Magnepan Speakers

[DaveF]

I see that Cloney's have recently started to stock Magnepan speakers. Has anyone been in to listen to them yet? The smaller .7 model is of interest to me. They seem to come well regarded too.
I'm kinda wary of them though as for some irrational reason they conjure up some bad memories of hearing a Martin Logan/Audio Research pairing at one of the Dublin hifi shows a few years ago. They had some of the most awful ear splitting sound I ever heard.

[Audioq]

Interesting to hear that Cloney will be stocking these. Can't wait to hear them. I have heard the 1.6 & 3.6 at length when living in the US where a local dealer stocked them and I would sit drinking his coffee and listening to gear. Certainly wouldn't have described them as ear splitting. The sound was very coherent, "unboxy" and reasonably smooth but images were not very specific and they also tended to lack bottom end oomph if that is important to you.

I do remember that they 1) required a very powerful amplifer to drive them properly i.e. lots of current delivery into low impedence (don't have specs to hand but they may have dipped close to 1Ω) so I'm not sure how well tube amps will work unless they are huge 2) they needed to be placed well away from walls and/or the back wave needed to be properly damped.

Have to admit I was never a big fan of the ML hybrid speakers. Always lacked coherence for me given the different driver types but again I didn't really think they were ear splitting. Could you have been hearing the amp running out of juice?

[DaveF]

Have to admit I was never a big fan of the ML hybrid speakers. Always lacked coherence for me given the different driver types but again I didn't really think they were ear splitting. Could you have been hearing the amp running out of juice?

I think it was a pretty high end Audio Research amp driving so no shortage of power I believe. It was horrid, easily the worst sound I've ever heard. Id have preferred a Bose system to that. Honestly.

How did Magnepans compare with Quad ESLs? I'll be moving to a smaller room in the next 2 or 3 months, permanent room this time :-) so I'll need to choose the right speakers accordingly. Think the .7 might be a tad too big. Anyway, I've a few options that I'm mulling over.

[Audioq]

I'm not that familiar with Quad ESLs although the few times I heard them they did sound good, very natural. The Maggies do have tweeter attentuators (resistors) and possibly mid range as well? If you heard them even close to near field without the resistors in place they could have sounded a bit hot on top. As I remember some people used different value resistors to fit in with their room. I don't know if the new .7 series has the same flexibility. Still a good listen at Cloney should sort it all out. Do you know if they have any demos in yet and which model?

[DaveF]

Do you know if they have any demos in yet and which model?

They sold a second hand pair of .7's recently so I'm assuming they already have their hands on stock. The more I look at them though the more I feel that they wont suit the new room. They are bigger than I first thought. Something with the clarity and unboxiness of the Quads is a must whatever road I go down.

[cybot]

Great news! I remember asking Noel about them sometime last year.....and now they are here.

Have never heard them so I'm looking forward to a dem. sometime soon.

I believe they're a punishing load too being four ohms but I'd say (hopefully!) my Croft's would drive them easily enough.....

How much are they?

[DaveF]

How much are they?

The .7 model goes for around 1500 dollars in the US. But over here we get screwed for around 3-3.5k. Pretty sure the .7 demo pair were on the Cloney site for around that price.

[cybot]

How much are they?

The .7 model goes for around 1500 dollars in the US. But over here we get screwed for around 3-3.5k. Pretty sure the .7 demo pair were on the Cloney site for around that price.

Noel has just told me they're going for €2799.00....

The thing to forget is that we don't live in America :)

[cybot]

Any more info on the point seven Maggies?

I see they're garnering great reviews but that doesn't mean anything really unless I actually hear them myself. I see the bass goes down to a reasonably respectable 45Hz. Hopefully that'll cover the Rock, Jazz and Electronic genres......or not.

Noel was telling me he tried the 1.7's with a 35 w Cayin amp and it was totally fine.....

Can't wait to hear them.

[DaveF]

Any more info on the point seven Maggies?

I'll probably drop into cloneys in a few weeks time to have a listen. Surely somebody here has heard them there??
I always find it really difficult to judge any equipment in the shop though. It usually always sounds 'nice' there no matter what I'm listening to. Long term listening at home is the only way obviously.