My birthday present: Magnepan 1.7s

[Normand]

Hi Peter
I bought a pair of Maggie 1.7s in April this year. Lovely speakers and I've had many a happy hour with them. They replaced a pair of Zu Druid speakers, circa 2008. The Druids, you may know, are very efficient at around 102 bd. So, very different driving requirements to the Maggies. I have tried driving the 1.7s with my Prima Luna Dialogue 2 amp using kt88 valves. Results were actually quite good even though the perceived wisdom would say that there was nowhere near enough power. My listening room is fairly small; i am positioned 3 metres from each speaker. I tried 2 SS amps as well, Musical Fidelity 6500 and LFD integrated (65 wpc). The MF worked very well with its large output but the smaller LFD also sounded good and enabled loud listening levels. I ended up buying the LFD amp. I change from time to time between the Prima Luna and the LFD and I am perfectly happy. I accept that more time with a beefier amp may yield even better results but I have found that a lower power amp can work and give satisfying results.

Norman

 

[Radiance]

Same with me: Running MG1.7 at Mission Cyrus II & PSX, sounds fine, even at elevated levels. I know that more power will enhance the whole thing, especially the control of the bottom end...I hope to be able to acquire a Devialet 200 one day...��

Best regards

Rad

 

[Rosewind]

Thanks for the replies. Much appreciated.
I suppose that with regard to amps, I will just have to see what works and what doesn't work here. I hope the Nap 160 will be enough for my small study. Otherwise I will have to see what works: Nap 135s, NCores, or another "small budget" option. I have no money for a mega bucks amp in my study. That is reserved for the livingroom.
I will pick up the Magnepans in Germany on Saturday about a 4 hour drive from here. I will make sure to buy plenty of beer as well and sweets for the kids.
Peter

 

[Normand]

I look forward to seeing how you get on matching your amp with your birthday present, Peter.

Best wishes,
Norman

 

[Rosewind]

Now the Magnepan 1.7s in black with silver sides are in the house and have been placed in the study where they look HUGE. I picked them up some 70 kilometres east of Hamburg from a guy who had decided to sell everything and start anew. Well, he would keep a Thorens TD 125 (modded) and a Thorens 535 (I think it was). And would sell a modded TD124 (now a 127) + a Phonosophie 1 (yet another modded Thorens).
The trip home was a breeze with Maggie placed in the passenger seat of my Skoda Citigo. Something to behold, for sure. Only problem: the back gear was blocked by the humongous cardboard box. But the Citigo is easy to push...
So here are a few pictures of the unpacking:

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...32&authkey=!AGIDgfI8-H1sMU8&ithint=folder,jpg

And it looks like the MC1 + subs may find a new home in my living room. My wife does not like the bigger 1.7, but quite likes the wall-mounted MC1s (as she can hoover below them...). So soon my LINN Ninkas in gloss white will be available with the two way Tunebox.
Cheers,
Peter

 

[Rosewind]

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...32&authkey=!AGIDgfI8-H1sMU8&ithint=folder,jpg

Pictures - not all sharp. Apologies.
Peter

 

[Rosewind]

I received a complete Bolt Down Nac 12 + Alps + Nap 160 set-up yesterday so spent the whole evening trying to get some sound flowing through the Magnepan 1.7s. It did not happen easily:
I could not get sound through the Nac last night (first attempt). I managed to have nice music flowing by using my Juli@ sound card directly into the Nap 160. So nothing wrong with that. I will try to swap out my cables for the ones supplied with the set. The red lights were lit both on the ALPS and the Nac 12. Internally I could not spot anything amiss in the Nac. I also have a Snaps in the house and no luck with that either. The culprit could be the following:
- the connection cables between the ALPS,  the Nac and the Nap (I used my own) 
- the signal cable between the sound card and the Nac. 
- something in the Nac 12

I will try to find the fault in that order.

In the end, I managed to get sound through the Nap 160 into my Magnepan 1.7s using first my phone and then my Juli@ sound card in lieu of a preamp. The Flasback cables were taken from my former LINN Tunebox / Naim set-up. 
It is a new set-up, so I'm hesitant to draw premature conclusions as to the SQ. But I liked what I heard. Still I would like to get the sound going through the Nac 12 and try the Ryan Sound boards (if they fit).
Cheers
Peter

 

[Rosewind]

Ha.
It was the user who was at fault, not the equipment.
1) I had inserted one of the Nac boards incorrectly.
2) i had missed the obvious because my focus was directed in other directions: the volume on the sound card had been turned all the way down so of course no sound came through.
I will now see if I can swap in one set of the Ryan boards. I will have to see if they fit + where the two boards will fit.
Peter

 

[Rosewind]

I have listened to the set-up all evening and I love what the Magnepans do to the sound. My active Linn Ninkas did not sound this generous but a lot more lean, clean and cool. More hifi. The Magnepans (driven fine with my Nac 12 + Alps + Nap 160) makes the music seem to wrap itself around me in my small study. Very pleasant.
Now I have taken out the Phono boards and will have to figure out if any of the Ryan boards fits in the Nac 12 or if they will have to go into a Nac 32 that is currently in Sheffield for a check-up and possible conversion into a 32.5.
Peter

 

[andyr]

I have listened to the set-up all evening and I love what the Magnepans do to the sound.
Peter

Glad you were able to resolve your previous setup problem.

Now you know why Maggie owners love them.

The Magnepans (driven fine with my Nac 12 + Alps + Nap 160) makes the music seem to wrap itself around me in my small study. Very pleasant.

See how much better they sound when driven by your (more powerful) "main system" amp.

My active Linn Ninkas did not sound this generous but a lot more lean, clean and cool. More hifi.

That's the nub ... should a music delivery system sound like music ... or hifi?

I run mine 3-way active so I gain in dynamics and 'snap', compared to when they had passive XOs.

It's a pity that your wife doesn't like the bulk of the 1.7s - I suspect they would give you better "music" than the current speakers in your "main" rig.

BTW, there are 2 things you can do, to make your 1.7s sound even better:
1. get some braced stands instead of those wimpy stock feet (Mye stands).
2. mount the driver in a hardwood frame, instead of the stock MDF frame.


Regards,

Andy

PS: Now you like them ... be sure to join the Planar Asylum.

 

[Rosewind]

Hi Andy.

Just posted at the Planar Asylum. And I hate to tell you this about the two sets of mods you suggest: they don't improve the looks of the Maggies in any way (IMO). And they would make it impossible for me to get the Magnepans in the livingroom.

My wife has already said that it is such a shame to hide such good and pleasant speakers in my small study. I play coy ...

The Nap 160 + Nac 12 + Alps psu + Magnepans sound wonderful in my small study. The only niggle is an intermittent distortion in the left channel when I listen to music. Playing back acapella music makes hissing noises at times in the left channel. Because of this distortion music will appear to play at a lower level as well. A service of the pre may be in order. But I don't want to be without a pre, so I will have to wait until I receive my Nac 32 back from Class A - perhaps convereted into 32.5 if that is possible/desireable.

Peter

 

[Rosewind]

Ok. I have nailed it down to the power amp - the Nap 160 which is a modified version that cannot power a pre. I put in another standard BD Nap 160 that I bought from Olli, and with that in the chain, the distortion disappered. So looks like I will have to have the modified Nap 160 looked at. It was not in the cards when I made the purchase.

Edit:It is not the speakers, thank God. I switched left/right and the fault appeared on the other speaker with the faulty amp. I also tested different cables. The fault lies with the modified Nap 160. I will most likely send it to Witchhat since it is not standard spec.

Peter