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Wake up Maggie [message #24754] Thu, 15 June 2006 23:15 Go to next message
MWG is currently offline  MWG
Messages: 344
Registered: May 2009
Grand Master
I finally finished the tweeter repair on the MG1's I bought a while back. I found all the wood but can't find the screws to put them together. I repainted the cheap bases and have to order new socks. I have decided to go with the black socks instead of the original white. White would be a problem in a shop

I hooked it up to the Yamaha M-50 I bought to run them and plugged the cd player right into the amp. They sound pretty good but I think I'll keep the Valencias yet

I think these would be great for Jazz or Classical music or even R&R that doesn't have a heavy bass beat in it. The shop just isn't a good place to set them up but it's what I have.

The soundstage is great but instrument placement is non-exisitent. I probably need to move them around and find the best spot.

Has anyone replaced the caps in the X-over on MG1's? If so what values and brand did you use? Thanks.

Re: Wake up Maggie [message #24755 is a reply to message #24754] Sat, 17 June 2006 10:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently online  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18738
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

You know, those MG1's must be the best deal for Maggies. Very low cost, great imaging. The ones I've heard in the stores give great imaging, sort of a tiny little microcosm soundstage. Seems like there was a post down a way on the page about swapping the crossover components on MG1's for better parts.

Re: Wake up Maggie [message #24756 is a reply to message #24755] Sat, 17 June 2006 18:31 Go to previous messageGo to next message
MWG is currently offline  MWG
Messages: 344
Registered: May 2009
Grand Master
I somehow thought that stringing the new tweeter wire was a big deal. After I started I realized it was not a major thing at all.

I paid 100.00 for them and my only expense will be for new socks and caps. Their soundstage is about 5 times wider than my Altecs.

The room is so small the Altecs are only 5' apart and they need room to breathe before you get a decent soundstage. I had them in the corners of a 12' wide and 16' long room once and they really sounded their best then. There was a 8' couch at the end wall and you could sit anywhere on that couch and you were in the sweet spot.

Re: Wake up Maggie [message #24759 is a reply to message #24754] Fri, 04 August 2006 10:29 Go to previous messageGo to next message
jpvanson is currently offline  jpvanson
Messages: 6
Registered: May 2009
Esquire
Hey Mike, missed this message. In my MG-Is, the crossover cap is 12 mfd, but the inductor is unlabeled. I replaced the caps with equal value Solens polypropylene, but didn't hear any audible difference between them and the stock electrolytics. Something that was quite surprising considering my positive experience with this action in other speakers. I suspect that the inductor might be worth upgrading as well to a good foil type, but the value is the question.

The one schematic circulating the internet for the MG-I crossover is wrong wrt the capacitor stating that it's 13 mfd. Thus the figure given for inductor at 0.33mH is suspect as well. My very rough, quick'n'dirty calculations indicated a value of 0.30mH. Well, that's pretty close considering, so you might not hear a difference betwixt the twain provided the same is done with both.

Something to keep in mind is that no matter what you do to the Maggies, they'll always be a bit veiled. They just don't reproduce low level detail all that well (especially at low volumes) and won't have the same transparency as you've become accustomed to with the Altecs. Of course, the first time some fine female vocals give you goosebumps, you won't care.

- JP

Re: Wake up Maggie [message #24764 is a reply to message #24754] Mon, 02 October 2006 21:04 Go to previous message
RickeyM is currently offline  RickeyM
Messages: 2
Registered: May 2009
Esquire
The well known weak link in Magneplanars are the low quality crossover components and connection terminal hardware. This makes the upgrade path easy to follow.
On the MUG tweaks page, they have a x-over schematic for an "improved" MG1. It seems Magnepan, at one point, revised the crossover points for the MG1. The values are 20Mfd for the high-pass and .67mH for the inductor. Magnepan uses Solens in some of their models and they're usually the first parts swapped out in an upgrade. I used Jantzen CrossCaps bypassed with a .1Mfd Theta AudioCap on my MMG's for the tweeter panel and they sound great.
Two pair of 10Mfd Jantzen caps and a pair of Theta bypass caps will cost you about $28 at Parts Express and a pair of Jantzen .68mH, 15ga inductors about $23.
The new, higher quality parts w/the revised values should "Wake Up Maggie(s).

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