Magnepan Speaker System MG36 R User Manual

MAGNEPLANAR® MG3.6/R  
Instruction Manual  
MAGNEPLANAR® PRODUCTS  
WHITE BEAR LAKE, MINNESOTA 55110  
 
5.  
6.  
PACKAGING  
Save all packaging, including the protective cover for the ribbon tweeters. If you need  
to transport the speakers, they can be shipped safely only in the original packaging.  
You may never have to return your speakers, but should the occasion arise, they  
should not be shipped in any packaging but the original. Should you discard it, factory  
packaging is available, including special packaging for ribbon tweeters.  
SPEAKER UNPACKING AND ASSEMBLY  
UNPACKING SPEAKER-DO not pull a speaker abruptly from the carton. The resulting  
partial vacuum could burst the ribbon. Do not remove the tweeter protector strips until  
the speaker is completely assembled.  
SUPPORT FEET INSTALLATION-The four support feet are shipped in the separate  
accessory carton along with the eight mounting bolts. Two feet must be fastened to the  
backside of each of the panels. The nuts are already installed in the panels.  
A.  
Lay the speakers on the side as shown in Figure 1. We suggest you have a  
second person hold the speakers during installation to ensure they do not fall.  
B.  
C.  
Locate the four holes in the fabric along lower backside of the panel.  
Carefully place a foot from the backside against the panel so the holes in the  
foot align with the holes in the panel. Using your fingers, insert bolts through  
the foot and into the panel until they engage nuts in the panel. Care should be  
taken so the bolts do not cross-thread. Final tightening is done with a Phillips #2  
screwdriver. Repeat for remaining foot.  
Figure 1  
 
7.  
HOOKUP  
This section covers amplification with a single stereo amplifier. For instruction on bi-  
amplification or bi-wiring, refer to Sections 11 and 12.  
DIRECT-CONNECT CROSSOVER INSTALLATION  
A.  
B.  
C.  
D.  
Insert the small connectors in the four output ports of the crossover box, using a  
5/64" hex wrench. See Figure 2, Page 4.  
Screw the support bracket to the bottom of the crossover box with the 3/8" long  
screw provided. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN!  
Insert and secure the crossover box to the respective connector holes in the  
nameplate, using a 5/64" hex wrench.  
Locate the lower mounting hole on the speaker panel 5/8" up from the bottom of  
the panel, and located on the center line of the nameplate (as shown). Hand-  
insert the 3/4" long machine screw. CAUTION: Do not cross thread the screw.  
Tighten with a Phillips head screwdriver.  
The MG3.6/R features high-current cable connectors which provide optimum contact  
area with speaker cables up to 10 gauge. To prepare cables, strip 1/2" of insulation  
from the end of the cable. Insert the bare wire into the connector and tighten the set-  
screw with the Alien wrench provided. Take special precautions to ensure correct  
polarity on all speaker cable connections. Most speaker cables have some sort of  
coding on one lead, either printing, colors, or a "rib" to help in maintaining polarity.  
Spade lug adapters are available from your Magneplanar dealer for speaker cables  
that are incompatible with the Magneplanar high-current connector.  
 
