MG 12: World Class HighEnd Audio, on a Budget.

MG 12 - Magnepan, Inc.
Page 1 of 1
MG 12: World Class HighEnd Audio, on a
Budget.
The MG12 is the choice of audiophiles getting started in "high end" audio, with good clean bass and a top end
that has the resolving power to show off the differences between different grades of electronics.
The MG12 is a perfect example of how yesterday's high-end concepts have evolved to benefit mid-priced
products. Ribbon tweeters from the past would have cost more than the entire MG12. The MG12 is a 2-way
system with 369 square inches of thin-film planar bass and a 38-inch long, line source quasi ribbon tweeter.
Large wave launch, low surface loudness, etc. are unique to planar speakers. The physics require the size
and shape of a Magneplanar. Like other Magneplanars, MG12 offers superior sound because of its size and
shape. Thousands of audiophiles have fallen in love with the sound of planar speakers.
The MG12 offers quasi-ribbon technology and planar bass resolution at a price that some audiophiles spend
for speaker cables. Musical value is what Magneplanars are all about. Fall in love today!
MG12
Description
2-Way/Quasi Ribbon Planar-Magnetic
Freq. Resp.
45-22kHz ±3dB
Rec Power
Read Frequently Asked Questions
Sensitivity
86dB/500Hz /2.83v
Impedance
4 Ohm
Dimensions
17 x 51 x 1.5
Available in cherry, natural or black hardwood trim, off-white, black or grey fabric.
http://www.magnepan.com/model_MG_12
11/29/2009
Sallie Reynolds
Equipment Review
To Build a Small Fine System: Part 1
Magnepan MG12/QR Loudspeakers
A
fter 20 years in the audio press, I've heard my share of mammoth systems—speakers nearly seven feet tall costing more than $200,000;
amplifiers at $30,000, CD playback equipment, two-boxes, $30,000 each;
cables that cost more than exotic reptiles, which they in many ways resemble:
beautiful, hard to handle, lethally good at what they are designed to do.
Such systems can sound eerily real. On well-recorded LPs, CDs, and
SACDs, many of them possess that quality Harry Pearson (founder and for 25
years editor-in-chief of The Absolute Sound and later The Perfect Vision) calls
"You'll hear musical details and harmonics
you've never heard before, on all your
recordings. This is not high-end hype, but
heaven's truth."
"continuousness," that is (if I understand the concept correctly), the flow of live
music—all the elements of each note properly in their places, like a living
stream of water particles. Gordon Holt, founder of Stereophile, describes the
response that I believe comes largely from this phenomenon as the goosebump factor. You listen, and experience the involuntary response you get from
live music that moves you deeply—your hairs stir, your skin chills.
To make this magic, though, money does not necessarily have to flow in like
fashion. Some small elegant systems also can do the trick, indicating that "musical" does not equate with complete (expensive to achieve) accuracy from 20Hz
to 20kHz, but depends rather on a balance of elements, known and unknown.
For some years now I have lived far out in the country. Here I am, hooked on
musical sound, not easily able to visit a good high-end store—and living on a
budget. Many music lovers share my dilemma, I suspect, and I began to wonder
if I could put together a truly musical system for a modest $5000. So I set out on
an at-home journey. At the end, my little pot of gold would have to produce a readily available, reliable (this is especially important if you live in the sticks) system
that reveals the continuousness of music and to boot gives me goose-bumps.
My testing set-up is a good one for the purpose: clean, unassuming front
end; good speakers; clear, natural overall sound. The Marsh Sound Design amp
and preamp retail for about $3000, together; Monster Cable power conditioner
(a must in my area) about $700; my Thorens CD player is old, but was expensive in 1990 at about $3000; my reference speakers (Be Ones from Mainland
China, excellent but not available in the US) about $1200. Cables run about
$300. To achieve my goal, I will need to create a $5000 system whose sound
quality equals or even exceeds that of my roughly $8500 reference system.
