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Magneplanar CCR Instruction Manual
e CCR is not a "plug 'n play" center channel speaker. We are here to help if
you nd the instructions confusing. e enclosed Magnepan Test Disk is a
"pass/fail" test to conrm that the setup was done correctly.
1 Introduction/General Description 2
2 Carton Contents 2
3 Packaging 2
4 Amplification 3
5 Hookup 3
6 Installation and Placement 3
7 Phasing 4
8 Achieving center channel bass 5
9 Full-Range Operation 10
10 Service and Shipping 10
11 Specifications 12
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1 Introduction/General Description
Congratulations on your purchase of the Reference Magneplanar CCR Center
Channel Loudspeaker. e Magneplanar CCR is modeled aer the technology
of the MG 20.1 with a 2-way, quasi ribbon midrange and true ribbon tweeter.
e performance is appropriate for use with either the MG 3.6 and MG 20.1.
2 Carton Contents
• 1 - CCR Center Channel Loudspeaker
• 1 - Magnepan Wide-Band, Center Channel Pink Noise DVD Test Disc
• 1 - 1 Ohm Resistor
• 1 - 4 Amp Normal Blow Fuse
• 1 - Hex Wrench
• 1 - Speaker Logo
• 3 - Each Felt Pads
• 1 - Each Adjustable Foot
• 1 - Owner's Manual
3 Packaging
Save all packaging. e CCR can be shipped safely only in the original
packaging. Should you discard it, packaging is available from Magnepan.
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4 Amplication
e CCR is a 3 ohm speaker and should be used with high current ampliers
that are stable with low impedances. Some receivers are capable of driving low
impedances, but usually separate ampliers are built to higher standards and
are recommended for use with the CCR.
5 Hookup
e CCR employs a unique, high-current connector. To install speaker cable,
simply strip approximately 1/4-inch of insulation from the speaker cable end,
insert the cable and tighten the set screw. Cables terminated with banana plugs
or pins may also be used. For cable terminated with spade lugs, spade lug
adapters are available from your Magneplanar dealer.!
Connect the output of a high pass crossover (such as the Magneplanar XO-2)
to the input of the CCR (observing correct polarity). If the CCR is connected
directly to the center channel amplier, the processor must be set on "small"
center channel speaker. (See Bass Management and Processor Settings section
below for correct settings of the processor.)
6 Installation and Placement
e CCR can be mounted in or on a cabinet or on credenza or shelf. e CCR
is a "small" speaker. (ree felt pads are included to prevent marring of the
bottom surface.) However, a Magneplanar CC Speaker Stand is available for
use with the CCR for use as a full-range, free-standing speaker. e CC
Speaker Stand has a built-in Magneplanar bass driver that utilizes the same
DiPlanar bass technology as the MG 20.1. If the CC Speaker Stand is not used,
some form of adjustable bass management is necessary (See Bass Management
and Processor Settings section below.)
Like all Magneplanars, the CCR is a dipole speaker. We recommend a
minimum of 12 inches clearance, measuring from the back of the CCR to the
surface behind the CCR. Damping material behind the CCR will help tame
unwanted resonances.
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For custom installations that require mounting the CCR, 1/4"-20 T-nuts are
built into the bottom of the CCR that can be utilized for different custom
requirements. A diagram of the T-nut placement is shown below.
7 Phasing
Correct phasing between the tweeter and midrange is accomplished when the
speaker is angled relative to the listener as shown below. e enclosed
adjustable foot can be used to tilt the CCR upward. Correct phasing between
the midrange of the CCR and the bass augmentation provided by the le/right
Maggies is best accomplished as part of the BassManagement and Processor
Settings.
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8 Achieving center channel bass
e CCR is called a "small" speaker due to the limited mid-bass response. e
least complicated way to achieve true Maggie sound is with one or two DWM
Bass Panels or the CC Speaker Stand. (e more complex method of using the
processor's bass management system is explained below.)
e DWM Bass Panel is 2 "voice grids" and crossover within one panel. Wire
the amplier inputs in parallel (plus to plus and minus to minus). Wire the
CCR to the "high" output of one of the DWMs (Do not use both "high"
outputs). Note-- e resultant impedance will be a nominal 3 ohms. is
requires the use of a high-current amplier.
e DWM Bass Panel should be placed close to equi-distance to the CCR. It is
not essential that it be the exact distance, but as close as is practical.
To prevent over-driving the Bass Panel with movies, it may be advantageous to
cross over the center channel bass at approximately 40-60 Hz for home theater.
If two Bass Panels are used, the unused sections of both Bass Panels may be
used in the same manner as described above.
Getting the midbass/bass for the CCR adjusted correctly is the single most
important part of getting the most out of your CCR's performance.