 
FUSING – The mid and treble sections of the MG3.6/R are protected with Type SAG  
normal blow fuses (4 amp for midrange; 2-1/2 amp for tweeter). The bass section does  
not require fusing protection. The fuse values should never be increased or bypassed.  
Do not use slow-blow fuses. Fuses remain in effect when bi-amplifying. This is done for  
your protection since it prevents overdriving from an amplifier, or the distortion that  
results from an overdriven amplifier (clipping).  
In case the MG3.6's do not sound "quite right," especially after high volume levels,  
please check the midrange fuse. When it is blown some owners do not realize it, since  
a blown midrange fuse is not as apparent as a blown tweeter fuse. Some amplifiers will  
distort or go into thermal overload when driving MG3.6's with a blown midrange fuse.  
BURNED OUT MID OR TREBLE SECTIONS ARE NOT COVERED  
UNDER THE WARRANTY.  
8.  
SPEAKER PLACEMENT  
Proper speaker placement and room acoustics can have more effect on a music  
system than upgrading one of the components in the system. Unfortunately, there is no  
definitive guideline which will cover all possible listening rooms. Considerable  
experimentation is required for locating the optimum position. The following are a few  
general guidelines:  
TWEETER PLACEMENT  
The MG3.6 tweeters are mirror-imaged. For proper phasing between the bass,  
midrange, and tweeter, the bass driver should be closer to the listener than the  
tweeter (ahead in time). If the tweeters are placed on the outside, the angle of  
the speaker in relation to the listener should be as shown in Figure 3. If the  
tweeters are placed on the inside, the speaker angle should be as shown in  
Figure 4.  
BASS RESPONSE  
If you do not have access to a spectrum analyzer, play a record with a repetitive  
bass line (preferably an acoustical bass instrument). Try the speakers in several  
parts of the room. Start experimenting with the speakers about 3 feet from the  
back wall. Try moving the speakers forward or backward by increments of 6 to  
12 inches at a time. One part of the room should be noticeably better than the  
rest, as should one distance from the rear wall as shown in Figure 5.  
 
 
Figure 5  
STEREO WIDTH AND IMAGING  
Once you have located the best position for the speakers and your chair for  
good bass performance, separate the tweeters by 50% of the distance from your  
chair to the speakers. (For example, if your chair is 10 feet from the speakers,  
move the tweeters 5 feet apart.) Now move the speaker apart in increments of 3  
or 4 inches at a time, listening carefully at each position. At some point you will  
start to hear two separate speakers instead of getting a "stage effect" (or  
continuous image). If you have a hole-in-the-middle effect, your speakers are  
too far apart: begin moving the speakers closer together in small increments  
until you notice a point at which you achieve one cohesive "sound stage." See  
Figure 3 or 4.  
A small tack or piece of tape can be attached to the carpet so the ideal spot can  
be easily relocated when the speakers (or chair) are moved for cleaning, etc..  
The entire placement procedure may seem like a great deal of work, but is  
necessary in the setup of any high quality system. The time and effort  
expended should be necessary only once, but will repay the owner with  
countless hours of musical enjoyment.  
 
9.  
ROOM ACOUSTICS  
Magneplanars, like other bipolar speakers, usually sound best with a moderately  
reflective surface behind the speakers. In situations where the speakers must be  
placed closer than 2 feet from the back wall, a heavy damping material directly behind  
the speakers is advised; however, it should not cover the entire wall.  
Damping material in other parts of the room is a matter of trial and error. A word of  
caution-when audiophiles discover the effectiveness of damping material, they  
sometimes overdo it (on the premise that if a little is good, more is better). Before you  
make a permanent change to your room, experiment with the positioning of the  
damping material. Usually a portion of one or two parallel walls should have some  
damping.  
An overdamped room will provide very precise imaging, but you will have a reduced  
sense of ambience (less reverberation, spaciousness). An underdamped room may  
heighten the illusion of being in a concert hall, but the imaging will seem imprecise with  
all the instruments mixed together. Moderation is the word.  
10. OPTIONAL RIBBON TWEETER ATTENUATION  
There are two principal reasons for needing to attenuate the Magneplanar Ribbon  
Tweeter:  
A.  
Recordings, typically in the "pop" or "rock" vein, often exhibit a pronounced rise  
in the treble region.  
B.  
The Magneplanar Ribbon Tweeter is very efficient in its total "energy  
dispersion." If the surrounding walls are exceptionally reflective, the overall  
perceived acoustical balance will be tipped towards a "hot" high end.  
Attenuation is performed through insertion of a simple non-inductive resistor in series  
with the tweeter.  
There are inputs provided on the connector plate of each speaker for insertion of a  
resistor. To insert a resistor, simply loosen the Alien screws, remove the jumper, insert  
the resistor, and tighten the screws.  
The pair of 1 ohm non-inductive resistors provided will attenuate the tweeter  
approximately 1-2dB. Other values are available from your Magneplanar dealer.  
 