I began by listening to speakers. I'll go on to subwoofers and then other
components in the chain as I explore them. But I've found that really good
speakers have unsuspected performance in them; they reveal hidden abilities
as you improve the ancillary equipment. A good pair should see you through
other upgrades for a long, long time. I have listened to many in the $1000 to
$2000 range. My three-way floor-standing dynamic models outperform competitors costing $4,000 and more. They are clean, balanced, and natural sounding.
So I was looking for speakers in their price range that could stand up to these
tough taskmasters and provide the proper base for the rest of the system.
I got lucky. The first speakers I tried out were the Magnepan MG12/QRs.
Small, musical, and, at $1099, more than kind to the budget.
6
© Copyright 2004, Absolute Multimedia
AVguide Monthly
Equipment Review
Magnepan's Magneplanar
MG12/QR
Quasi-Ribbon
Loudspeakers
Y
esterday, a friend dropped by while
I was listening to Canteloube's
Chants d'Auvergne [CBC Records].
He's a rock musician with a small recording
studio, and as he stepped into the room, he
said, "Wonderful separation in the instruments and voice. What are you listening to?"
"Planar magnetics," I said, assuming he
was referring to the speakers and not the gor-
"This is the best treble
reproduction I have
heard perhaps anywhere.
If it's on the recording,
the MG12s give it to
you."
geous voice of Karina Gauvin and the spectacular
Canadian Chamber Ensemble. Right on cue, he
said: "What?" Proving, as I've long suspected, that
most music lovers who have not been reading audio
magazines know nothing of electromagnetic type
speakers. He was in for a treat.
Most ribbons, hybrid ribbons, planars,
and electrostatic speakers are expensive
and hard to find if you live outside a major
city. The main stumbling block, I expect, is
that the whole concept of tall, thin, panel-like
dipole speakers seems weird to the uninitiated. My recordist friend, accustomed to cones
and horns in hefty enclosures, wanted to
know all about the MG12's innards and used a
flashlight to try to winkle out the secrets of the
Mylar strips behind the cloth grills. By then, I
was playing Spiorad [Shanachie], with Talitha
MacKensie's rich contralto soaring in Gaelic
over thunderous bass. Not only did her voice
rise, clear and ecstatic, over the deep throbbing of drums, but each instrument in her small
ensemble took its place and
made its music. Stuff to get a
rock musician's attention!
The MG12s actually don't run
true to the genre's peskiness. Jim Winey, their
designer, founded Magnepan in the late 1960s with the
goal of making planar magnetic speakers that would be within the budget of
most music lovers and solve some of the problems that plague electrostatic
and ribbon designs—no bass, unattractive appearance, difficulty in placement
(my wonderful old electrostats, the Quad ESL-63s, commanded the very center of my former live, glass-walled living room in Sea Cliff, New York). The
Magnepans are modest in price, easy to hook up, happy (a not-so-easy discovery) when placed a hair more than 2.5 feet from one of the short walls in my
present, much less live room, and don't look like black tombstones.
And they were immediately and wonderfully true to music, from
about 200Hz up. Over time, their performance has deepened. But I sus-
pect the bottom bass is forever missing in my room, and
I will have to add a woofer system of some kind.
Set-up & Break In
My review units arrived in a single box 6 inches
deep by 5 feet long, were light enough for me to handle
alone, and included clear instructions and all the tools I
needed to hook them up. In under a half hour, I was
falling under the spell of their extraordinary clarity and
naturalness of tone.
All Maggies take a long time to break in, and I've
been playing these daily for a month. The midbass still
has not settled in, and so there is a perception of thinness in larger ensemble sound. There is also an almost
audible change in texture ("almost" because some listeners hear it and some don't) where, after I added a
subwoofer, that sub meets speaker. But there is magic
here, and I detect small improvements on a daily basis.
I suspect that in another six weeks, I'll mourn no more
for the midbass of my reference speakers.
This perception of thinness may be in part the
result of the Magnepans' very clarity. Sometimes much
of what we identify as richness in the middle and low
frequencies is the un-cleanness of complex sounds as
reproduced by most dynamic speakers (partly from
the enclosures). We get used to a certain thickness, or
texture, that really isn't on the recording. But live
music often has similar texture, so we like it in our
systems. Much of "system sound" seems witchery,
anyhow—unmeasurable, inexplicable.
