Magnepan MG1.6 QR: B&O Killers!
Written: Jun 12 '01
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Pros: Transparrent Sound, Superior to B&O, Excellent Everything!
Cons: Tall, Need A Very Powerful Amp To Make These Shine!
The Bottom Line: Read my 'Verdict'
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| soupcraze's Full Review: Magnepan MG1.6 QR Speaker |
Do I have too much time on my hands??? Nah, at least I do productive things. I drive around with friends from store to store pretending that I'd buy something. I listen to a lot of hifi equipment. Well, I heard a lot of people rave about Magnepan as a brand, and everyone praised the Magnepan MG1.6 QR. Well, I decided to check these out. Here's what I found with the Magnepan MG1.6 QR:
Price:
Expensive? For what you get, I wouldn't say so. These fall into the same price range as the Acoustic Research AR7s and are significantly cheaper than any Bang and Olufsen innovations. With the Magnepan MG1.6 QR, you are not paying for the name, but you are paying for quality. On the other hand, you pay for the name 'Bang and Olufsen', and you get jack ::profane word::. The Magnepan MG1.6 QR are simply incredible speakers. They did sound better than the B&Ws, but there's one problem with the Magnepan MG1.6 QR speakers. You need a really powerful and expensive amplifier to make these things truly shine. If you've got such an amplifier from brands such as Krell, McIntosh, Tag Mclaren, etc... Then you're all set. If you don't want to spend major dollars on an amplifier, you may want the Acoustic Research AR7s. They will run fine on a reciever such as the Marantz EX series recievers.
Looks and Styling:
The Magnepan MG1.6 QRs are very tall exotic speakers. I find them quite attractive. They may not be as attractive as the Bang and Olufsen Penta speakers, but they offer sound that doesn't sound like ::profane word::. These will be sure to make your room look like a total hifi area. They are tall and very sleek looking, just the way many audiophiles like em'!
Durability:
Magnepan speakers aren't known for having problems. Hey, these aren't Bang and Olufsen are they?! Magnepan makes very high quality speakers, and these shouldn't be an exception. Plus, it's quite rare to have problems with electronics if they come from respectable brands.
Sound:
The sound on the Magnepan MG1.6 QRs was no less than incredible! These are excellent for the price. You'll probably get more than you'd expect with the Magnepan MG1.6 QR speakers. The sound was transparrent. You can just close your eyes and picture where every instrument or vocalist is. They are that great. They worked perfectly with music, and home theater. I actually found the Magnepan MG1.6 QR to be very comparable with the much cheaper Paradigm Monitor11s. The Magnepan MG1.6 QRs also proved themselves far more superior to the Bang and Olufsen Pentas, and superior to their whole line of products! The Magnepan MG1.6 QRs are truly Bang and Olufsen killers! In performance tests, they prove themselves superior in every aspect. The only thing that the Magnepan MG1.6 QRs lack are heart pounding bass. The truth is, I don't expect that from any speaker unless it has built-in subwoofers. I rely on a powered subwoofer to give me the bass that I crave. Overall, the Magnepan MG1.6 QRs have incredible imaging, and the sound is incredibly natural. You can't go wrong with the Magnepan MG1.6 QRs.
Bass:
The bass response was allritey. It was weaker than the response on my Monitor11s, but it was still sufficient. But, if you're already going to spend so much money on speakers, then I'm sure you'd buy yourself a powered subwoofer.
The Verdict:
The Maggies are excellent speakers! You can drive them with a 100Watts x 5 reciever, but they sound better with a more powerful amplifier. Overall, they hit every point of the spectrum with near perfection. They are at the top of the class. They do lack a lot of slamming bass, but that's what a powered subwoofer is for. Compare the Magnepan MG1.6 QR to Bang and Olufsen speakers? NO WAY! That would be completely crazy. Even the Pentas are completely inferior to the Magnepan MG1.6 QR speakers. They are ideal for home theater and music alike. In order to get most out of the Magnepan MG1.6 QRs, you will want a very powerful top-of-the-line amplifier from brands such as McIntosh. Placement is also very critical with these speakers. These are some of the best in the ~$1,500 range!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1500
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soupcraze
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Member: Soup Enthusiast
Location: Chicago, Illinois
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I enjoy many of life's passions... Music, medicine, people, and life itself.
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