11. BI-AMPLIFICATION WITH CONVENTIONAL ELECTRONIC CROSSOVER  
The MG3.6/R is arranged conveniently for bi-amplification. By adding an additional  
stereo amplifier and a crossover, you can enjoy the benefits of increased dynamic  
range and lower distortion.  
1.  
2.  
Set your electronic crossover at the following points and slopes:  
Low Pass: 18dB per octave at 250Hz  
High Pass: 6dB per octave at 200Hz  
Connect the bass and mid/treble amplifiers directly to the speakers as  
shown in Figure 6. Do not use the MG3.6 external crossover box.  
Figure 6  
3.  
Since the effective crossover point for the MG3.6/R is approximately  
250Hz, the power requirements for the bass midrange/treble amps are  
nearly the same. Therefore, use amplifiers of similar power rating. It is  
suggested to use amplifiers rated at 100 watts RMS or greater, into 8  
ohms.  
 
12. BI-WIRING OPTION  
Bi-wiring requires two sets of speaker cables. They may be identical or one set may be  
specialized for high frequencies and the other specialized for low frequencies.  
A.  
B.  
Remove both jumpers on the crossover box.  
Connect one set of cables to the low cable input and the other set to the high  
cable input. Connect the other end of the cables together (observe +/- polarity),  
and connect to one channel of the amplifier outputs. If frequency specialized  
cables are used, connect them to their respective inputs. In either case, the  
other ends are connected to the same amplifier channel.  
C.  
Repeat same procedure for the other channel.  
13. MAINTENANCE  
The wood trim can be cleaned and polished with a damp cloth. In the event the speaker's  
fabric is damaged or soiled, replacement covers are available. For owners with cats, we  
recommend cat repellant around the base of the speakers. Do not use a vacuum cleaner!  
14. SERVICE  
In the unlikely event you should need service for your MG3.6/R loudspeakers, we  
recommend you return them to your dealer. He is experienced in providing service and  
can assist you if the speakers must be returned to the factory.  
If it is determined that your speakers must be returned for repair, you must call the  
factory first for a return authorization repair number. Ship your speakers (freight  
prepaid-ask for Class 100) to:  
Magnepan, Incorporated  
1645 Ninth St.  
White Bear Lake, MN 55110  
651-426-1645 or 800-474-1646  
Include a packing slip or letter describing the nature of the problem and your return  
authorization repair number. Please include your name, address, and a daytime  
telephone number.  
Before packaging, very carefully install the steel protector strips over the ribbons. Do  
not let the steel strips slap against the magnets.  
THE RIBBON ELEMENT WILL BE RUPTURED IF SHIPPED WITHOUT THE STEEL  
PROTECTOR STRIPS AND WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY.  
 
15. THE RIBBON TWEETER  
Because the foil element in your MG3.6/R line source tweeter is only .00015 inches  
thick, it is very fragile. It's the price we pay for ultra-high performance. Most users will  
never require a replacement tweeter. Failure will generally occur from mishandling, or  
from very high impulse signals from a few unusual compact discs used with very high  
powered amplifiers. Users that frequently push the 2.5 amp tweeter fuse capacity will  
be the most likely to experience early failure. Because of this, the tweeter has been  
designed to be easily replaced, requiring only a screwdriver. The time required should  
be less than 30 minutes.  
If you have a defective tweeter, you should contact your dealer for a replacement.  
Ribbon tweeters for previous MGIII models cannot be used in your MG3.6/R's. Your  
defective unit will be returned to Magnepan for installation of a new foil element at a  
minimal charge to you: there is no charge if it is within the one-year warranty period  
that covers the foil element and Magnepan determines that there is no evidence of  
abuse. DO NOT SHIP A TWEETER BACK TO MAGNEPAN WITHOUT CONTACTING  
YOUR DEALER OR MAGNEPAN FIRST. Tweeters must be returned in authorized  
containers only. Tweeters that are damaged in shipment are the responsibility of the  
customer.  
 
