therefore requires a 180 Degree Reflection Surface to appreciate the Sound Cloud and could be complicated to configure. A study of Harmonics is needed. Sound Quality can be personal!

[@kenjeffries9736]

Hi John-Magnepan Speakers are built in Minnesota, not Michigan.

[@jonm52]

Well caught. Corrected in the sub-text.

[@Coneman3]

But can they do complicated tracks well?

[@jonm52]

Yes - especially complex tracks with lots going on - you'll hear them more clearly than cone speakers.

[@chucky29949]

yes, the only thing they lack is deep bass 'punch' and some "snap" but they're amazingly responsive on the mids and highs.

[@MichelLinschoten]

I got 5 sets , including my main set up with the magnepan Tympani I . Those will never go, no cabinet speaker I have matches it. Perhaps the IRS beta I am getting. Will see, but loving it

[@keithmoriyama5421]

I recently acquired a pair of 3.7's and am at the stage where you are constantly moving the speakers around to find the best response. Question: What is the difference between Tweeters on the inside v tweeters facing the outside? I am also running a pair of REL S/515's so that also affects the setup.

[@jonm52]

Thanks Keith for your comments. Tweeters on the inside will give you a focussed stage with pinpoint accurate placement of voices and instruments. Tweeters on the outside give you a wider sound stage but not as accurate. Hope this helps.

[@reyiiteleco]

I have a Yamaha as3200 feeding the magnepan 1.7i and is not enough , I need more power/current 😢

[@jonm52]

Hi Reiitelco Have just purchased 2 x Fosi ZA3's as monoblocks for $US149 each and they drive my 1.7i's just fine.

[@AmazonasBiotop]

Talking about current @4:22. And then dropping a voltage number. I think it was a misspoke? 😉

[@kerryfarrell2787]

Jon - Thanks for this video. I was wondering if you have ever had your Vidars activate their protection circuit? How loud do you actually have be playing music for that to happen? You have the exact setup I am planning on buying so I want to make sure this is only a theoretical problem, not a day to day thing. Thanks again!

[@jonm52]

Hi Kerry, thanks for your question. Yes, the Vidars do activate their protection circuits when driven very hard. Its usually a dynamic peak like canons in the 1812 overture that will do it.

[@frederf69]

@@jonm52 Will the Vidar's drive the Maggies up to 90db? If so I'll be getting some Maggie's and another Vidar to have the same set up as you.

[@jonm52]

@@frederf69 Hi Fred, have moved up from the Vidars to the Tyr's - they are brilliant.

[@peerguy]

Excellent video. Would you use these for a home theater with a pair of subwoofers?

[@jonm52]

Absolutely.

[@thorstenfleiter8238]

……for that application you would be definitely adding a subwoofer….to get those wall shaking low frequency outbursts that are now part of almost every movie sound track

[@CarlVanDoren61]

If U can't play with the Big Dogs stay on the porch 😊

[@BruTay5454]

Is there a spec that tells the amount of current an amp provides? I have a Yamaha A-S 801 with 100 wpc into 8 ohms and (per a reviewer/tester here on KZbin) 180 wpc into 4 ohms. But I don't know if the current it provides would be sufficient to drive Maggies. I'd love to have a pair of LRS or .7's but can't justify replacing my integrated amp at this time. thanks BT

[@Jack96993]

Hey, l have the Magnepans 7's and Typically drive them with my Spectron musical MK ll hybrid class D amp Output is 500watts@8ohm 650@4ohms and 1,200 watts@1ohm Magnepans love watts/current I do use my VAC PA 100 100 tube amp but it has 2 ohm taps lt sounds magical, but boy do l have to crank it to get the same db as the Spectron I have a KZbin vid call "Magnepans. 7's doing their thing" if you want to hear them in action. If you read the description, it will list all my equipment. Oh, highly recommended matching them with two subs like l have

[@kaybhee6]

what sound difference to martin logan

[@jonm52]

Thanks kaybhee6 - Martin Logan have a similar transparent sound but require very high voltage to operate whereas Magnepan do not.

