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No, NO, NO!! Why not get to know the optimized sound of your new speakers . . .

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In Reply to: RE: (unnecessary) mye stand mini review posted by wazoo on September 26, 2010 at 09:03:49

in stock form or, at most, with the very minor tweaks. Work on just making them sound good by varying placement, choosing optimum interconnects and speaker cable and changing out different amps and preamps if possible. You'll know when you've got a good setup when you start to hear for yourself that Maggie bass is excellent in absolute terms and, although the Mye Stands definitely can help in some individual cases, the Maggie 3.6 is a very tonally-balanced speaker system on its own. Other ways to tell when the speakers are positioned properly include: (a)when you hear very energetic dynamic aspects to a recording simultaneously with very soft aspects and each sound type has its distinct location on the sound stage. This effect is thrilling to hear on the Maggies and rarely heard on non-Maggies.

Just as you've concluded that Magnepan knew what they were doing when they designed the crossovers for their speakers, listen to other aspects of the stock Maggie sound without prejudice. You may find a rightness to the sound that definitely stands on its own. But I do think that you should become intimate with sound of the stock speaker at its best before you decide if a given tweak truly does indeed improve the sound or just serves to as band-aid to room-positioning error.

Follow Ups:

there are points of view - wazoo 09:23:19 09/27/10 (4)
and then there are extreme points of view

Alan, for the record, I have no initial intent to modify my 3.6s in any way that is remotely extreme. A pair of Mye Stands neither looks nor seems like a tweek. Instead, the stock feet simply seem like one of those reduced cost options for those who quibble over the last few hundred bucks. Installing them 'modifies' the core speaker in absolutely no way. It is not hyperbole that I and Mark (and so many others) speak when we state that these are the stands Magnepan should ship with their speakers.

To those who would interject here and ask why we shouldn't say the same thing about PG's frames, I must point to what is and isn't possible. Magnepan could provide these stands as part of the stock package. In fact, I see no reason why they shouldn't offer it as a modestly more expensive option in precisely the manner we find so familiar when we buy our cars.

The other point Mark made on my behalf is also quite apt. I'm neither unfamiliar with Magnepans nor with audio engineering principles - having dabbled in this domain for nearly 40 years now. Thank you Heathkit (in Roswell, GA (if memory serves)) for your great kits and truly wonderful instruction courses. Trust me when I say that positioning is task #1.

Positioning takes great patience as it is most tedious, especially when done by ear. I began with the Cardas calculated position. That measure factored into numerous decisions in the design of my room - screen size was a critical one. I chose a screen size below the maximum that I calculated would fit based upon the Cardas dipole positioning for my room dimensions. Those figures are at the top of the page of the running tally of my speaker positions.

I've had them tweeters out and in. After a week of the latter, I returned to the former and I'm keeping them out (although, they aren't as far apart now). I've even tried them sideways - pretty darn amazing, but the conventional arrangement works better in more seats. Once I'm satisfied that the speakers can grow roots where they're sitting, I have treatments to position. Some aspects of setting up in a new room can happen in rapid fire progression, but this takes time. I'm fully aware of that and of the importance of it.

There are lots of other changes as well. I bought a different amp and a new source. I'm working on a phono preamp to get vinyl back into the picture. I tried a Pass amp on the 3.6s before buying the bigger Pass. I like the combo - they work well together. I've had the MAP-1 (upgraded by Steve's new company) for a while now - IMO, this is how multichannel should be done. I'm only dealing with stereo so far though, and that preamp would be a keeper for its two channel performance.

I hate to disagree with you, but the 3.6s aren't too different from any other planar speaker I have ever heard in that it needs a sub. If you are getting satisfactory bass from your 3.6s then I am happy for you, but don't assume that I would be as satisfied. IMO, the 3.6 is a terrific bargain and I look at Definitive Technology's SuperCube Reference in precisely the same light. My plan was for two, but I don't think I need another one. If I spent the rest of my life searching for the perfect position for my 3.6s, they would never produce the bass that I have right now.

A few months spent nudging my speakers around seems a small payment for the many years of enjoyment I anticipate these superb speakers will give me. I'm already enjoying them - Mye Stands, and all!

"Jazz is not dead - it just smells funny" FZ
- RE: there are points of view - jharris 14:41:54 09/27/10 (1)
  What upgrades did you have done to your MAP and what difference did you hear? I now own one for the multlchannel I'm putting together so I'm a bit curious.
  
  Thanks
  - gold edition, but... - wazoo 06:04:55 09/28/10 (0)
    I can't comment on improvements because that's how I got it. It came to me straight from SMc. The guy who sent it in to be upgraded landed a deal and went back to two channel, so he offered this MAP-1 up on Audiogon. I paid ~ $2,500 for the upgraded preamp, and I can say that it was worth every penny. Unfortunately, I have no idea what it sounded like before Steve reworked it.
    I just checked the website and noticed that there aren't any details about the MAP-1 upgrade, but it's essentially identical to the RLD-1, so that description applies.
    
    "Jazz is not dead - it just smells funny" FZ
    
    Edits: 09/28/10
- RE: there are points of view - MaggieLover 10:28:54 09/27/10 (1)
  "I look at Definitive Technology's SuperCube Reference in precisely the same light. My plan was for two, but I don't think I need another one".
  
  Two subs would give you greater spacial cues and are much better at recreating the recordings original acoustic space. Its not just the quality or quantity of bass I'm referring to
  
  Maggies, because you can never be too thin!
  
  Mark
  - RE: there are points of view - Utley1 11:47:59 09/27/10 (0)
    Once you give up the synthesis of the Magnepan conception of a unified balanced speaker(I know there are crossovers) you open yourself to a whole world of alternative planar ideas. I bought them because I was tired of'hybrid' conceptions that can only fool you for so long Dynamic bass at what sonic price. (By the way most of them do a great job) I buy into the Maggie idea just as people bought into the Quad Esl 57. Only I am getting an awful lot of bass already I do miss that bottom octave but I am getting blistering clarity-no mush If I wanted another kind of hybrid sound I could buy those mixed systems. I play a lot organ music and remains tempting to add a woofer. having has a hybrid system that went down to 25hz. But it still screwed with my sonic brain. (Nevertheless i have not heard Maggies with any any bass options except the 'Vel' which both added and subtracted depending on a particular cd or musical genre... I am ready to be convinced but remain unconvinced having heard soime exceptional hybrid stats.
RE: No, NO, NO!! Why not get to know the optimized sound of your new speakers . . . - MaggieLover 07:48:19 09/27/10 (0)
Your comments would make sense if we were maggie newbies, but most of the regular posters here are extremely experienced with maggies with regard to their setup and electronics choices. Mye stands will improve an already well setup system significantly. There are a few occasional posters who don't think the Myes add any real value, and they would be entitled to their opinion. In my experience, and the experience of many others, however the addition of these stands was not only worthwhile, but necessary. Short of a better quality xover or a complete rebuild this is the best tweak available. These are the stands Magneplanar would provide in a cost no object speaker.

Maggies, because you can never be too thin!

Mark

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