[Peter Wieck]

If allowed (and I have been) to choose any one pair of semi-vintage
electrostatic speakers that:

a) are working properly.
b) have been checked by a reliable technician to verify a) above.
c) they will be given to me at no cost as a return on a past favor, so
there is really no reason to lean towards one over another nor any
'cost difference'.

1. Magnaplanar SMGa
2. Acustat Spectra 11 (not sure on that part number)
3. Magnaplanar MG-1

I will be using a Harmon-Kardon Citation 16 to drive them, which is
stable at a 2-ohm nominal load. So power and amp stability is not at
issue. I also have a Scott LK-150 if I want to drive them with tubes.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Pass? I am in no hurry for yet another pair of
speakers, so I could pass on these for now without pain or regret -
even if they are 'free'.

The room they would be serving is 14 feet x 25 feet and with a 10 foot
ceiling, two glass-paned French doors to the exterior, large window,
fireplace and paneled French entry door. Floors are carpeted hardwood,
walls are horsehair plaster, furniture is 'comfortable' but the room
will be pretty lively.

Thanks in advance.

Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA

[Kalman Rubinson]

The Magnaplanars are not electrostatic speakers.

Kal

On 24 Jan 2008 23:10:37 GMT, Peter Wieck wrote:

If allowed (and I have been) to choose any one pair of semi-vintage
electrostatic speakers that:

a) are working properly.
b) have been checked by a reliable technician to verify a) above.
c) they will be given to me at no cost as a return on a past favor, so
there is really no reason to lean towards one over another nor any
'cost difference'.

1. Magnaplanar SMGa
2. Acustat Spectra 11 (not sure on that part number)
3. Magnaplanar MG-1

I will be using a Harmon-Kardon Citation 16 to drive them, which is
stable at a 2-ohm nominal load. So power and amp stability is not at
issue. I also have a Scott LK-150 if I want to drive them with tubes.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Pass? I am in no hurry for yet another pair of
speakers, so I could pass on these for now without pain or regret -
even if they are 'free'.

The room they would be serving is 14 feet x 25 feet and with a 10 foot
ceiling, two glass-paned French doors to the exterior, large window,
fireplace and paneled French entry door. Floors are carpeted hardwood,
walls are horsehair plaster, furniture is 'comfortable' but the room
will be pretty lively.

Thanks in advance.

Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA

[Arny Krueger]

"Peter Wieck" wrote in message


If allowed (and I have been) to choose any one pair of
semi-vintage electrostatic speakers that:

a) are working properly.
b) have been checked by a reliable technician to verify
a) above.
c) they will be given to me at no cost as a return on a
past favor, so there is really no reason to lean towards
one over another nor any 'cost difference'.

1. Magnaplanar SMGa

Not electrostatic

2. Acustat Spectra 11 (not sure on that part number)

The only electrostats in the list.

3. Magnaplanar MG-1

Not electrostatic

[Sonnova]

On Thu, 24 Jan 2008 15:10:37 -0800, Peter Wieck wrote
(in article ):

If allowed (and I have been) to choose any one pair of semi-vintage
electrostatic speakers that:

a) are working properly.
b) have been checked by a reliable technician to verify a) above.
c) they will be given to me at no cost as a return on a past favor, so
there is really no reason to lean towards one over another nor any
'cost difference'.

1. Magnaplanar SMGa
2. Acustat Spectra 11 (not sure on that part number)
3. Magnaplanar MG-1

I will be using a Harmon-Kardon Citation 16 to drive them, which is
stable at a 2-ohm nominal load. So power and amp stability is not at
issue. I also have a Scott LK-150 if I want to drive them with tubes.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Pass? I am in no hurry for yet another pair of
speakers, so I could pass on these for now without pain or regret -
even if they are 'free'.

The room they would be serving is 14 feet x 25 feet and with a 10 foot
ceiling, two glass-paned French doors to the exterior, large window,
fireplace and paneled French entry door. Floors are carpeted hardwood,
walls are horsehair plaster, furniture is 'comfortable' but the room
will be pretty lively.

Thanks in advance.

Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA

Nobody, can, of course, make your decision for you, but I know all of these
speakers well. Here are my thoughts on each:

1. Magnaplanar SMGa

By far the best sounding of the bunch. While not electrostatic (all Maggies
are planar-dynamic. That means that they have a "voice grid" glued to the
diaphragm and this grid is placed between the poles of magnets that are
lined-up in rows on the steel screen in front of the speaker. When a signal
goes through the wires it creates a magnetic field which is alternately
attracted to and repelled at an audio rate by the permanent magnets affixed
to the screen in front of the diaphragm. This causes the diaphragm to move
and produce sound). The SMGs are small speakers in that they are only about 4
ft high and about 2 ft wide and 1.5 inches deep, but they are later
technology than the MG-1 and therefore much better. Not a lot of bass (50 Hz)
and nothing much above 15KHz, but very clean and musical.

