Magnepan McIntosh 5.2 System
 

My Magnepan 20.7's arrived today! I will assemble them tomorrow. I can't wait to try them :music:

They will become my front left and right speakers in a 5.2 surround system consisting of Magnepan CCR center speaker and 3.7 rear speakers. The 3.7's will arrive next week. The 20.7's and CCR are driven by 3 MC601's and the 3.7's by a MC452. A pair of Paradigm Sub1 subwoofers (not sure when they will arrive) round out the acoustic part of the system. A McIntosh MX151 processor controls the system.

Good gravy! What a fantastic system! You must be ultra-jazzed :thumbsup:

We will need photographic coverage... perhaps even youtube! Enjoy all the fun coming your way :music:

Ian, that is going to be one totally assume system. I can’t wait to read your impressions. :music:

~Mike

Ian - Huge congrats to you! Suggest you get in some exercise now - you'll be confined to the couch soon! :yes:

Terry

Fantastic system!! Congratulations! I'm still waiting on 20.7s and will be I suspect for another month or so minimum. 'anxiously awaiting your impressions.:yes:

Congrats Ian,

My 20.7s in cherry and black also arrived last night... the kindly speaker fairy (think Rock in the Tooth Fairy) turned up in his V8 SS ute and we lugged them up to the attic... (I think Bill who is the importer here and one of the best people I have dealt with in audio won't mind the reference... he is a genuine gem and a nice bloke to boot). Just one of the two 20.7 boxes is bigger and heavier than the single box that the 3.7s came in last year (the attic sound room is currently a building site...and excuse the OTT backlight).
http://www.audioaficionado.org/attac...1&d=1339298450
Worth all the pain though... even from cold they have just amaaaazing bass and presence. This is the speaker of a lifetime for me... everything about them is a big step up... bigger, sweeter, more liquid and they are only just starting.

The set-up took a little while, just running resistor on the tweeter and using the bridge on the mids for the moment, not running hot at all in mid or highs, no glare at all but will see how they settle in... also got to be real careful putting the connectors on the treble ribbons and then screwing them in... nearly snapped one off which would have been worse than sad... pre-drilling doesn't help as it just catches on the fabric so ended up hand screwing the forty tweeter screws till nice and tight, if there is any even just half a turn off tight you could hear a disturbing rattle from the panel when they are up and running... after that small scare it was sweet all the way. Hope you have good help in the set-up, made a huge difference.

Did a room analysis and Bill recommended the tweeters on the outside.. it just worked better with the 20.7s in this room... have a near field placement set-up till I finish the new room downstairs. Hope this helps in your install. You can see in the pic the room it's in temporarily isn't that wide but it is working brilliantly. The new room is going to be half again as wide and will have vaulted ceilings so should sound even sweeter.

Unfortunately the speaker fairy took my 3.7s when he left... part of the deal :-).Your system is going to be off the charts... really looking forward to seeing and hearing how it comes together. Can't tell you how happy those two new speakers are making me... we had a drink after the set-up and settled into some big sounding smokin hot jazz vocals... that's it for me and speakers for a long long long time ... they are everything I've ever wanted in sound.

Graham

Ian,

Holy Cow! What a wonderful setup. Congratulations on the new speakers. That's going to sound awesome!

Please post photos ... I need to dream ;)

Thanks TSV_1
 

Thanks tsv_1! I will be sure to provide photos and videos. :yes:

Best, Ian

Congratulations guys!

Mike

Thanks Graham!

I love the look of your 20.7's. We share the same aesthetics. Mine are dark cherry/black also. I just about busted my back getting the heavy McIntosh amps and 20.7 monsters in to my house. The Magnepan dealer had a pair of 3.7's that I listened to but of course no 20.7's. The thing you immediately notice is that these beauties are huge.

I appreciate the advice on the ribbon installation. I have replaced ribbons in much smaller ribbon speakers before (Ravens) and know just how delicate they are. I dont know what the 20.7 ribbon thickness is but my Raven ribbons are only 5 um thick (about 10 wavelengths of light!).

Best, Ian