[@carlitomelon4610]

Thanks for the brief review. How does one Vidar fare with the .7s?? My LRS are quite happy being driven by a Musical Fidelity X-150v3 with a pair of REL Q150e powered subs. ((LRS 4ft into 13x19.5' GIK/Primacoustic treated room- see thumbnail)) Maggies are amazing: You just forget the gear and enjoy the musical performance in a realistic sounding acoustic. Isn't that the goal? 🎶🤫🎶

[@jonm52]

Yes, exactly Carlito. .7's seem slightly easier to drive than LRS's.

[@brianmedeiros6845]

Hi Jon considering on purchasing a pair of MG 1 for 125.00 is it worth it considering I probably need to rebuild them? Thank You

[@jonm52]

Yes, definitely.

[@brianmedeiros6845]

Where do I get the kit and is it something that someone with basic skills can do? Thank You

[@garth56]

Electrostatics do better. They're way faster however electrostatic's have one problem and that's longevity. The statics last around 5-6 years and usually need serviced. If you want real nothing beats an electrostatic and the mother of all are the Quads forget Martin Logan not even close :-)

[@MichelLinschoten]

Way faster so not true , there is no such margin between planar and ESL. You're talking about driver stoppage which is a beyond audible difference. 125 cycles is just as "fast" regardless what principle driver you wish to compare. I had quads ESL 57 albeit a decent speaker. It had the sweet spot the size of a dime on the horizontal and especially vertical axis. Not sure if you ever heard or had a pair. No denying fantastic vocality to them. Which really doesn't sound any better or more revealing than what any of my maggies (mgI,mgII,mmgi,mmgw,Tympani ) do. Not to mention on a way larger scale... What's better? You should go out your way to listen to a Tympani IV. You'll forget , about quads really fast

[@JustinPhillipsScuba]

What tubes are you running in our Freya+

[@davidmorgen4558]

So,So imagianing as well!

[@publico22]

Jon … Do you have a pair of subs you like with the mags?

[@jonm52]

Sun or Monoprice

[@dilbyjones]

The bass is hard to do well, because of speed of woofers. I just say buy the bass panels they sell.

[@nigeltoh9945]

Sick of Schiit, Klipsch, Danaflip hiding their advertisements in the audio gear reviews on KZbin. A Manepane user will think of using Schiit amp? Come on.

[@philipw7058]

You want a pair of subs no matter what the music is being played back

[@samc269]

The Maggies are good but the Quad ESL 63 more natural.

[@JohnVander70]

Have you heard of people driving Magnepans with Naim gear?

[@jonm52]

Yes The Naim NAP 500DR will do nicely.

[@JohnVander70]

@@jonm52 How about a Nap 180? I've heard of people driving them with 25 watt pass labs gear, but my Olive era Naim gear probably isn't at the same level.

[@jonm52]

@@JohnVander70 Amplifiers need to be high current to drive Maggies.

[@tebbywafer1665]

soul and r and b are fine from my maggies

[@aussie8114]

Those LRS are about $2,000 here.

[@robertthurston6858]

You said 6 meters wide and 3 meters wide ? So 20 ft and 10 ft wide ? What the heck are you talking about the speaker aren't 30 feet wide ?

[@jonm52]

Meant to say milimeters

[@iainherridge6253]

Yeah I noticed that & it's right at the beginning too, ya should've redone the video as I really thought you didn't know what you were talking about!

[@albertf.9198]

👍😎🌴

[@socksumi]

Early Magnepan speakers such as the MG II sounded much too veiled. The more recent offerings using quasi ribbon tweeters are much better. But I was shocked when I heard early MGIIs at just how veiled they sounded in the midrange. Female singers sounded like they had cotton balls stuffed in their mouth. It was The Audio Critic who didn't accept advertising that were honest enough to measure them and found copious amounts of stored energy. TAC put it perfectly when he said their sonic signature was "snap blur"... clean transients followed by a wash of vagueness". But as I said they have vastly improved over the years but please don't extol the virtues of old Maggies. They sound terribly flawed and their poor measurements reflect this.