I brought in a listening panel so that all kinds
of musical tastes would get a fair shake. (All three
other listeners share with me a love of clean, natural sound and a distaste for the boom and sizzle
of the stereo/video-shop variety—which many
high-end stores are as guilty of as Circuit City.) We
started without a subwoofer.
After experiencing David Carter's When I Go
[no label], Loudon Wainright III's Last Man on Earth
[Red House Records] and Grown Man [Virgin
Records], Over the Rhine's Ohio [Virgin/Back
Porch], several raunchy offerings from the Trailer
Park Troubadours [Rugburn Records], and Ravel's
Piano Concerto for the Left Hand [Chandos], we
agreed that while voices, guitars, banjos, violins,
and flutes were unbelievably clear, well placed in
the soundstage, separated—indeed, we were
hearing the singers' breaths, their head and chest
sounds, the distinct beginnings and ends of words,
all the high-end clichés of clarity—we were not
hearing the bodies of the larger instruments, music's midbass
underpinnings. And we were missing the chorus of low low instruments
in the opening of the Ravel, whose growly dark melody sets the mood for
the piano epiphanies that follow.
So in went the first subwoofer, a prototype someone had lent me,
and after a good bit more than the usual fiddling subs require, we got it
dialed in at a listenable frequency and volume. Now we had spectacular
highs and midrange and decent low lows. The midbass was still not satisfactory, but we expected that. And we agreed that a close-miked trio of
banjo, guitar, and violin from track 1 of Nickel Creek's eponymous Nickel
Creek [Sugar Hill] was ravishing, the best any of us had heard, bar live,
and it was as close to live as a microphone has any right to get. The
7
© Copyright 2004, Absolute Multimedia
AVguide Monthly
Equipment Review
Ravel was improved, though it still lacked "liveliness," and the pianist's
pedal sounds were missing, as was the second set of trumpets not too
"The soundstage, once you have the
speakers placed correctly, is broad,
deep, realistic, with plenty of air and
separation between the instruments…"
far into the piece. But the orchestral shriek at the end turned me (physically) cold, as it should—and does on magical systems.
Now comes confession time. (I'm always happy to admit errors that
others might make. About simple stupidities, less than naught will be
said.) In the middle of the excitement that excellent sound and good
music bring, one of my panelists said: "I think you have these things set
up wrong. The instructions say the tweeters should be on the outside
and I can see them on the inside." Really?! We made the change and
were rewarded instantly with a richer midrange and wider soundstage.
The trumpets were audible on the Ravel and so were the pedal sounds.
Thus ended the first day. Over the ensuing weeks, I have played
more than 100 CDs through these speakers and love what I hear. The
midbass continues to get better. The highs remain angelic. The low end
has its moments.
In talking to experienced Magnepan owners, I've learned a few
things worth passing on. First, yes, the tweeters-to-the-outside works
well in squarish rooms like mine (20 by 25 feet). But in narrow spaces,
tweeters-on-the-inside might work better, instructions not withstanding.
And break-in can take six months or more! This can give the reviewer,
who has a memo loan for 90 days, a real headache. But on the other
hand, used Magnepans might be a truly great buy—far from being aged
wrecks, they'll probably just be well seasoned. Finally, working with subwoofers on this model, I was told, can be tricky. Do tell.
stays clean and pure. Music happens. Music flows. The hairs on your
arms rise. You get a chill. I go back and back to Bartók's Bluebeard's
Castle [Mercury] just to hear the strings make the walls sigh.
The midbass is still a bit thin, especially on full-ensemble rock
music and large orchestral pieces. One panelist says he isn't ready to
give up his fine box speakers for the Maggies, though he's enchanted by
their clarity and sweetness on certain recordings. "Maybe I could fit two
pairs of speakers in my room," he muses. Or maybe he'll change his
mind in six months. Another panelist would make the trade this very
minute. Musical taste is the arbiter here.
Low bass? Well, what these speakers do, they do exceedingly well.