16. 60" VERSION 2 RIBBON TWEETER REPLACEMENT  
Tools Needed:  
#2 Phillips Screwdriver  
Needle Nose Pliers  
1.  
Place protective cover over backside of  
ribbon tweeter, as shown (to prevent  
damage to ribbon while moving the  
speaker panel).  
2.  
3.  
4.  
Carefully lay speaker on a flat table or  
working surface.  
Remove the protective cover and pry  
away the two end covers.  
Pull off the connector at each end of  
the ribbon tweeter with a pair of needle  
nose pliers.  
5.  
6.  
Reinstall protective cover over ribbon.  
Remove the screws that attach the  
ribbon tweeter to the frame and then  
remove the tweeter.  
7.  
Install the new ribbon tweeter in the  
frame. Serial number label must be at  
the bottom.  
8.  
Insert the screws. (Tighten until snug,  
then back off ½ revolution.)  
9.  
Remove protective cover and reattach  
connectors to the ribbon lugs.  
10.  
Peel liner from back of end covers and  
adhere to each end of tweeter.  
11.  
12.  
Install protective cover.  
Reposition speakers in listening  
position and remove protective cover.  
13.  
Pack old tweeter(s) in the tube and  
packing provided and return to your  
dealer or Magnepan.  
CAUTION: Do not bump of touch the ribbon at its end terminals. Also do not tug on the fine  
wire jumper that is soldered to the foil and attached to the end terminal. All ribbon tweeters  
returned to the factory MUST be returned in the factory packing.  
 
17. MG3.6/R SPECIFICATIONS  
SYSTEM DESCRIPTION: 3-Way True Ribbon Tweeter, Planar-Magnetic Midrange and  
Bass with Bi-Amplification Option  
BASS SECTION: 500 Sq. In. Planar-Magnetic  
MIDRANGE SECTION: 199 Sq. In. Planar-Magnetic  
TWEETER SECTION: 5/32 Inch Width, 55 Inches Long FREQUENCY RESPONSE:  
**34Hz to 40kHz ±3dB  
POLAR RESPONSE - RIBBON DRIVER: 180° Horizontal dispersion both front and  
back to 20kHz  
RECOMMENDED POWER: 75 to 250 Watts RMS (8 Ohm rated). SENSITIVITY:  
86dB, 500Hz, 2.83Volts  
IMPEDANCE: Bass- 4.7 Ohms  
Midrange/Ribbon Tweeter- 4.2 Ohms Ribbon Tweeter- 3.3 Ohms  
CROSSOVER:  
Crossover between bass and midrange is 200Hz  
Crossover between midrange and tweeter is 1700Hz  
DIMENSIONS:  
WARRANTY:  
24'W X 71"H X 1-5/8"D  
Limited. Non-transferrable - Ribbon Foil Element - 1 Year  
Balance of Speaker - 3 Years  
SHIPPING WEIGHT: 145 Lbs. With Accessory Package  
*Because there are no universally accepted methods for loudspeaker measurement,  
frequency response specifications may be stated by most manufacturers without  
reference to measurement techniques and/or specific locations in rooms. Magneplanar  
loudspeaker frequency response curves are minimum average performance levels that  
may reasonably be expected in normal installations.  
**New Magneplanar MG3.6/R speakers will not display their full bass potential. After a  
month or two of use the bass response will lower 5Hz or more. At this point the  
response will stabilize and the speakers rated performance (or better) can be realized.  
While this 5Hz or more of lower bass response is important, the most important factors  
in obtaining good bass response from the MG3.6/R speakers are room size and  
geometry, wall material, and speaker placement.  
 

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