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The Maggies, are dead... What a loss!

Brilliant result Darren, delighted that you have completed the repair and also now have more confidence with future repairs no doubt if necessary)
Colin 123 is a star!!
 
Quad74 said:
Brilliant result Darren, delighted that you have completed the repair and also now have more confidence with future repairs no doubt if necessary)
Colin 123 is a star!!
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Thanks Q. I'm going to give them a good work out today and see if the repair holds firm.
 
Tony L said:
Result! Restoring classic kit such as this is one of the most rewarding aspects of the hobby to my mind.
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Thanks Tony. I did have your 'right to repair' thinking in my mind when I got started. I'm not naturally talented when it comes to DIY so the high cost of replacement drove me on (with Colin's help.)
These last few years I'm trying very hard to make things last and buy far less new things while enjoying my hobby.
I also want to mention Magnepan who will supply spare parts and advice for any of their older models. How many speaker companies can say that?
 
How are they sounding Darren.

Did they pass the tracks which where causing issues ?.....It must be immensely satisfying for you thinking - Yes I did it. - Be proud :)

Colin's input on this thread has been superb.He really knows his stuff....Learned alot from his comprehensive posts and experiences as a long time Mag user.
 
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Miss Ariel said:
How are they sounding Darren.

Did they pass the tracks which where causing issues ?.....It must be immensely satisfying for you thinking - Yes I did it. - Be proud :)

Colin's input on this thread has been superb.He really knows his stuff....Learned alot from his comprehensive posts and experiences as a long time Mag user.
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Know what MA? They sound ace. At least as good as before. I actually think they are producing more bass than before the repair.
I'm not driving them very hard right now, because I still feel like I didn't do that good a job of the repair. The materials are fragile and not that easy to work with.
Hearing the .6qr again was so good. As you know, your first impression is of a composed effortlessness, an unforced neutrality. It takes you a little while to realise that the ever present sound of the speaker cabinet has gone.
I put the new Everything But The Girl Album (Fuse) on again last night at a low level and my partner commented that we should play more music in the evening. The Maggies made the whole album so dreamy and ethereal...... it was as though it was being performed just for us.
Colin did me a solid.
Thanks for taking an interest. If your Maggies ever need any attention, I'd be glad to help out where possible.
 
Darren said:
Well.... A couple of busy months later, the Magneplanar 0.6 are at last finished. It's a trying job, boring and a bit fiddly. But @Colin131 is precisely correct in his instructions.
I didn't achieve a 'factory' finish. In fact my repair seemed like a bit of a dog's dinner to me, visually at least.
But, I used as little adhesive as possible and made sure all of the fine wires were well stuck down with the suggested adhesives (had to have two goes at this - the learning curve is steep)
Refitting the socks and trim was a pain and an extra pair of hands was invaluable at some points.
However..... To my genuine surprise.... They sound frikkin ace once again. All those Maggie virtues are there in spades and it's hard to fault the sound. The buzzes and rattling has gone. My hifi is back on song.
Repair cost? About thirty five to forty quid tops. With a replacement, new pair of. 7s being a fiver short of two large its a hell of a saving. If it lasts that is.... I have my fingers crossed.
Thanks to everyone who took an interest and special thanks to @Colin131 without whom... I would be £2000 poorer. Cheers mate!
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Just seen your new posts. Really good to hear it worked out well - I’m really glad to have helped!

It’s also nice that there are now more people out there now that can give advice or help for this cheap repair for a pre 2005 Maggie with voice coil wire delamination issues.

As long as you did the repair generally ok, i.e - the wires areas that were loose are now all stuck down on the mylar well (and without using excess adhesive etc), it doesn’t matter how it looks, as you won’t see it with the socks back on.

Job done, - really glad you’re enjoying them properly again. Turn up the volume! Any Maggie is an amazing speaker IMO!
 
Darren said:
Know what MA? They sound ace. At least as good as before. I actually think they are producing more bass than before the repair.
I'm not driving them very hard right now, because I still feel like I didn't do that good a job of the repair. The materials are fragile and not that easy to work with.
Hearing the .6qr again was so good. As you know, your first impression is of a composed effortlessness, an unforced neutrality. It takes you a little while to realise that the ever present sound of the speaker cabinet has gone.
I put the new Everything But The Girl Album (Fuse) on again last night at a low level and my partner commented that we should play more music in the evening. The Maggies made the whole album so dreamy and ethereal...... it was as though it was being performed just for us.
Colin did me a solid.
Thanks for taking an interest. If your Maggies ever need any attention, I'd be glad to help out where possible.
Click to expand...

