Planar Speaker Asylum Welcome! Need support, you got it. Or share your ideas and experiences.

---

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] Thread: [ Display  All  Email ] [ Planar Speaker Asylum ] [ Return to Search Results ]

---

[ Alert Moderator ]

---

New set-up...

Posted by Audiophilander (A) on June 13, 2014 at 11:28:06

The last time I posted in this forum was something like seven or eight years ago (if memory serves). Around that time we'd moved and my listening room changed from a converted garage to a much larger Victorian wood paneled room, with a vaulted ceiling. Until recently I've been a loyal Gallo Reference owner (the Gallo's CDT basically being a tubed planar). To make a short story longer, I went through Gallo Reference 3.2 and 3.5, neither as satisfying as the original eyeball speakers (Gallo Nucleus Solos) in a converted garage, and having moved my new listening room has proven to be much too large for Gallos.

In early May I finally decided to take the plunge (again) and auditioned Maggies (this was my second Maggie audition, since auditioning 1.6s many years ago with less than satisfying results). This time I came prepared with a lot of different recordings (CD & SACD), familiarizing myself with them immediately prior to making an appointment with our A/V dealer who had ample time to position the speakers I wanted to hear in a listening room of his choosing (my wife came along because I wanted her impression/blessing before pulling the trigger). Also, I had a different model in mind for this time around, the well reviewed 3.7i.

Most of the audition was unexceptional (not at all bad, but not mind-blowing, much as it had been with the 1.6s many years before). The dealer's McIntosh amplification and Rythmik subwoofer used to augment a few of the hi-rez tracks just didn't impress me (could've been the smallish room set-up or lack of beefy enough bass augmentation on hi-res tracks or maybe the need for better tube gear upstream of the amplification), ...BUT on some discs (Audio Fidelity mastered Warren Zevon, for instance) the Maggies really grabbed me viscerally and a little voice in my head said "in your rig, these speakers could be exceptional, ...take a chance!" So, with my spousal unit's blessing, I pulled the trigger.

Boy, was that the right move.

Fast forward six weeks). Less than 10 days since set-up and still being blown away by the depth and hair-raising SQ (it just gets better & better). I realize these babies have a long way to go to reach full potential, but if this were it, I'm already satisfied. My only regret is the years wasted listening to Gallo Nucleus References (3.2 & 3.5) in an environment well beyond their capabilities.

My Gallo Nuc. Ref. 3.5 are in the process of being sold by our Dallas Maggie dealer (great speakers for a small to mid-size room with suitable amplification). In the meantime, I'm temporally using one of the original Gallo Solos for HT center channel and my two stand-mounted Gallo Strada backs (hidden) are serving for HT fronts (those will either be sold or remounted higher on the wall and used only for HT). A more practical high contrast 16:9 grey screen is in the works. Mye stands were ordered from Grant shortly after I purchased the 3.7i (those haven't arrived yet). And there you have it.

BTW, I haven't changed my member system set-up in several years (too busy), but what is currently driving my Maggies amplification wise is a Quad 909 amp. Upstream, I have an Audible Illusions L3B pre-amp and A/V source (CD/SACD/DVD-A/BD) ModWright Oppo. The only thing I'm thinking of changing past the Mye stands is maybe beefing up the amplification (perhaps Bryston or Sanders). Opinions, welcome.

Cheers,
AuPh (in system transition)

PS: Lost image in edit; had to re-edit (D'oh!)

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

VH Audio

---

[ Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]

---

[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]

---