Magnepan Speakers can not be
shipped into another dealers territory. If you have a local dealer you
should support them; they are probably good people that have a passion
for great sound. If you have no local dealer we will be glad to assist
you. To check for a local dealer click this Magnepan Dealer Locator Link.
The MMC 2 is a 3-way, motorized, speaker designed for music or home
theater applications. The MMC 2 boasts a "faster" midrange and a
quasi-ribbon tweeter and quasi-ribbon super tweeter.
Phasing
Correct phasing between a "small" speaker, like the MMC 2, and the
woofer is much more difficult to detect than an out-of-phase condition
between left and right speakers. The ear/brain is less sensitive to
phase shift problems at lower frequencies and therefore, making it more
difficult to detect. However, an out-of-phase condition between the MMC
2s and the woofer will result in a perceived frequency imbalance. A
"suckout" in the midbass due to an out-of-phase condition will
subjectively make the MMC 2s seem "bright" with excessive high
frequencies.
The manufacturer of a full-range speaker gives
considerable attention to achieving correct phasing between the
midrange and bass drivers. To get the full benefit of your high
performance MMC 2s, we suggest that you get the help of your dealer or
a technician to ensure that the phasing between the MMC 2s and your
woofer is correct.
Bass Management and Processor Settings
The MMC 2 is a "small" speaker with limited midbass response. A
high-pass filter is required for the operation of the MMC 2s to roll
off the bass frequencies to the MMC 2s. The Magneplanar XO 2 passive
crossover can be used with the MMC 2s or if a processor is being used,
the processor can be set for "small" speaker.
The lower frequency
response of the MMC 2 depends, to a large degree, on the room acoustics
and where the MMC 2s are used in the room. For example, a front wall
placement of the MMC 2s will result in less midbass and therefore
require a higher crossover point. A side wall placement of the MMC 2s
in a shoe-boxed shaped room (when placed about 4 feet or more from the
front wall) will give the deepest midbass response. Crossover points
may vary from 100 Hz to as high as 160-200 Hz, depending on all the
variables.
Quasi Ribbon Models Ribbon speakers have long been respected as pure and elegant transducers. Closely related to the ribbon speaker, the Magneplanar Quasi Ribbon has the appearance and sound quality similar to a true ribbon at a fraction of the cost. Sometimes called Ribbon speakers by other manufacturers, the Quasi Ribbon speaker brings high-end speaker performance to today's mid-priced loudspeakers. Despite the delicate appearance, all Quasi Ribbon models have very high power handling capability and are nearly impervious to abuse.
For serious audio/video
systems... we encourage you to compare the MC1 to conventional speakers
costing many times more. The MC1's small size and low frequency
response to 80Hz is made possible by attaching the speaker to a wall or
to the side of a cabinet, which enhances the lower frequencies ... from
80Hz up, the MC1 is pure Magneplanar. The midbass to midrange and quasi
ribbon high frequencies have the amazing speed and definition of all
Magneplanars... The speakers are small, but the sound is big.
Although
home theater is an obvious application for these speakers, they really
show their stuff when used in a system that is demanding for both home
theater and serious music listening. Generally, home theater sound has
not been as demanding (in the purist sense) as dedicated music systems.
Listen to music through the typical home theater system and you will
hear what we mean. The MC1 works very well for both and enables your
system to be ready for all levels of future technology for all types of
listening... 2-channel Stereo, multi-channel surround music, and the
best of home theater.
A Tradition of Innovation and Advanced Technology
Have you ever noticed that instruments
projected from small boxes sitting on the floor sound like they are
coming out of boxes on the floor? This problem can be partially
corrected by placing the box speakers on tall speaker stands. However,
the sound still seems to be coming out of a box, because that's
precisely what it is doing.The patented Magneplanar principle
eliminates these problems by a fundamentally different approach to sound
propagation. The Magneplanar projects sound from top to bottom, giving
the sound height as well as stereo width and depth. In the concert hall,
instruments project in all directions. Instead of projecting sound out
of a box, Magneplanars project in all directions, which closely
duplicates the original performance.
With your eyes closed the Magneplanar will allow you to
"see" the original performance suspended in space. The full height,
width and depth of the concert hall can be heard.
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Theoretically, loudspeakers should use
massless drivers suspended in space with no box, magnet structure, or
framework around the drivers. Most conventional box speakers are far
from this ideal. The mass of the driver is high and the rear wave is
contained within the box or magnet structure. While the frequency
response can be smoothed out in a box speaker, the character of the
sound is inevitably affected. The music sounds like it is coming out of a
box-constricted and unnatural. The Magneplanar diaphragm comes
closer to the ideal driver. The mass is low and the diaphragm is not
contained. The sound is permitted to radiate freely into space. With the
box removed, Magneplanars sound more like you are there.
Uniform Drive
The power from an ampilifer causes the
conventional cone speaker to react as if it had received a sharp blow at
the voice coil. Since the outer portions of the cone cannot respond
instantly, the cone will flex. The resulting cone breakup gives music a
"fuzzy", "blurred" quality. The Magneplanar eliminates cone
breakup by driving the Magneplanar diaphragm over its entire area. The
force from the amplifer is distributed over the entire diaphragm so that
it all moves at the same time. Cone or diaphragm breakup is
dramatically reduced and the integrity of the music is preserved.
Mass
The effect of mass on a loudspeaker can be
illustrated by the comparison of a balloon and a beach ball. In the case
of the balloon a nominal force such as a puff of wind will cause the
balloon to accelerate quickly. When the force ceases, the balloon
decelerates quickly. The same force will move the beach ball, however,
the ball is slower to start and slower to stop. High mass is one of the
main causes of sonic degraduation in conventional speakers. Magneplanars
use ultra low mass components. For example, the Magneplanar ribbon
element is so thin, that on edge, it is invisible to the naked eye. It
is so light that when a piece of it is dropped from a height of 6 feet
it takes and average of 5 seconds for it to reach the floor.
Conventional speaker designs prohibit such low mass-the force from the
driving amplifier would crush conventional speakers made of such light
materials. Only by driving the transducer over its entire area can you
use materials of such low mass.