Darren you really nailed it with Mags incredible naturalness and an unforced neutrality.
I remember years ago hearing my mates 1.7 i's for the first time and chatting away on the sofa with music low in the background and then refocusing on what was playing.It was lovely as you could chat and the music didn't dominate.Obviously turn the volume up and everything snaps into focus.
Mags are just so engaging and easy on the ear.
I know exactly what you mean about how the music really touches you emotionally like The Everything But The Girl track ...I often get that and it has made me appreciate muscian ship and the performance so much more.
My love of classical has gone up hugely ...They are indeed a musical transducer of amazing sparkle.
Happy listening !
 
Colin131 said:
Just seen your new posts. Really good to hear it worked out well - I’m really glad to have helped!

It’s also nice that there are now more people out there now that can give advice or help for this cheap repair for a pre 2005 Maggie with voice coil wire delamination issues.

As long as you did the repair generally ok, i.e - the wires areas that were loose are now all stuck down on the mylar well (and without using excess adhesive etc), it doesn’t matter how it looks, as you won’t see it with the socks back on.

Job done, - really glad you’re enjoying them properly again. Turn up the volume! Any Maggie is an amazing speaker IMO!
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Thanks again Colin.
When say pre 2005, do you mean that these model are prone to failure due to age and materials or do you mean that the newer models are constructed differently?
 
Looking at the YouTube videos of the construction of the new lms speakers I would suggest that the adhesives have not changed hugely from 2005 till now. It may be that delamination may only be an issue when humidity or heat is a factor but if you manage to get 20 years then you have been lucky. I would have to add that owning conventional speakers with ferrofluid tweeters you may also expect issues after a similar length of time.
Rgds
Stuart
 
Darren said:
Thanks again Colin.
When say pre 2005, do you mean that these model are prone to failure due to age and materials or do you mean that the newer models are constructed differently?
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The basic construction/principle has essentially always been the same (and the same as the old Apogees). It’s the planar magnetic principle, with most of the Maggie models using a single ended config of magnets positioned close to one side of a tensioned mylar diaphragm. Aluminium voice coil wire is glued to the diaphragm. The alu QR foil was Introduced in the early 2000s and it works better for midrange and tweeters than the older standard alu wire.

The larger MG20 and MG30 series are different in that they use push pull drivers with magnets on both sides of the mylar. This brings better bass and less distortion than the normal single ended panel, but it’s much trickier to gain access to the diaphragm if it needs a delam repair (compared to a normal single ended maggie driver).

The main adhesive/damping material for the mylar diaphragm is what was altered. It was changed from Miloxane to 3M 30NF in September 2005. The earlier pre 2005 models that used Miloxane are much more prone to delamination issues, with the wires almost always peeling off over time, giving that dreaded buzz.

Extreme temp variations and too much humidity can indeed accelerate the process and make it worse. It’s all repairable though (for a single ended driver maggie) - even a totally non working driver is also repairable.

Any Maggie’s are great but I’d say if you have the space, the best bargain is to be had from the 3 way models with single ended drivers and true ribbon tweeters (any of the 3 series models). They have almost got the same bass extension as the 20 series models. They have the same full ribbon tweeter so they have the same extended top end. They have much better overall bandwidth than any of the smaller models and the top end is much better due to the ribbon.

A 3 series model can easily be repaired and maintained by DIY due to the single ended design (unlike the 20 series). They are also half the weight of the 20 series, which makes them much more convenient to move around.

There is still a pair of MGIIIa’s available on eBay. They might need some DIY repairs but that’s a lot of speaker for the money. If I didn’t already have a pair myself I’d be buying them. They is also a pair of 3.6Rs on eBay, which are a later 3 series model and have a smoother sound. Nice price too and also an excellent buy for someone. They would be unlikely to need any delam repair if they were made after sept 2005. The seller says they were made in 2009 - it’s possible to double check the manufacture date (using the serial no) with Magnepan. Both these speakers are bargains, as they are very similar in many ways to the current 3 series model - the 3.7i (which costs £8.2K new)

The older top of the range Tympani models are also nice, but need a lot of space. They more difficult to set up, and are rare in the UK.
 
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Colin131 said:
T
Any Maggie’s are great but I’d say if you have the space, the best bargain is to be had from the 3 way models with single ended drivers and true ribbon tweeters (any of the 3 series models). They have almost got the same bass extension as the 20 series models. They have the same full ribbon tweeter so they have the same extended top end. A 3 series model however, can easily be repaired and maintained by DIY due to the single ended design.
There is still a pair of MGIIIa’s available on eBay. They might need some DIY repairs but that’s a lot of speaker for the money. If I didn’t already have a pair myself I’d be buying them. They is also a pair of 3.6Rs on eBay which are a later model and have a smoother sound. Nice price too. They might not need any delam repair if they were made after sept 2005.

The older top of the range Tympani models are also nice, but need a lot of space. They more difficult to set up, and rare in the UK.
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Thanks again Colin. Your insights are invaluable.
 
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