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In Reply to: Magnapan Quasi Vs. True Ribbon posted by PaulF70 on April 13, 2024 at 17:32:52:
Your post did get me thinking back to the days when the 3.7 came out, the "i" variant not yet launched. The local dealer gave me a few hours to evaluate it with my own music (high res PCM & DSD). They set the Maggies up with top notch signal/power gear. (Sanders, and later Classe power amps.) Of course, I was impressed, if not wowed, for a number of reasons that I won't go into detail...except to say that FINALLY the 3 series Maggies matched what I liked about my original-model MMGs. (long pause to let everyone stop laughing :)Do consider, please, that at home, this MMG pair had been modded to the hilt. Among its many resulting virtues, ONE is related to your perception. Why on earth would a QR tweeter seem to match true ribbon performance?
In my case, as it turns out, mainly because:
1: I had been able to reduce some of the bass/tweeter mechanical intermodulation distortion caused by a "shared Mylar" sheet.
2. My MMG's tweeters (alone, in line-level passive bi-amped mode) were getting 300 watts on tap EACH, some of it in class A, all fed by a single-ended source. (Class A starting at the DAC>>PLLXO>>4xSS Power amps direct to MMG drivers)On item #1, as Andyr experienced - and kindly shared with us - long ago with his Frankenpans, a separate tweeter avoids the mechanical intermodulation. This is a major SQ clarifying factor, even before the inherent virtues of a true ribbon come into play, more so in complex orchestral passages. Thus, if one can find ways to reduce the amount of mechanical IMD, even a little, it pays off fast. (Think frame reinforcement for starters, though I had to go far beyond this tweak.)
On item #2, leaving aside the benefit of ample power, it was not until I first heard 3.x Maggies'driven by a source-to-power amp single-ended output, that the true ribbon's clear superiority prevailed from start to finish. (Unfortunately, class-A at high power is very energy-wasteful, and can be very pricey...but I could afford some for just the QR tweeters.)
Fortunately, true ribbon tweeters are not essential to enjoyment. And "shared Mylar" is no showstopper, despite the inevitable mechanical IMD. One simply has to work on improving the controllable variables.
In fact, a LRS+ pair which I heard driven by class A tube gear, delivered not just the awesome space-redefining sound stage that one can expect from Maggies. It also delivered a crystal clear, well-integrated top end that never disappointed. This was the case even where the very same music had extra amount of detail when I had heard it with true ribbons.
Yup, the big mother Maggies with true ribbons do great things. Still, the darn LRS+ can be compellingly engaging!
Edits: 04/25/24 04/25/24 04/25/24 04/25/24
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Follow Ups
- RE: Magnapan Quasi Vs. True Ribbon - JBen 17:29:47 04/25/24 (0)
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