That stops, now, in my room, at about 87Hz—the second F below middle C on the piano. (For instrumental frequencies, see John Pierce, The
Science of Musical Sound, Scientific American Press, 1983.) Acoustic
bass lacks the wood resonance that makes that instrument sing (systems without clean low-end extension often make the bass into a onenote Johnny). Large drums lack reverberant thump; bassoon, contrabassoon, tuba, bass sax and clarinet, even cello, all use these frequencies and suffer accordingly. And the extraordinarily lovely decay of
undamped notes in the treble and midrange is missing down below. Yes,
I moved the speakers all over the place to give them the benefit of every
doubt. And yes, they will need a subwoofer—possibly, for rooms like
mine (square rooms eat low frequencies, I'm told), something a little
above strictly "sub."
The perfect partner in the low end, though, will take the MG12 as
close to goose-bump truth as a cat's whisker.1 And no perfect partner, I
suspect, is easy to find.
Real-world complications are, of course, part of the expected challenge of creating an exquisite small system that fits within a $5000 budget, so my success here may necessitate an exploration of some of the
gray areas in audio. But the journey should prove interesting and—with
just a little luck—fun.
Summing Up the Sound
The MG12/QRs, first, have that fantastic treble. You'll hear musical
details and harmonics you've never heard before, on all your recordings. This
is not high-end hype, but heaven's truth. Female singers reveal the wonder of
the human voice, and every whispered syllable comes clear. I keep going
back to the Canteloube to hear the subtleties Gauvin brings to these songsthe humor, the loneliness, the yearning, the mischief—emotional dimensions
that lie in her intonation. You really will not get them on most systems. The flute
on these pieces will make you cry for joy—the phrasing, the moisture in the
mouth, the piercing sweetness of the high tones, oh my. With the MG12s, you
will hear soft phrasings and syllables subtly shaped by the mouth of singer and
flutist, sounds that dwell in harmonics and dynamics so easily lost in the usual
mesh of sound.
This is the best treble reproduction I have heard perhaps anywhere. If it's on the recording, the MG12s give it to you. Indeed,
Magnepan supplies two resistors to use if you find the highs too much
of a good thing, a problem perhaps with some aggressive studio-fiddled
rock music. They will attenuate the treble a bit, softening the sound. I did
not use them.
The midrange, where guitar, violins, some winds, and a good chunk
of the piano dwell, is clear, transparent, and wonderful. Small ensembles
melt your heart. Male voices move from chest to head and you hear the
shift. Their deeper tones set up vibrations in your body: Try David
Carter's clear tenor on When I Go or David Thomas' stirring bass on
Arias for Montagnana, a spectacular recital of the villains' arias and
recitatives from Handel operas [Harmonia Mundi].
The soundstage, once you have the speakers placed correctly, is
broad, deep, realistic, with plenty of air and separation between the
instruments, as my rock-musician visitor noted. You can turn these
speakers up without smoking ribbons or wires or the neighborhood. I
don't go much over 85dB because I value my ears, but reasonably loud
1 Speaking of cats, the planar drivers are covered their entire
length with thin cloth. The speakers look like giant scratching
posts, and the instructions suggest that you spray them with a
cat repellent. My brainy Maine Coon agreed long ago not to pick
at my stuff, but I've banned all less cooperative cats for the duration.
Specifications
Type: 2-way Quasi-Ribbon
Frequency response: 45Hz-22kHz
Sensitivity: 86dB, 500Hz/2.83V
Impedance: 4 ohm
Dimensions (inches): 17 wide x 51 high x 1.5 deep
Manufacturer Information
Magnepan Incorporated
Phone: (651) 426-0441
www.magnepan.com
Price: $1,099/pair
Associated Equipment
Marsh Sound Design A400 (solid-state) amplifier; Marsh Sound
Design P2000 preamp; Thorens TCD 2000 CD Player; Monster Cable
HS 53500 power-line conditioner; Be One 306 speakers; Monster
Cable prototype subwoofer; REL Q108 subwoofer; Monster Cable
Reference 2 interconnects; various speaker cables
8
© Copyright 2004, Absolute Multimedia
AVguide Monthly
AudioEnz - Magneplanar MG12
Page 1 of 2
Magenplanar MG12
Maggies return to New Zealand
By Michael Jones
February 2003
Magneplanar MG12 loudspeakers. $3000
Magne-what? It’s been several years since the Magneplanar range of
speakers have been available in New Zealand, but it’s a very welcome
return. For me, it’s like going back home again. Some 18 years ago I
owned a pair of Magneplanar SMGa speakers, an older predecessor to the
MG12s reviewed here. When offered the MG12s for review I jumped at
the chance.