2. Acustat Spectra 11 (not sure on that part number)

The Acoustats have a dynamic range problem that's really annoying. The
transformers that feed the electrostatic elements aren't very well designed
seem to saturate very easily causing a nasty dynamic compression whereby the
music, when it is supposed to get louder, doesn't. It reaches a point where
it just gets squashed and sounds more and more congested and distorted the
louder the performers play. Also, the cone woofer is a very poor mate to the
ES panels. When I had a pair, I replaced the cone woofers that came in them
with a pair of raw 8-inchers from Radio Shack of all places and it was a big
improvement! These speakers are a lot like Martin-Logans but nowhere near as
good. I'd stay away.

3. Magnaplanar MG-1

MG-1 are the original Magnepan MG series. They have heavy diaphragms and
heavy aluminum wire voice grids. The voice grids are are glued to the
diaphragm using a goop-like greenish-gray glue that, when hit by ultraviolet
light, changes its chemical properties and starts to eat the aluminum wire,
eventually causing the voice grid to fail. All early Magnaplanar speakers
have this problem, and even working ones have voice grids that have eaten
away to almost nothing in places. They may work today and for years to come
or one of them may fail tomorrow (that problem had been solved by the time
that the SMGa came along). Also the magnets used on the MG-1 are very weak
compared to later models (they are essentially the 3M flexible "refrigerator
door" magnets), so the MG-1 are very inefficient and require a lot of power.
Thirdly, the thick, heavy mylar diaphragm has poor bass response (60 Hz) for
their size and not much in the way of highs. They were novel in 1975, but not
really very good speakers. The first MG to sound decent was the MG-2 and it
too had the problem of the glue eating the voice grid. I know that you can
send the speakers back to Magnepan and have them rebuilt, and I'm sure that
the rebuilt ones use the newest thin, light mylar and a lighter voice grid
and new glues that don't attack the wire, but I can't say how much that
improves their performance.

[Peter Wieck]

On Jan 24, 8:09*pm, "Arny Krueger" wrote:
"Peter Wieck" wrote in message



If allowed (and I have been) to choose any one pair of
semi-vintage electrostatic speakers that:

a) are working properly.
b) have been checked by a reliable technician to verify
a) above.
c) they will be given to me at no cost as a return on a
past favor, so there is really no reason to lean towards
one over another nor any 'cost difference'.

1. Magnaplanar SMGa

Not electrostatic

2. Acustat Spectra 11 (not sure on that part number)

The only electrostats in the list.

3. Magnaplanar MG-1

Not electrostatic

OK... and fine, and thanks. But the question remains: of the three,
which would _you_ pick for the need? Or none?

Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA

[Peter Wieck]

On Jan 24, 8:17*pm, Sonnova wrote:
On Thu, 24 Jan 2008 15:10:37 -0800, Peter Wieck wrote
(in article ):





If allowed (and I have been) to choose any one pair of semi-vintage
electrostatic speakers that:

a) are working properly.
b) have been checked by a reliable technician to verify a) above.
c) they will be given to me at no cost as a return on a past favor, so
there is really no reason to lean towards one over another nor any
'cost difference'.

1. Magnaplanar SMGa
2. Acustat Spectra 11 (not sure on that part number)
3. Magnaplanar MG-1

I will be using a Harmon-Kardon Citation 16 to drive them, which is
stable at a 2-ohm nominal load. So power and amp stability is not at
issue. I also have a Scott LK-150 if I want to drive them with tubes.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Pass? I am in no hurry for yet another pair of
speakers, so I could pass on these for now without pain or regret -
even if they are 'free'.

The room they would be serving is 14 feet x 25 feet and with a 10 foot
ceiling, two glass-paned French doors to the exterior, large window,
fireplace and paneled French entry door. Floors are carpeted hardwood,
walls are horsehair plaster, furniture is 'comfortable' but the room
will be pretty lively.

Thanks in advance.

Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA

Nobody, can, of course, make your decision for you, but I know all of these
speakers well. Here are my thoughts on each:

1. Magnaplanar SMGa

By far the best sounding of the bunch. While not electrostatic (all Maggies
are planar-dynamic. That means that they have a "voice grid" glued to the
diaphragm and this grid is placed between the poles of magnets that are
lined-up in rows on the steel screen in front of the speaker. When a signal
goes through the wires it creates a magnetic field which is alternately
attracted to and repelled at an audio rate by the permanent magnets affixed
to the screen in front of the diaphragm. This causes the diaphragm to move
and produce sound). The SMGs are small speakers in that they are only about 4
ft high and about 2 ft wide and 1.5 inches deep, but they are later
technology than the MG-1 and therefore much better. Not a lot of bass (50 Hz)
and nothing much above 15KHz, but very clean and musical.

2. Acustat Spectra 11 (not sure on that part number)

The Acoustats have a dynamic range problem that's really annoying. The
transformers that feed the electrostatic elements aren't very well designed
seem to saturate very easily causing a nasty dynamic compression whereby the
music, when it is supposed to get louder, doesn't. It reaches a point where
it just gets squashed and sounds more and more congested and distorted the
louder the performers play. Also, the cone woofer is a very poor mate to the
ES panels. When I had a pair, I replaced the cone woofers that came in them
with a pair of raw 8-inchers from Radio Shack of all places and it was a big
improvement! These speakers are a lot like Martin-Logans but nowhere near as
good. I'd stay away.

3. Magnaplanar MG-1

MG-1 are the original Magnepan MG series. They have heavy diaphragms and
heavy aluminum wire voice grids. The voice grids are are glued to the
diaphragm using a goop-like greenish-gray glue that, when hit by ultraviolet
light, changes its chemical properties and starts to eat the aluminum wire,
eventually causing the voice grid to fail. All early Magnaplanar speakers
have this problem, and even working ones have voice grids that have eaten
away to almost nothing in places. They may work today and for years to come
or one of them may fail tomorrow (that problem had been solved by the time
that the SMGa came along). Also the magnets used on the MG-1 are very weak
compared to later models (they are essentially the 3M flexible "refrigerator
door" magnets), so the MG-1 are very inefficient and require a lot of power.
Thirdly, the thick, heavy mylar diaphragm has poor bass response (60 Hz) for
their size and not much in the way of highs. They were novel in 1975, but not
really very good speakers. The first MG to sound decent was the MG-2 and it
too had the problem of the glue eating the voice grid. I know that you can
send the speakers back to Magnepan and have them rebuilt, and I'm sure that
the rebuilt ones use the newest thin, light mylar and a lighter voice grid
and new glues that don't attack the wire, but I can't say how much that
improves their performance. *- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Many thanks. We are going with the SMGa units. One other individual
chimed in off-line giving the same wisdom.

Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA

[JimC]

Peter Wieck wrote:
If allowed (and I have been) to choose any one pair of semi-vintage
electrostatic speakers that:

a) are working properly.
b) have been checked by a reliable technician to verify a) above.
c) they will be given to me at no cost as a return on a past favor, so
there is really no reason to lean towards one over another nor any
'cost difference'.

1. Magnaplanar SMGa
2. Acustat Spectra 11 (not sure on that part number)
3. Magnaplanar MG-1

I will be using a Harmon-Kardon Citation 16 to drive them, which is
stable at a 2-ohm nominal load. So power and amp stability is not at
issue. I also have a Scott LK-150 if I want to drive them with tubes.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Pass? I am in no hurry for yet another pair of
speakers, so I could pass on these for now without pain or regret -
even if they are 'free'.

The room they would be serving is 14 feet x 25 feet and with a 10 foot
ceiling, two glass-paned French doors to the exterior, large window,
fireplace and paneled French entry door. Floors are carpeted hardwood,
walls are horsehair plaster, furniture is 'comfortable' but the room
will be pretty lively.

Thanks in advance.

Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA

Does your note mean that you can get ANY semi-vintage speakers that meet
your criteria, or only any of the three speakers listed? If the former,
I think that you should consider some larger/better choices. - You have
quite a large room, and I think larger speakers would be a better
choice. If you like the Maggies (though not electrostatic, as already
mentioned), consider the 1.6 or 3.6 (sometimes available used) along
with a sub of some kind.

Jim Cate

[Peter Wieck]

On Jan 28, 6:32*pm, JimC wrote:

Does your note mean that you can get ANY semi-vintage speakers that meet
your criteria, or only any of the three speakers listed? *

Just of the three listed. But I have a considerable range of speakers
already in the inventory, including AR3a, ARM5, AR Athena (sub-sat),
Revox Piccolo (sub-sat) and several similar around and between.

Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA