Magnepans vs. Electrostatics. What is the better technology? What do you prefer?
- Thread starter caesar
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Surely - they refer to typical reasonable conditions. If we are too close to the condensation point water and high voltage can destroy any materials. Also I know of people living very close to the sea we had to give up on Quads's - but their cars also become rusty after a few years. It is known since long - we should avoid buying used cars from people who live near the sea or in places where salt is used to melt ice on the road in the winter.
Anyway pure ribbons have a short lifetime if played at loud levels.
However a good point of electrostatics is that it almost always possible to repair them - there are many independent people able to service them, even if you are a DIY person you can spend your free time repairing your speakers when needed. The materials are cheap and easily accessible.
Ribbons are much trickier to repair - I helped a friend who was replacing the ultra thin and fragile 6 feet long ribbon of Maggie 3.3R tweeter and it is really a hard and punishing task. You can not imagine someone face when after laying 5 feet of perfect ribbon it breaks almost at the end!
I'm not sure if the EMITs and EMIMs of the IRS are called ribbons, but can they be repaired? I heard an IRS II that had broken EMIMs and they were distorting like crazy on higher levels. I helped the owner write to Infinity but the CS said they do not have any of those parts anymore, and that was like 8 years ago.
Ahmen to that!
All the maggies I owned in SL were great at the start, after around the first year or so they would sag and most tweeters would just give way. Replacing the tweeters was a PAIN in the ass with a capital "A"!
Not only did you have to be sober but also virtually have no neck muscles left after looking straight down for extended periods. .. and the owners manual says all it takes is 30 mins and a Phillips screwdriver, yea right!
Stats on the other hand were way better to maintain but the arcing problem did occur quite often this tropical paradise!
Anyway I am in melbourne now and have no such problems, it is so dam dry over here I can see the lines on my butt!
Regarding infinity's emits and emim drivers, there is no replacement. The materials used on these are electro magnetic panel type with a layering of kapton. After their lifespan that's about it. When I had problems with my Ren90 and IRS beta, I called up Arnie Nudell to only learn that he folded up and joined Genesis, and then left genesis as well.
I managed to sell off the speakers to a previous owner of infinity systems who used my speakers, believe it or not, as spare parts! Sad ending I must say.
Take it easy, RJ
All the maggies I owned in SL were great at the start, after around the first year or so they would sag and most tweeters would just give way. Replacing the tweeters was a PAIN in the ass with a capital "A"!
Not only did you have to be sober but also virtually have no neck muscles left after looking straight down for extended periods. .. and the owners manual says all it takes is 30 mins and a Phillips screwdriver, yea right!
Stats on the other hand were way better to maintain but the arcing problem did occur quite often this tropical paradise!
Anyway I am in melbourne now and have no such problems, it is so dam dry over here I can see the lines on my butt!
Regarding infinity's emits and emim drivers, there is no replacement. The materials used on these are electro magnetic panel type with a layering of kapton. After their lifespan that's about it. When I had problems with my Ren90 and IRS beta, I called up Arnie Nudell to only learn that he folded up and joined Genesis, and then left genesis as well.
I managed to sell off the speakers to a previous owner of infinity systems who used my speakers, believe it or not, as spare parts! Sad ending I must say.
Take it easy, RJ
That's sad to hear indeed. And to think I almost bought an IRS Beta in the mid 90s. One busted EMIT or EMIM and I'm fried. And yes, I have a good friend who buys RS1Bs on ebay just get use them as parts. Once he found and bought only the front panels without the woofer towers. And he'd have a lot of spare EMITs and EMIMs.
Was that the time we were together during an amp shoot out and the owner's amps clipped taking his drivers down?
EMIM/EMIT Repair
I repaired a bunch or EMIM/EMIT drivers back in the 80's when I worked at a store that carried them (including the ones in my IRS 2). The vast majority of failures were caused by the connection to the little panel cracking and breaking. A simple solder touch-up would do the trick. I am not sure I ever saw one that was actually fried/torn/destroyed.
You might ping (PM) Gary Kohl, a super-nice guy, frequent contributor, and the man behind Genesis. He may have some advice.
I repaired a bunch or EMIM/EMIT drivers back in the 80's when I worked at a store that carried them (including the ones in my IRS 2). The vast majority of failures were caused by the connection to the little panel cracking and breaking. A simple solder touch-up would do the trick. I am not sure I ever saw one that was actually fried/torn/destroyed.
You might ping (PM) Gary Kohl, a super-nice guy, frequent contributor, and the man behind Genesis. He may have some advice.
Yes Jack. Around that time. But prior to that night, the drivers were already distorting when the high notes came particularly on Cantate Domino cut 2 side 2. Subsequently the problem became worse and from what I know, nobody was able to fix it.
I have owned Analysis Epsilon for many years and Apogee Stage Speakers since 1991. The Stages are in Santa Cruz residence in an all tube setup, active Accuphase crossover, and new Graz ribbons. I still think the original Apogee Stage ribbons are just about the most gorgeous sounding speakers ever, but few if any Stages around with original panels any more in decent condition.
I love to listen the the Analysis Epsilon bass panel playing full range as a crossover-less panel using Manley Neo 300B preamp with a Yamaha B2 VFET from the 70's. The sound is bliss and is like listening to an unfolded pair of Stax headphones in a speaker array. I can use an additive subwoofer to taste. Better than nearly everything I have heard at the audio shows at any price point.
I still prefer my full speaker array with active crossovers and surrounds, but when I don't want to fire up the whole thing, the bass panel / neo 300b/ Yammy is great.
I would be the first to acknowledge that nothing compares for sheer speed and transparency to a good stat.
However, they generally don't have the body/slam of an Anlysis/Apogee speaker or the sheer, creamy tone of a good Apogee ribbon. The larger stats close the gap, however.
I love to listen the the Analysis Epsilon bass panel playing full range as a crossover-less panel using Manley Neo 300B preamp with a Yamaha B2 VFET from the 70's. The sound is bliss and is like listening to an unfolded pair of Stax headphones in a speaker array. I can use an additive subwoofer to taste. Better than nearly everything I have heard at the audio shows at any price point.
I still prefer my full speaker array with active crossovers and surrounds, but when I don't want to fire up the whole thing, the bass panel / neo 300b/ Yammy is great.
I would be the first to acknowledge that nothing compares for sheer speed and transparency to a good stat.
However, they generally don't have the body/slam of an Anlysis/Apogee speaker or the sheer, creamy tone of a good Apogee ribbon. The larger stats close the gap, however.
Have a friend / ML dealer in Costa Rico.
He said he's sold and has owned numerous ML models. Currently has the CLX.
His opinion, no issues with humidity.
He said he's sold and has owned numerous ML models. Currently has the CLX.
His opinion, no issues with humidity.
I have owned electrostatics for 30 years and Magnepans for two years and i love both one thing is sure for me i love ALL panels i am not crazy about hybrids but still they are half panels. [SUB][/SUB]
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I have owned electrostatics for 30 years and Magnepans for two years and i love both one thing is sure for me i love ALL panels i am not crazy about hybrids but still they are half panels.
Have you heard the current ML Summit X and Montis in a properly set up / optimized environment?
New EMIMs?
A friend who has RS-1Bs had to replace damaged EMIMs and found a company in Australia (Apogee?) that makes direct replacements. I heard them and they are better than the original Infinity EMIM. He ended up replacing all of them in both towers. I will try to get the particulars and post them.
John
A friend who has RS-1Bs had to replace damaged EMIMs and found a company in Australia (Apogee?) that makes direct replacements. I heard them and they are better than the original Infinity EMIM. He ended up replacing all of them in both towers. I will try to get the particulars and post them.
John
No i haven't and i am not interested, i have heard the best that ML does wich is the CLX and they did not do it for ME,the DIY Acoustat Spectra 8800s are way better again for ME, please don't forget that these panels are DIY and to my knowledge the only existing pair that i know of, i believe the only speaker that could come close would be the BIG Soundlabs but for much more money.
PS: I am not putting anything down, i am just saying the best that i have heard to ME in over 40 years nothing else
41x102x12 just under 800 pounds
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Guess that about says it all.
If you are interested in what a well designed hybrid can do, you might want to reconsider your position.
Audio as been my only passion for more than 40 years, 30 of those years have been with full range panels, i know that some hybrids do sound very good BUT for ME my preference is for full range panels nothing against hybrids it's just that I prefer full range, live and let live.
The Spetra 8800s that i am posing with belong to my friend and builder Jocelyn here is a picture of me with my special pair of 1+1s all steel frame 14x94x4 weight about 200 pounds.
PS: The building of my 1+1s can be seen here - - - https://www.flickr.com/photos/mracoustat/
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