If you're using the MMG Ws as surround speakers, mount 'em on the side walls behind your seats. Then
swing 'em out when in use so they are perpendicular to the side walls. The front channels should be placed
more or less at ear height, and for best performance the surrounds should be as well, although this is less
critical. Ideally, the surrounds should be at least three feet from the rear wall.
The MMG C does have a "box" -- sort of. It uses a version of the same panel as the MMG W (and has the
same 100Hz-16kHz frequency response), but it's curved, so that the speaker's horizontal dispersion is
broader than it would be if it were flat. Because of the panel's curvature, the MMG C is mounted within a
bowed framework that is 36" wide by 9 1/4" high by 5 1/2" deep at its front, tapering to 2 1/2" at its tips.
Speaker-wire connections are made through small set-screw-tightened sockets, a non-standard but very
secure arrangement. The MMG C weighs 18 pounds.
I know that’s a secret, for it’s whispered every where
Before we proceed, a few comments are called for.
First, you won't see the MMG W and MMG C at audio stores; they're only available direct from
Magnepan. The company is hoping to reach new customers, ones who probably wouldn't ever set foot in a
specialty audio store. If you've never heard of Magnepan, buying direct from the company might make
you uncomfortable, but it shouldn't -- in customer-satisfaction surveys, Magnepan consistently rates at the
top of the list. Most Magnepan customers would rather step up to a better model from the company than
seek a speaker from anybody else.
But if the MMG W and MMG C aren't your cup of tea, the company offers a 60-day money-back
guarantee.
The other thing you need to know is that these Maggies really want a subwoofer. That's the downside to
their near-invisibility. A small panel can only do so much, and the MMG W's 100Hz bottom end just
doesn't give it a lot of authority.
The MMG W doesn't have a low-pass filter, but that's no big deal. Many audiophiles (such as me, for
example) would rather run the speakers full range to avoid the audible effects of filters; if you'd rather
employ some form of filtration, most subs have a high-pass filter built in.
In surround settings, which is how I auditioned the Maggies, you can establish the speaker/subwoofer
relationship within your processor. As I said, no big deal -- in fact, leaving out a low-pass circuit makes a
lot of sense.
To sin in secret is not to sin at all
I set the MMG Ws and MMG C up in a multichannel system, using four MMG Ws and a single MMG C. I
was impressed by the ease of the setup process. It took less than an hour -- and that included finding my
electric screwdriver in the morass of post-move boxes we're currently living amidst.
http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/magnepan_mmgw_mmgc.htm (3 of 7) [12/17/2003 10:19:53 AM]