Topic: Magneplanar Magnepan SMGa Ribbon Speaker ??

[Gutbucket]

I was looking at something like the XPA-3 to power my front three B&W802s.  let me know if you give the Emotiva a go and what you think.

[Jimna]

I was looking at something like the XPA-3 to power my front three B&W802s.  let me know if you give the Emotiva a go and what you think.

i will, plenty of reviews are on the web though.  very few bad reviews on the entire XPA line in general, but the XPA-1 & 2 seem to get accolades from audiophiles using them in a reference application all round.   poor mans Cadillac?

[Tim]

my front three B&W802s. 

Nice rig.

[Gutbucket]

my front three B&W802s. 

Nice rig.

Workin' on it.  Got a great deal on these last year- one pair from a friend pairing down to live on a boat, and a second from a Craigs listing that needed a woofer replaced and a touch of solder to fix a broken crossover coil.  Still need to get the rest of the system and room in order but these smoke my old mid 80's Infinity towers.. I miss the EMIT tweeters sometimes (the quasi-planar fan in me?), but that's a minor quip in comparison.  Now I'd like to see what they'll do with some superior juice reserves, since everyone tells me that's when they really shine.  One step at a time..

[Tim]

keep us posted!

[utahtaper]

cool thanks for all the info.  I think i'm going to pick them up.

I was looking at those too. Here's the problem, you do know that one of the speakers is not working properly, correct? $150 sounds good but I would suspect that if you can't repair them yourself that it could easily become more expensive sending them in for repair than it would to just save a little more money and buy a set of them in working condition. Just my two cents but I called the guy as well and was thinking about buying them too but when those ADS L1290's popped up in the same classifieds I had to go for them instead.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

original panels?  i love the CLS for a ton of reasons, i really want a set, but a set of spires would be ok too.  martin logans are the bomb!   i have read any set that old will require a new set of panels which i looked into and would run about 1500$.   still worth it for a world class hifi speaker that cost 5x that new.

My original panels were defective and replaced under warranty.   However, I would strongly disagree that any old set would require new panels.  It just ain't so based on mine.  Are they as good as new?  No, but they aren't $2k either..

Everybody should try electrostatics (or quasi-) at least once.  Very unique sonic quality.  I had MMG's for a few years and loved them.  In the end, it was their very small sweet spot (and a very good deal on a pair of VR4's) that caused me to sell them.

That's a very funny coincidence!

[Scooter123]

I owned the Planars.  Very finicky speaker insofar as placement goes.  I've had them in some rooms and they sound great and other rooms and they sound weak.  Certainly a subtle, not a punchy JBL type speaker, often needs the assistance of subwoofer. 

I would ask to have them set up in your home as a precondition of buying them. 

Frankly, they were too finicky insofar as placement, for my tastes and I sold them to my roomate, who enjoys them to this day.  And in his set up they sound great.

I moved down to Vandersteen's with a Subwoofer. 

[Jimna]

the problem with properly setting up dipole speakers(which all none box style transducers are like ESL or Planar types) is the rear waves.  if not treated they can cause all sorts of phasing issues as they bounce off the front wall and cancel out the front wave depending on how close they are to the front.  most high end speakers are finicky to setup, even some box speakers, but are worth it in the end as they render high results.  but they certainly arent for everyone.

[Nick's Picks]

IMO, I wouldn't bother F'n around w/a broken pair of SMGa's for $150 when you can get nice used pair of MMGs (latest gen) for $250 all day long.
why screw around with "what if" speakers.

[Chilly Brioschi]

I agree with Nick

and if I was building from the ground up...
I'd get the biggest pair of Martin Logan hybrids I could and be done with it.

MLs are definitely my next purchase

[Nick's Picks]

I agree with Nick

and if I was building from the ground up...
I'd get the biggest pair of Martin Logan hybrids I could and be done with it.

MLs are definitely my next purchase

Q.F.T. !
the ML's to seek (SIZE MATTERS)
- Sequal I, II or SL3.   Can be found in the $600 > $1300 range  (all of which were precursors to the Ascent)
- Ascent, Ascenti :  in the $1800 > 2k range.  better bass response, redesigned cabinet and Xovers from the SL3.
- Quest, Quest Z, ReQuest : next size up from the ones above.  Was replaced by the Odyssey
- Odyssey, Prodigy ...., kick ass (but huge, heavy and pricey).

The newer models are way better than any of these, but these are all very, very high end ESL's that will absolutely floor any listener when in the right room, in the right spot, and w/the right power amp.

[Jimna]

damn do i want a full panel like the CLS.  first thing i do when i hit the lottery is by a set of CLX, i like the bubinga finish myself.

[Nick's Picks]

I"d be very happy w/a pair of the new Vantages (<$3k).  and a stud w/the Summit.

as for the list above, I've never owned any of the Quest line.  that is a huge panel, and prob a 12" whoofer, at min.
the sound-stage on something like that must be unreal.

the downside...is $$
You'll read time and again that panels (MLs in particularly, lots to read out there) are transparent, and really react with the rest of the gear upstream....and you can take that w/a grain of salt.  After all, it must be nice when you are a reviewer and have 4 or 5 $10k amps laying around to play with..., and that excludes the vast majority of us.

you can cheap it.... if you do your homework and a lot of leg work looking for the right used gear.  but big panels want big watts, and..in my experience,  they respond to various "quality of wattage" signals strongly.  I've had a few of the SL3/Sequal sized ML's and a lot of various amps.  class A, A-B, B, D, T..., ICEpower B&O based systems, Tubes and various Solid State.  It wasn't until I got into a pair of Odyssey Stratus Extreme mono blocks w/my last pair (Seq.IIs) that I really heard what they can do.   And I *thought* I had them dialed in w/previous amps ...., the Stratos's were sort of in another class, and those ML's really responded.  Like "BANG"...they wake up and you hear shit you never heard before.  An entire different dimension in the presentation, and the woofers will come alive big time.  Dramatic ! 
so..., my point is...if you (the reader) ends up w/a pair of panels and are underwhelmed..., look upstream.

[Jimna]

im very close to buying a XPA-2 which has 500w p/c @ 4ohm of class A/B juice, and once i do that ill look for a better pre/dac.  then after all that ill look for the panels i desire, but not before.  ive read a ton of reviews now with full panel ESL, hybrid legacy ESL's as well as the new line and all were favorable with this amp.  most have had much higher end amps before the XPA and still liked it.  i do think i might look for a tube pre just for that tubby toobiness in the mix. 

but i agree if i can find a set of spires or even vantages at a good price i would be perfectly happy.  other than a set of CLS or odyssey/prodigy's i dont think ill look at the legacy line though.  i want a speaker to live with for a long while and dont see that as such a given with the legacy line.  ill stick with the newer panels most likely.

just the thought makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.  i have issues.