M700's, DirectStream DAC & Magnepan

Loudspeakers
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Hello:

Like many PS Audio customers, I was intrigued by those Magnepan speakers (aka Maggie’s) that “Uncle Paul” always talks about in his YouTube videos. After learning more about them, I finally took the plunge.

Anybody here have any experience with Magnepan .7 speakers? There isn’t much “official” information on their recommended break in time. Out of the box I literally heard them “open up” a bit after about 45 minutes of listening. I just would like to know how many hours I should give them to break in before critical listening.

For you spec lovers, I am using them with the PS Audio Stellar M700 monoblocks, AudioQuest Monsoon High-Current Power Cables, PS Audio DirectStream DAC with Bridge II, AudioQuest Water XLR Interconnects, AudioQuest Rocket 33 Speaker Cables, dual PS Audio Dectet Power Centers and PS Audio Power Port Classic Wall Outlets. The source is an Intel Core i7 NUC running Roon ROCK connected to a HD Plex 200W Linear Power Supply.

I am listening to them with and without subwoofers just to get a feel for their bass output. I have dual REL T/7i Subwoofers connected high level.

I hope to experience them with an active crossover many Maggie enthusiasts rave about.

Audiophile Test Tracks (partial):
Lee Ritenour - Smoke ‘N’ Mirrors
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Tin Pan Alley (aka Roughest Place in Town)
Boz Scaggs - Thanks to You
Fourplay - 101 Eastbound (2020 Remastered)
London Grammer - Hey Now
Ella Vos - White Noise
Brian Bromberg - The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers
Sophia Pfister - Birdcage
Anette Askvik - Liberty
Billie Eilish - everything i wanted
Nils Lofgren - Keith Don’t Go
Fourplay - Quicksilver
Mammal Hands - In the Treetops
Self-Quarantine - Don Grusin
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones - Flight of the Cosmic Hippo
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five
Daft Punk - Lose Yourself to Dance
Your Love is King (2014 version) - Sade

Thanks,

Byrdman

1 Like
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I have 3.7is and I would guess they needed a couple hundred hours to settle in. It’s hard to imagine .7s wouldn’t be similar. You might also want to place a call to Magnepan. When I bought my 3.7is, I did it knowing I would replace the black bases with natural cherry. I could have waited for the speakers to arrive and reverse engineered the stands but I wanted to mount the bases when I got the speakers and be done with it. Magnepan sent me the drawing for the base and I had them completed when the speakers arrived. They did the same for me with my DWM bass panels. More than anything with Magnepans, play with your set up. Magnepans can be very fussy about placement.

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I’ve had .7s for about 18 months now (I owned MG1s many years ago). I also happen to power them with a pair of M700s. As far as burning in is concerned, I found the speakers got to a fairly stable point in terms of tone and timbre in about 40 or 50 hours, but bass continued to develop for another 100 or so. Your mileage, as they say, may vary.

For context, here’s my whole chain, modest as it is:

Sources
VPI Scout with Ortofon 2M Bronze through a Channel Islands Audio PEQ1 MkII phono preamp w upgraded power supply
Marantz SA8005 SACD player, analog out
NuPrime CDT-8 Pro CD transport upsampling to 128 DSD output via I2S to SGCD
Bluesound Node 2i for streaming from Tidal, Qobuz and local files
iMac Roon Core for another couple of weeks, after which I’m dropping the service.

Amplification
PSA SGCD preamp/DAC
PSA M700s

Speakers
Magnepan .7s
Hsu Research VTF2 MkII sub

Cables
interconnects by Morrow, Audioquest, Kimber, LAT International
Kimber PR-8 speaker cables
One PSA power cable
One Signal Cable power cable

AC Power
Dedicated circuit with 2 PSA duplex wall receptacles
PSA Ultimate Outlet for the turntable motor and the subwoofer amp
PSA Stellar P3 regenerator for everything else.

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Do you have pics of your cherry stands?? :slight_smile:

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I had 20.7 Maggie’s. I left them running straight while I was gone for 4 days over a long weekend. Using mostly bass oriented music. My guess is you will see improvement through 50.hours maybe longer.

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Hi All

Thank you very much for bring up the topic of PS gear with Magnepan

I’m in the middle of choosing the speakers to upgrade sounding part
Honestly i’m a fan of Monitor Audio for its voice and apperance - Gold 200 gen 5 is in my wish list.
However, in finacial perspective, paying for almost double price vs the Gold 100 which is bookshelf with 2 ways.
Then i’ve heard alot of new rising star ribbon speaker - Magnepan is the name and start thinking about it. Listening the demo of 0.7 on youtube i found it is true amazing at details and clarity high , mid is so nice - BUT the price is almost a half of the Gold 200 i’m wishing to buy and saving money for it.

