Should I get Magnepans if I only have 1-2 feet available distance from the back wall ?

[DonH50]

I would think that the triangulated stands mentioned would help with that as it's the frame holding the panel that's twisting, right?

No, the distortion is because the panels themselves have very limited excursion, so it takes a LOT of area (i.e. big panels) to generate high levels of bass. One of the things that drove me to build a sub with my first pair (MG-I's ca. 1979) was both their lack of deep bass and very high (10's of percent) distortion for bass below 100 Hz or so.

 

[DonH50]

Thanks Don. What absorber or diffuser panel do you recommend ?

None in particular. I do not care for the inexpensive foam variety, though, as I have found them to not absorb as well as the better (e.g. Corning OC-703-based) brands and have had too many complaints over the years from the foam drying out and flaking everywhere. I bought kits but suggest talking with Ethan at RealTraps -- his website https://realtraps.com/ also has DIY instructions if you are handy and want to save some money. I have used Kinetics Noise Control commercial versions but they are harder to find and cost more. GIK Acoustics seems well-regarded but I have no experience with them.

HTH - Don

 

[DaveF]

I'm loving the Maggie 1.7. Anywhere I put them, they sound great to me.
That is contrary to many posts online, but I'm very happy with them.

It was odd that when I removed them from the box, they made intermittent crackling noises.
The noises stopped after about 3 days. Kinda sounded like static electricity , or maybe the panel innards were settling after being in the box.

Now, I have to find the next component to upgrade.
It's a sickness. Upgrade 1 thing & you want more.

I have an Aragon 8800x3 power amp, a Krell SoundStage preamp.
I bought both used the past 2 years. They are both > 10 years old.
Marantz cd player with a Schitt DAC & a Sony 4K player.
I never wanted to spend big on digital media players.
My speaker wire is on the cheap side & I'm using the power cords the components came with.

 

[Ron Resnick]

I vote to upgrade the amplifier to used Aesthetix Atlas Monos or Atlas Stereo. (We love spending other people's money here!)

 

[Hear Here]

David, first off, Welcome ! Longtime Maggie and Logan fan here dating back to the eighties so I'm all in with you and their 'sound' ! With that being said Don has given you a sage piece of advice for sure and you stated your current Logans have lost some of their luster ? At 26 years of age I suspect the panels are at their end !

You said your room is 'small' , how small, dimensions ? FWIW and IMO, speakers that are designed to work in a dipole environment sound their absolute best when one is not forced to make compromises. When I was running Maggies (3.6's) and Logans (last pair Spires) they were between 4-5' out and 44" from side walls. I've listened to set ups where di-poles were less than 3' out, I was never impressed......

I think the OP is well advised to be cautious! I bought Martin Logan Expression 13As after reading rave reviews and listening at a showroom. BIG MISTAKE. Sadly they just didn't like being placed with too much space behind them - 12 ft and 15 ft.

The OP says his dealer has these Maggies in stock, so he should visit to listen, but far more importantly, must arrange a home trial before he commits. I made this mistake and had to re-sell the MLs at a £5K loss - just because I didn't think a home trial was necessary.

Interestingly (and I offer no explanation) the used QUAD 2905s I bought as a "test run" for the MLs (to test electrostatics in my room) sounded great in the same location. Why the MLs, even with Anthem doing its best to adjust for room anomalies, sounded inferior to my 20 year old Avantgarde Uno horns I can only attribute to their distance from the rear wall. In my case far too much distance, but quite possibly too little may result in similar disappointment!

 

[Gregadd]

I vote to upgrade the amplifier to used Aesthetix Atlas Monos or Atlas Stereo. (We love spending other people's money here!)

Love theAtlas.

 

[steve_o]

I've owned Magnepan 1.7i. The endgame amplifier upgrade is the Sanders Magtech. If you stick with Magnepan, those will drive 3.7i just fine, too.

 

[Hans7]

I have my 3.7i's 2-2.5' from the front wall with the tweeters facing directly at seat.... LOVE the sound. Experimented bringing them out another foot and noticed no appreciable degradation or increase of sound quality. I also just attenuated the mid-range, and haven't made up my mind about it yet. My room is 14 x 24.

 

[Ron Resnick]

I have my 3.7i's 2-2.5' from the front wall with the tweeters facing directly at seat.... LOVE the sound. Experimented bringing them out another foot and noticed no appreciable degradation or increase of sound quality. I also just attenuated the mid-range, and haven't made up my mind about it yet. My room is 14 x 24.

Hello Hans,

Just out of curiosity, did you ever try bringing bringing them five, six, or seven feet out from the front wall?

 

[Hans7]

No I have not .... would look silly in the room , and the wife.......... otherwise I would try it.