So what is a Magneplanar? Some people immediately think that a panel
speaker is an electrostatic. Not in this case. An electrostatic speaker
requires an electrical charge to energise the speaker; Maggies are like
normal speakers, only requiring a signal from the amplifier.
In some ways the Magneplanar is similar to a conventional woofer or
tweeter. Like a conventional driver, the Maggies use magnets and a voice
coil to create sound by moving air. Unlike a conventional driver, the magnets are spread out
throughout the whole panel structure, and the voice coil is attached to a mylar sheet, which does
the moving of air, creating the sound
There is one big difference between conventional driver and the Magneplanar panel. A
conventional driver needs to move a relatively large distance (or excursion) to create sound. A
Magneplanar panel moves very little. But with the very large panel area can still create high levels
of sound.
Standing some 1300mm high and 450mm wide (but only 35mm deep), a pair of MG12
loudspeakers will dominate the aesthetics of a room more than most stand-mount or
floorstanding loudspeakers would. Maggies also need to be well out from the rear wall to sound
their best.
Doesn’t sound too good, does it? But the MG12 is light in weight and can be left close to the wall,
where they look like some sort of screen decoration. Move them back out into the room when you
want to listen seriously.
Listening to the MG12s for the first time can be a disconcerting experience. Most of us are very
used to listening to music through conventional box speakers, and we’ve largely become used the
http://www.audioenz.co.nz/2003/magneplanar_mg12.shtml
10/19/2009
AudioEnz - Magneplanar MG12
Page 2 of 2
various box, cone and dome sounds that conventional speakers have.
So play some music through the MG12s and the reaction is “wow!” All of the box sounds, the cone
and dome sounds that we’ve all grown so used to were gone. The first few days were spent
marvelling at this, and it was only after several days that I was able to hear what the MG12 did
and did not do.
The first thing that stuck me and others who listened to the MG12s was how cohesive, continuous
and coherent was the reproduction of music. They really sounded as if the music was cut from
one cloth, instead of coming from different drive units. This coherence and continuousness really
helps make music from the MG12s sound more real.
Older Magneplanars could be a little reticent in the high end, but that’s been changed with the
newer models. The MG12 has a small version of Magneplanar’s quasi-ribbon tweeter, which
produces very good higher frequencies.
In some rooms – mine included – the MG12 can sound a little bright and forward (the crossover
is around 900Hz, far lower than the typical 3kHz of box speakers). So I used the supplied resistor
to knock the tweeter response back by a dB or so.
At the other end of the frequency spectrum, the MG12’s resolve bass information is a way that I
find superior to many competing speakers. The “what” and “why” of what is happening in the
bass is answered by the MG12s, showing that there’s more to good bass than just pumping air.
The MG12s showed, for example, the decay of Charlie Watts’ drumbeats in parts of the Rolling
Stones’40 Licks compilation, and the relationship set up between Watts’ drumming and Bill
Wynman’s bass playing.
And that difficult area from the mid-bass to lower midrange was beautifully handled, with a
solidity and sense of body from that big panel on the first CD from Pink Floyd’s The Wall.
Speaker designers often struggle with the trade-off between weight and clarity in this area.
But bass from Maggies is different than from cone woofers. The MG12 doesn’t have the punch
and bass impact that many box speakers can have. It’s a trade-off that Maggie-owners will make,
but if you need to physically feel the music then the MG12s may not be for you.
For $3000 there is no speaker that I know of in New Zealand that can do what the Magneplanar
MG12 does. It is demanding in terms of space required and can dominate the room, but if you
like what the MG12 does, then there’s no going back. The only decision then is whether to buy the
MG12s or spend an extra $1800 on the even better Magneplanar 1.6s.