As an owner of a higher quality system, most likely you own a processor with
adjustable crossover points for "small" speakers. Set your processor for "small"
center channel speaker. Set the center channel crossover point at 200-250 Hz
for optimal frequency response or as low as 150 Hz if your processor does not
provide up to 200-250 Hz. You will be instructed to turn the subwoofer "off"
on your processor. Aer reading all the instructions below, play the Magnepan
Wide-Band Center Channel Pink Noise DVD which is included with your
CCR. If the correct procedures are followed, your CCR will give the illusion of
a large Magneplanar in the center. If your processor does not have exible
crossover settings, DWM Bass panel or the CC Speaker Stand may be the best
option to achieve good center channel bass/midbass.
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ere is a lack of exibility with the majority of processors on the market. In
the "small" center channel mode, most processors automatically route the
center channel bass to the subwoofer. is will not give satisfactory
performance with your CCR. e solution is simple; however, this part of the
setup has confused a lot of customers. Even if you don't understand initially,
go ahead and do as we instruct. And if you need some help, please call. Even
though you will probably be using a subwoofer, set your receiver or processor
for "no subwoofer." is may seem illogical, but it is necessary for the proper
integration of the center channel midrange and bass.
In case you missed it-- Set your processor for "no subwoofer" and leave your
subwoofer turned off until you have completed a successful test with the
Magnepan test disk.
Here is how it works -- If you set the processor for "no subwoofer," there is no
option for routing the center channel midbass and bass. e processor must
send the center channel midbass and bass to the "large" le/right
Magneplanars. at is exactly what we intend for you to get the best possible
performance from your CCR. Your full-range, le/right Magneplanars will
provide the center channel midbass and bass, thereby giving the illusion of a
large Magneplanar in the middle. e denition of your le/right
Magneplanar bass/midbass is vastly superior to the bass that can be achieved if
the center channel bass were routed to the subwoofer.
e usual practice of routing the bass to the subwoofer is less than satisfactory
in most installations with Magneplanar center channel speakers. Oen there is
a signicant "hole" in the center channel midbass response when higher
crossover points are used. In addition, subwoofers are best suited for
augmenting "large" speakers below 40 Hz and are considered "muddy" or of
poor quality when higher crossover points are used above 40-60 Hz. At a
crossover point of 150-250 Hz, the discontinuity between the CCR's "fast"
quasi ribbon midrange and the relatively "slow" subwoofer becomes very
obvious. Of course, you probably plan to use a subwoofer for home theater.
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To drive your subwoofer with this conguration, install a Y-adapter on both
the le and right preamp outputs of the processor. e subwoofer and the
power amp will be driven by the same le or right full-range signal. Use the
electronic crossover in the subwoofer to set the low pass frequency. Be sure
that the le/right "large" Maggies are set for "large" with no roll-off of the bass.
Since the signal from the front le/right pre-amp outputs is "full range" (down
to 20 Hz), the subwoofer will receive all the deep bass information. When the
processor is set for "no subwoofer", the bass from the .1 (LFE) is routed to the
"large" front le/right Magneplanars. e LFE bass which is sent to the le/
right "large" speakers is in mono. If your subwoofer has only one input, it is not
absolutely necessary to drive the subwoofer with both the le and right signal.
(Note- e .1 or LFE bass information will NOT damage your le/right
Magneplanars.)
e benets of achieving the illusion of a full-range Magneplanar in the center
channel with this hookup technique will be appreciated 100% of the time. But,
what about the absence of the .1 channel? All the same bass from explosions,
etc. from the .1 channel are on the "full range" or "large" front channels and
will be sent to the subwoofer with our recommended hookup.
To prevent "muddy" bass, adjust the subwoofer crossover point and level so it
does not overlap with the "full-range" front le/right Magneplanars. e goal
of a Magneplanar home theater system is quality over quantity. Excessive deep
bass does not enhance realism.
e nal steps in checking phase and center channel bass response is to
conrm that the front le/right speakers are in-phase with the CCR and that
the center channel bass/midbass is in-phase with the CCR. (Again, this can get
a little confusing.)
First, using a standard test DVD, conrm that the CCR is in-phase with the
front le/right speakers. When in-phase, the audio test signal image will
appear between the CCR and either of the front le/right speakers. en, using
the Magnepan DVD test disc, check the phase between the CCR and the center
channel bass/midbass provided by the full-range le/right speakers.
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Intentionally reverse the phase on the CCR. In some cases, especially if the
CCR is not equal-distance to the front le/right speakers, the frequencies
between approximately 100-200 Hz may increase with the phase reversed and
it will be necessary to operate the CCR in an electrically out-of-phase
condition.