[@grahamcracker659]

this is very scare, take cat to basement now , put on a helmet

[@dirkrose1550]

Of course, everyone has the right to describe personal impressions. But the facts from a technical point of view are just the opposite. The known measurements of these magnetostats ( e.g. ASR FORUM) are rather poor and they also sound accordingly in my opinion... if you do not have high demands and love the design, this may explain the sympathy....

[@AF-rd2vf]

You do understand dipole or speakers without traditional boxes don’t measure well? Measurements ain’t everything and don’t necessarily tell the whole story on how something sounds. Use your ears.😉

[@dirkrose1550]

@@AF-rd2vf Measurements can tell you a lot about the quality of a loudspeaker... but you have to understand them, which is something that many hi-fi fans unfortunately lack... 😉😉 That will probably be the case for you too. Hifi fans who hardly or not at all understand measurements simply have no other arguments, which is of course somehow sad ……people who are working in the professional sector or in recording studios would never be able to make even a halfway meaningful recording of a sound recording with Loudspeakers, which has a lot deficiencies …. That's why such speakers are more or less something for hobby listeners who prefer a certain intrinsic sound🤣, to put it nicely... 🍻🍻

[@allareasindex7984]

Breaking News: Residents of White Bear Lake, Minnesota staged an insurrection, but very politely with no name calling, because they are from Minnesota. Upon seizing the City Hall they immediately declared that White Bear Lake was seceding from Minnesota and annexing itself to some other state. The leading candidates were Florida, Texas, and Puerto Rico (not a state, but run by the US as an afterthought ). Spokesperson Gunnar Einar Ericsson explained “Some of us, you know, we’re working for Magnaplanar all these years. It’s a good company, no complaints. And we keep a sharp eye on what people are saying about our Maggies. In the high-falutin newsletters and social media as the kids call it. Well, we saw this one feller from Austria on KZbin and he made a little tiny error, just just just a slip of the tongue and accidentally said White Bear Lake is in Michigan. It was no big deal if you know what I mean. But cheese and crackers you should have heard the commenters pointing out this little error. One after another, just as if they hadn’t actually read the existing comments before jumping down this poor guy’s parka. So anyways, we were all discussing this at lunchtime on Tuesday. I remember it was Tuesday because the cafeteria calls it “Taco Tuesday”. I think Karl Ericsson (not my cousin Carl Ericsson, sounds the same but my cousin spells his name with a C not a K. I mean the first name. The last name Ericsson always uses a C. Actually two C’s.) So Karl Ericsson is the food service manager at the Magnaplanar plant. He runs the cafeteria and keeps all the coffee vending machines and candy machines working. So Karl the food service manager Karl read about Taco Tuesday in a food service industry magazine. I think it was “The Absolute Sandwich”. He says they have the most unbiased articles because they don’t accept any advertising, not even from the big pre-sliced meat companies nor even industrial dishwasher soap outfits. So they talked about Taco Tuesday and Karl instituted it and that’s how I remember it was a Tuesday when we were talking about what if White Bear Lake WAS in Michigan? Then we got to thinking, I think it was Magnus Karlsson said, “Michigan is cold and snowy and dark like Minnesota anyway. Why should we be in Michigan? Let’s pick a place where it’s sunny, and usually stays above freezing, most of the time anyways, and we wouldn’t have to run block heaters to keep the vehicle motors from seizing up, you know?” So we talked it over, and decided if it wasn’t too inconvenient, to switch White Bear Lake to someplace like Florida. One drawback, we must be honest: we’d be giving up ice fishing. Anyway, we owe a debt of gratitude to this Austrian feller for getting the ball rolling if you know what I mean. Austria is next to Germany and they have really good sausages and good beers there. I’m sure he’s a nice feller and maybe he skis up in the Austrian alps and yodels and so on. We also passed a resolution to kindly suggest that commenters give this Austrian feller a break why don’t ya. Okey dokey, maybe we’ll see you next time under a palm tree. But we’re not moving White Bear Lake to any place that doesn’t have Taco Tuesday. That’s non-negotiable.“

[@iainherridge6253]

Do you have Mongolian on Mondays? Just asking for a 6metre tall Australian friend of mine 😊