For your nearest Magneplanar dealer
http://www.audioenz.co.nz/2003/magneplanar_mg12.shtml
10/19/2009
MAGNEPLANAR® MG12/QR
Instruction Manual
MAGNEPLANAR® PRODUCTS
WHITE BEAR LAKE, MINNESOTA 55110
www.magnepan.com
1.
INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on your purchase. The Magneplanar MG12/QR loudspeaker was
conceived and designed for perfectionists. One of the most revealing loudspeakers
made, it will provide outstanding music reproduction when used with high quality
components. Due to the elegant simplicity and ruggedness of the design, the
Magneplanar MG12/QR loudspeaker will give many years of trouble-free service.
2.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The MG12/QR consists of a 2-way planar magnetic driver utilizing a common ½ mil.
Mylar diaphragm. The voice grid of the bass section consists of a lightweight aluminum
wire. The Quasi Ribbon Tweeter is made of 1 mil. aluminum foil.
3.
PACKAGING
Save all packaging. If you need to transport the speakers, they can be shipped safely
only in the original packaging. You may never have to return your loudspeakers, but
should the occasion arise, they should not be shipped in any packaging but the original.
Should you discard it, packaging is available.
4.
ASSEMBLY
The four support feet for the MG12 are shipped in the speaker carton along with the 8
mounting bolts. Install the foot supports on the back of the speakers and tighten the
bolts.
5.
HOOKUP
The MG12 features unique, high current connectors which provide optimum contact
area with speaker cables up to 10 gauge.
Simply strip 1/2" of insulation from the end of the cable. Insert the cable into the top set
of connectors and tighten the set screws with the Allen wrench provided. Banana plug
connectors can be used and locked in place with the set screws. Spade lug adapters
are available from your Magneplanar dealer for speaker cables that are incompatible
with the Magneplanar high current connector.
To ensure proper phasing of the speakers, make sure the plus (red) is to plus and
minus (black) is to minus.
6.
CAUTION--CAUTION--CAUTION
A) The terminal plate states a maximum fuse value of 4 amps Type 3AG
(“normal” or fast blow”) We recommend that 4 amp fuses continue to be
used. The bass section does not require fusing protection. This fuse
value should never be increased or bypassed. Do not use slow-blow
fuses. If these precautions are taken, our destruct tests show that it is
impossible to burn out these drivers. BURNED OUT TWEETERS ARE
NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY.
B) For owners of cats, we recommend cat repellent around the base of the
speakers.
7.
SPEAKER PLACEMENT
Proper speaker placement and room acoustics can have more effect on a music system
than upgrading one of the components in the system. Unfortunately, there is
no definitive guideline which will cover all possible listening rooms. Some
experimentation is required for locating the optimum position. The following are a few
general guidelines:
A) BASS RESPONSE--Play a record (or test signal) with repetitive bass. Try the
speakers in several possible locations in the room. Begin moving the speakers
forward or backward in increments of 6 to 12 inches. One position in the room
should be noticeably better than others. Also experiment with your chair location.
Positions close to a wall will often result in increased bass (often too much). See
Figure 2.
B) STEREO WIDTH AND IMAGING--Once you have located the best position for
the speakers and your chair for bass performance, separate the speakers by
50% of the distance from your chair to the speakers. (For example, if your chair
is 10 feet from the speakers, move the speakers 5 feet apart.) Now, move the
speakers apart in increments of 3 or 4 inches at a time, listening carefully at each
position. At some point you will start to hear two separate speakers instead of a
“stage effect” (or continuous image). When this occurs, your speakers are too far
apart: begin moving the speakers back in small increments until you notice a
point at which you achieve one cohesive “sound stage.” For best results listen to
speakers on axis with the listening position as shown in Figure 1 and 2.
Figure 1
Figure 2
C) LEFT/RIGHT--The MG12's are matched pairs and mirror-imaged. The serial
number for each speaker in the pair is the same, except for a “1" or “2" following
each serial number. As you face the front of the speakers, the speaker with the
“1" after its serial number has the tweeter near the left edge, and the speaker
with the “2" has the tweeter near the right edge.
