Magnepan and movies
September 28, 2004
Wes,
Enjoyed your
review of the Magnepan MMG-W and MMG-C speakers. However, there was no discussion of
its sound with movies. How did they sound with surround movies?
John
I didn't really comment on their A/V abilities in that
review because it was on SoundStage!,
and that's an audio site. However, I have been using the MMG W/MMG C system in my home
theater for the last year -- on and off -- and have mentioned it in many of the reviews on
this website, which is about home theater.
In a nutshell, I am extremely happy with the small
wall-mounted Maggies in various HT systems -- assuming I mate them with a subwoofer that
doesn't demand a low crossover point, I use them with a reasonably powerful amplifier, and
the room isn't too large.
With about 75Wpc, they'll fill a 12' by 15' room with
fairly loud dialog, music, and effects, but put more cubic space in a room and they will
get a little lost. As for using them for the surround channels, I think they are among the
best things I have ever used. They give diffuse, unlocalized sound like you wouldn't
believe -- even in really big rooms.
I hope that answers the question.
Speaker positioning for music and home theater
September 21, 2004
Wes,
I have read many conflicting reports concerning the setup
of multichannel speakers. The problem for me is the setup for SACD versus home theater. My
Outlaw 950's manual states that the rear side speakers should be even with the listening
position and three feet above the listener’s ears, which I assume is for HT. The SACD
setup shown with some discs suggests that the side speakers should be positioned slightly
behind the listening position and pointed towards the listener, but no mention of height.
There is also no mention for setting up the rear-center speaker.
The guys at Outlaw suggest I compromise by lowering the
side speakers to ear level and leaving the center-rear at the current height. My current
6.1-speaker setup presently has the front tower speakers pointing in at the listener, the
side rear speakers also pointing towards the listening position on speaker stands with the
tweeter at 51" high and about a foot behind the couch. The center-rear channel is
also on a stand at 51" high. My room is 18' x 13' and the listening position is 12'
from the front wall. Can you make any recommendations?
Ron
I'm not sure why you'd want the rears at ear level. If
you're listening to music, the rear channels should be carrying primarily ambient sound
and I would think you'd want that to be relatively non-localized. As for HT, well there
you would definitely want the sound non-localized.
So I'd keep 'em high.
In fact, I'd try to get the rear channels even further
away from you than you indicate -- and for the same reason. If you're playing reflected
hall sound from realistically recorded acoustic music, you don't even want to be aware of
the L/C/R positions in the rear. You just want to be almost aware of the effect.
Of course, it's your system and your room, and if your
current positions sound better to you than the ones I've suggested, ignore my advice and
do it the way it sounds best to you.
Height channels
September 15, 2004
Hi Wes,
What's this about adding "height" channels?
Fred
It's not exactly new -- some people have been advocating
additional speakers mounted up high in the front to add the "height" dimension
since the early days of stereo. Chesky Records even used two of the channels in 5.1
recordings to give that effect, and it sounded pretty convincing.
However, despite the fact that it "makes sense"
(according to some folks, anyway) and that it can sound convincing, I don't think it will
ever be more than a curiosity. People seem to want to be surrounded by sound more than
they want to experience it as life-sized -- judging from popular response, at least.
Full-range speakers and a subwoofer?
September 7, 2004
Hi Wes,
I have two sets of full-range speakers that I am trying to
turn into a home-theater setup, but I have a few questions.
(1) Do I still need a subwoofer if both the front and
surround speaker sets are full range?
(2) How would you place the surround speakers if they are
full range?
Wade
You probably won't need a subwoofer if
your speakers are all full range, but that doesn't mean you won't want one.
People tend to expect more bass power from movies than they do from music, so many movie
enthusiasts like to add a sub to systems that consist of pretty big speakers.
Of course, you can always add a sub later if you're not
happy with the bass impact of your system. Do remember to go into your setup menu and
specify that your speakers are "large" and that you are not using a sub.
As to where to place your rear channels, that would
depend upon the traffic patterns of your HT and whether or not your speakers are
floorstanding. Try to place the rear speakers at least 4-6' behind your favorite viewing
position -- whether along the side walls or the rear wall would be up to you, although
many people would urge you to locate 'em along the side walls.
I think that's probably the best place for them, but I
don't feel so strongly about it that I would argue against rear-wall placement if that
arrangement makes the room work better visually or physically.
Maggies and a G5
September 2, 2004
Hi Wes,
Please tell me if there's a way to hook up a set of Magnepan
MMG Ws and an MMG C to my G5 Mac. My world would be complete.
Amrita
Of course you can connect the Maggies to your G5, but
you'll need a amplifier that can drive 'em and a multichannel processor. Since you'll be
listening in the near field (I assume), you won't need a lot of power, so I suspect that
just about any A/V receiver that puts out at least 50Wpc would suffice.
BTW, the best way to connect the G5 to an A/V receiver
would be through its digital out.
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