Further bass and midbass adjustments can be made to give the illusion of a
large Magneplanar in the middle by ne-tuning the crossover point of the
CCR and by level adjustments relative to the level of the le/right Maggies.
e Magnepan Test DVD (which is included with your speaker) provides
wide-band center channel pink noise, but without the use of a real-time
analyzer, most consumers may wonder if the pink noise has the proper balance
from bass to mids to highs. However, by playing pink noise through one of the
large le/right Maggies, a listener can hear what pink noise should sound like
and then use that sound to compare to the pink noise from the CCR to judge if
the balance is correct. An instant A-B test can be conducted by switching the
processor from "no center" channel speaker to "small center" channel. In the
"no center" mode, you will hear the pink noise through your "large" le/right
Maggies and this can be compared to the pink noise from the CCR. When the
CCR is playing the pink noise, put your ear next to both the le/right speakers
to conrm that the "large" speakers are producing the bass for the center
channel pink noise. To make an accurate comparison, when listening to the
pink noise through the le/right speakers, it is necessary to disconnect one of
the le/right speakers. Obviously, two speakers playing pink noise will not
sound the same as one speaker. e speaker will have to be reconnected when
the CCR is evaluated with pink noise.
If you are having trouble getting similar pink noise sound from the CCR as
compared to the large le/right Maggies, the problem might be the level
setting (with respect to the le/right speakers), or the crossover setting and the
phasing between the CCR and the le/right speakers. Turn the subwoofer "off"
for the purposes of this test to allow concentration on creating a "large" Maggie
in the middle. Keep in mind that due to the fact that center channel speakers
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are oen placed in less-than-ideal acoustical environments, exactly duplicating
the le/right Maggies is not possible unless the same acoustical rules are
followed as the le/right speakers.
To make a nal adjustment of the center channel bass and midbass level, turn
the volume of the center up or down. is may seem confusing, but, it works
like this-- If you turn the overall level of the center channel up, the center
channel bass will be reduced. To increase the center channel bass, it is
necessary to LOWER the overall center channel level. You may wonder how
that is possible. Well, it is a quirk of how the bass management is structured.
Many consumers turn the center volume up because they have trouble hearing
the dialog, the net effect is less center channel bass/midbass.
You have control over 3 parameters to create the illusion of a large Maggie in
the middle--
1) Crossover point.
2) Level setting with respect to the le/right speakers.
3) Phase. You will need to remember all three as you ne-tune your CCR.
We have had a number of reports that the automatic equalization systems built
into some processors have had less-than-desirable results with Magneplanars.
We are investigating this further, but, apparently the equalization systems are
not compatible with our recommended hookup procedure. We recommend
that you defeat the automatic EQ system and manually make any needed
frequency adjustments.
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9 Full-Range Operation
e CCR is a "small" speaker and if free-standing operation is desired, the
DWM Bass Panel or the CC Speaker Stand can be used with the CCR to
provide full-range Magneplanar center channel performance. However, the
best center channel bass and midbass performance may be obtained by using
the Bass Panel to ne-tune the front le/right speakers and using your bass
management system to send the center channel bass to the front le/right
speakers.
10 Service and Shipping
In the unlikely event you should need service for your CCR Loudspeaker, we
recommend you return it through your dealer. He is experienced in providing
service and can assist you if the speaker must be returned to the factory. If you
determine you need to return it directly to Magnepan, call for a return
authorization and ship the speaker freight prepaid to:
Include a note describing the nature of the problem. Please include your name,
address, and a daytime telephone number.
Magnepan, Incorporated!
1645 Ninth St.!
White Bear Lake, MN 55110!
1-800-474-1646
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CCR Ribbon Tweeter Installation
If the CCR is shipped by ground transportation, the ribbon will be installed in
the CCR. e tweeter will be removed from the speaker only in the event of an
air shipment.
1. Remove 4 screws attaching terminal plate.
2. Remove screws holding rear panel
3. e CCR ribbon tweeter has a white dot at one end of the frame for
determining polarity. Install the ribbon so the end with the white dot can
be attached to the brown wire.
4. Install screws holding the tweeter frame. e tweeter magnets are very
powerful. Use caution to keep magnetic objects from being pulled into the
magnets.
5. Connect the wires to the terminals at both ends of the tweeter.
6. Reinstall the back panel and terminal plate.
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11 Specications
System Description: Curved, two-way quasi ribbon midrange, with true
ribbon tweeter
Midrange Radiating Area: 213 sq. inches
Frequency Response: 200 Hz-40 kHz +- 3 db
Recommended Power: See Frequently Asked Questions
Sensitivity: 88 db, 2.83v, 1 Meter, 500Hz
Impedance: 3 Ohms
Crossover Frequency: 200Hz-40 kHz
Dimensions: Width- 39.5 inches, Height- 15 inches, Depth- 5.5
inches
Warranty: Three years on speaker, one year on tweeter, to
original owner
Weight: 27 lbs.
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