My tastes of music is crystal clear high with very details , mid is full and not so deep, all ranges should be very separated with each others.
The low is not really my concern since i’m having the Rel T7i for the low bass enhancement.
So should the 0.7 be worth considering to change my mind ?
And the Magnepan LRS is worth considering too ?

Thank you and i’m expecting to hear your advises

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I did a lot of research on Magnepan. The consensus is both the LRS and the .7 are both fantastic. If you’ve got the room space and cash, go .7. Either way, you will be happy as long as you have room and a “compatible” amplifier.

Byrdman

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I’m having
M700s + GDC + Monitor Audio Siver 100
AD rocket 33 speaker and MacKenzie XLR connect GDC to M700s
My wish is the Gold 200 floorstanding
However sufing YouTube and here i start thinking of Magnepan since the Gold 200 gen 5 is $4500 as of now. the LRS or .7 are just 1/3 or 1/2 $$$ vs the Gold200 - $4500
that makes me change my thinking

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Listen to Maggies.
Listen to Martin Logan Electrostats.
Listen to Monitor Audio Gold 200.
In order for you to find out what sounds good to you with the music you will listen to.

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Congrats on your system! Enjoy!

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Just to avoid consumer confusion, that 3rd video is inaccurate in their naming of the bigger speaker. There is no “i” designation on the .7.

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Timm asked if I had pictures of the stands. There’s a sawmill about 7 mile from my house. I walked in and ask if there was any chance he had a cherry board over 14" wide? He had the piece the two main stand came from. It was about 50" long and close to 16" wide, and 1 1/4" thick. Perfect for my use. The stock for the DWM bass panels was much easier to find.! There are probably audiophile stands available that would do more for the sound. I built 3 leveling feet into each stand so contact with the floor is pretty solid. It works for me. 3.7i 1|690x326

3.7i 3
3.7i 31908×4032 1.03 MB
3.7i 2
3.7i 24032×1908 1.39 MB
3.7i 4
3.7i 41908×4032 1.8 MB

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I’ve got the .7’s and they do sound good.

I know people say they are super fussy about amplification and placement, but how many people here futz with different amplifiers constantly, and have little blue tape on their floors for where their speakers go, regardless of what they have in their system? I think they sound good regardless of placement, but if you like to futz, futz away. However, I would say they benefit from a bit of space behind them, if you’re going to turn things up. (The sound emanates from both sides of the panel, so it might be an issue if your front wall is really reflective.

I’ve had them powered by both a Parasound HINT6 integrated amp as well as a Rogue Audio Sphinx V3. Both amps have plenty of power/current for the Maggies, but I’m never listening at rock-concert levels.

I listen to jazz, well-recorded rock and acoustic stuff mostly. Some classical. If I was a heavy metal or arena rock guy, I don’t think that these would be my choice. The tweeters are on the outer third of each speaker panel, so you can play with the soundstage/focus by swapping the position around. I generally preferred the tweeters to the outside for a wider soundstage. It’s subtle, tho.

Anyway, the biggest issue I have with magnepans is how they look. Some people LOVE the panel look to them and, if they’re in a dedicated listening room, it really makes no difference. I had them in my living room, and I didn’t like the office-space cubicle vibe. (Part of the puzzle, I’ll admit, is picking out the right fabric and trim combo for your space.) I built some walnut feet for them, as I didn’t like either the stock tilted-L brackets or the acrylic oval base.

The pandemic made me go full-on crazy, and I splurged on some Harbeth 30.2 XD’s for my living room. So I moved the Magnepans down to a small tv room in the basement. It’s kind of fun having a refuge away from the main part of the house, and I must admit, they sound better than I thought they would in this small space. (The back of the room is open to the rest of the basement, so it “sounds” larger than it is.) I also changed out the cream socks for black ones, so they basically disappear in the room.

Anyway, they’re a really good value for the sound you get from them. Can’t really go wrong, I don’t think.

Here are a few pics of them in the different locations, if you’re interested.

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My listening room is a little hard to photograph, and it’s a work in progress, so I offer these pics with a bit of trepidation. The sharp-eyed observer will note that these were taken before a few upgrades, including the M700s and the Stellar P3. And while it can’t be seen easily here, there is painters’ tape on the floor behind them. :wink:

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Hay Craig, What is the brand of your basement chair? Looks really nice.

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You mean the Ikea black leather or the other one? :smile: Chris has the basement setup, I think.

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You know EVERY Magnepan stand other than the included L-stand looks ABSOLUTELY HIDEOUS to me. But I could live with those. Well done.

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well, if you do mean mine…

The cream leather one in the first basement pic we bought for a photo shoot at our office. Tag on bottom says “McCreary Modern” and I’m guessing we got it at Room and Board.

In the next photo there’s the blue-green one, and that was a cheapy vintage church-rummage special. The back kind of does a springy rocking thing and I think it’s more comfortable than the fancy one. :slight_smile:

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I assume since I never mentioned my room was in the basement that you meant to ask Chris. :wink:

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It was you sir!