Got a note today from Wendell Diller of Magnepan. Guess what? Magnepan is launching a new loudspeaker at Newport! If you’re going to be in town for the big to-do, be sure to swing by the Atrium Hotel to get your ears on.
Announcement after the fold.
Dear Press Member,
You may not have heard about the New MMG. We have been quietly shipping our first upgrade since the MMG was introduced in 1995. The price is still $599 pair.
At the Newport show, Magnepan will introduce the Super MMG—a 3-piece system which includes a bass panel for $1,199. We think there is a good chance it will win the award of “Best Cheap Speaker for 2013”.
The Super MMG is designed to work together as a system. And the speakers are only available as a system with the option to return all or part of the system during the 60-day home trial.
So, what does the Super MMG have to offer over the New MMG? Well….. better bass, mid-range and highs. You want more than that? We go easy on the superlatives. I like to say that we under-sell and over-deliver. High value, made in American with virtually all American parts—-what a concept!
An additional bass panel can be added for a total of $1,750 for the 4-piece system.
Magnepan will be demonstrating in Room 221 of the Atrium [at the T.H.E. Show in Newport Beach]. Please identify yourself to my wife, Galina, who will be taking reservations.
Wendell Diller
Marketing Mgr.
Magnepan
Perhaps one’s oratory and demonstration skills can improve over time at an audio show.
I was fortunate enough to hear Magnepan’s last demo of the Super MMG at T.H.E. Show.
It was, for me, among the best sounding and best presented demos that I experienced there.. And I only heard 5 or maybe 6 system demos that sounded natural and creating the “you are there” experience.
Yes, their room was still dark for that last demo and Wendell’s people skills were just this side of impatient or hostile (which, at the time, I attributed to end of the day wear and tear), but I was there to judge the sound, which made me a fan of Maggies then and there.
I was going to buy my brother a pair of Martin Logan speakers for Christmas, but now I’ll have a listen to the 1.7’s or the 3.7’s first, because of that demo.
At least Wendell didn’t convey the sense of arrogance and condescension that I experienced from one rep for a room demonstrating a $750,000.00 system.
And that demo had a real problem with acoustic resonance (proving that little brass bowls and bells don’t work in resolving acoustic issues).
Heard them at the show, and loved the sound presence, but not sure about the sound precision. In other words, the voices and prominent instruments were immediate and compelling with a deep soundstage, but I am not sure how much of the background details I heard. It was a little too much of a controlled environment for critical listening (herding us in and out with their choice of music), but they definitely sounded good for the price ($1,750).
I heard these , yes the first 2 tracks were crapy , they need to play them a little louder but you can hear the huge soundstage and smooth imaging coming from them, I was surprised how they filled the room for only 1200 , Considering the technology and price theres not much they can do to the design , at one point I thought I was listening to speakers high costing speakers till I looked at the price, not that high price means better sound’I find high priced speakers mean higher profits not better sound a lot of the time’ The sub did seem seamless to me with its own characteristics , I honestly couldn’t tell where the woofer was placed till I searched for it. The brands that stood out to me where Acoustic Zen – Babasse – Martin Logan – Silverline – Nola -Marten- Eficion – / on the other hand Perfect Technologies 119K a pair speakers sounded like average speakers you find on frys electronics , I laughed
What a wasted opportunity. Room 221 was my first stop Friday. I got a yellow sticker which meant that I would be allowed into the room at 12:10. It appeared that poor Galina had never worked a door before…ushering people in before the previous group exited. It also appeared that Magnepan’s in- the- room host really did not know what he was talking about. Wendell too was distracted and confused himself with his best cheap speaker offer. After asking my questions in several different ways, and getting several different answers, I think that the Super MMG are hot-rodded new MMG further tweaked at the crossovers to work with either one or two bass panels (which were said to be the bass panels from the 20.1). Wendell repeatedly stated that it was a system (stupid) but the copy on the Magnepan page said that the 60 day trial would allow parts of the package to be returned. “Oh, yea…I got to work that out”, said Wendell. I was so predisposed to fall in love and buy. Didn’t happen. The in- room lighting was poor. The first 2 tracks were poor. The plant cascading over the left bass panel obscured design detail. The right bass panel with glass and aluminum design detail would look attractive in a 1980’s office lobby. I probably should’nt pick on Wendell, I pulled him aside to give him some feedback, because I so wanted to have Magnpan at the show be as well received as they are in the press. Truth is that 50% of exhibitors have no client skills and are not showman. Only one exhibitor called me by my name (Fritz Speakers) and only 4 thanked me for coming into their room. In the end, I buy from people who seem to want my business, and have a good product. This year I added a pair of KEF LS 50 to my stable.