To obtain correct phasing between the tweeter and bass of
the MG12, the tweeters should be placed on the outside.
NOTE: Once you have located the ideal speaker position you should mark it. A small
tack or piece of tape can be placed on the carpet so that your ideal listening spot can be
easily relocated when the speakers (or chair) are moved for cleaning, etc. In the event
that your ideal listening spot is inconvenient from the standpoint of the room layout and
decor, simply slide the speakers wherever they look best. Experience has shown that
the speakers can be placed close to a wall, and it will make little difference for FM or
background listening.
The entire placement procedure may seem like a great deal of work, but is necessary in
the setup of any high quality system. The time and effort expended should be
necessary only once, and will repay the owner with countless hours of musical
enjoyment.
8.
ROOM ACOUSTICS
Magneplanars, like other bipolar speakers, usually sound best with a moderately
reflective surface behind the speakers. In situations where the speakers must be
placed as close as 2 feet from the back wall, a heavy damping material directly behind
the speakers is advised; however, it should not cover the entire wall.
Damping material in other parts of the room is a matter of trial and error. A word of
caution--when audiophiles discover the effectiveness of damping material, they
sometimes overdo it (on the premise that if a little is good, more is better). Before you
make a permanent change to your room, experiment with the positioning of the damping
material. Usually a portion of one of two parallel walls should have some damping.
An overdamped room will provide very precise imaging, but you will have a reduced
sense of ambience (less reverberation, spaciousness, air, etc.). An underdamped room
may heighten the illusion of being in a concert hall, but the imaging will seem imprecise
with all the instruments mixed together. Be aware that so-called hardness or overbright
sound is usually the result of a room with hard surfaces (glass, hard paneling, etc.).
Moderation is the word.
9.
OPTIONAL TWEETER ATTENUATION
There are two principal reasons for needing to attenuate the Magneplanar Quasi Ribbon
Tweeter:
A) Recordings, typically in the “pop” or “rock” vein, often exhibit pronounced rise in
the treble region.
B) The Magneplanar Quasi Ribbon Tweeter is very efficient in its total “energy
dispersion.” If the surround walls are exceptionally reflective, the overall
perceived acoustical balance will be tipped towards a “hot” high end.
Attenuation is performed through insertion of a simple non-inductive resistor in series
with the tweeter. See Figure 3.
Replace the left-hand jumper with the appropriate resistor to obtain the desired tweeter
attenuation. The pair of 1 ohm non-inductive resistors will attenuate the tweeter 1-2dB.
Other values are available from your Magneplanar dealer.
Figure 3
10.
MAINTENANCE
A.
The hardwood frames can be cleaned with a slightly damp dust cloth.
B.
Light vacuuming of the grille cloth is possible.
11.
SPECIFICATIONS*
System Description:
Two-Way Full Range Quasi Ribbon/Planar-Magnetic
Dipole Radiator
Frequency Response:
45Hz - 22kHz ±3dB
Recommended Power:
100 to 250W @8 Ohms. For further information, see
FAQ on web site at
http://www.magnepan.com/faq.php#power
Sensitivity:
86dB @2.83V/1 Meter/500Hz
Impedance:
4 Ohms
Bass-radiating area:
8-1/2" X 43-1/2"
Quasi Ribbon Tweeter Size: 2" X 38"
Crossover System:
600Hz (Acoustical)
Dimensions:
17" W X 52-1/2" H X 1-1/2” D
Warranty:
Limited 3-Year to Original Owner
Shipping Weight:
63 Lbs
*Because there are no universally accepted methods for loudspeaker measurements,
frequency response specifications may be stated by most manufacturers without
reference to measurement techniques and/or specific locations in rooms. Magneplanar
loudspeaker frequency response specifications are minimum average performance
levels that may reasonably be expected in normal installations.
**New Magneplanar MG12/QR speakers will not display their full bass potential. After a
month or two of use the bass response will lower a few cycles. At this point the
response will stabilize and the speakers rated performance (or better) can be realized.
While this 5Hz or more of lower bass response is important, the most important factors
in obtaining good bass response from the MG12 speakers are room size and geometry,
wall material, and speaker placement.