Does anyone have any opinions on the viability of mating Magnepan DWM bass panels to Apogee Stages? I’m aware of the limitations of the DWM panels in terms of only going down to 40hz. Combining them with the stages would be similar to mating them with small to mid size Magneplanars. The compounding of the two speakers’ abilities to go to 40hz supposedly gives the illusion of deeper bass. Does this theory have merit or did I drink too much champagne over New Years and it clouded my ability to think rationally?
No. Totally different magnet orientations and voice coil layouts
BUT- that’s the spirit, or an excess of spirits…,,
BUT- that’s the spirit, or an excess of spirits…,,
The speakers in question are actually Mini Grands rather than Stages. So the setup would not be much different than that. I would just use the DWM in place of the Mini Grand subs. I would be powering the DWM independently with separate volume control.
For the Mini Grands, you're talking about replacing dynamic/ported drivers with dipole planars. The quality and quantity of bass are significantly different between these two technologies. If you don't have experience with dipole bass, it's a good idea to try to get to a Magnepan dealer that has the DWM's and LRS's or .7's. Take your own music with significant bass and push the system as hard as you're likely to at home. Listen to multiple songs. See if you like that kind of bass.
An approach more similar to the Mini Grand's standard configuration would be to replace the integrated subs with modern subs with built-in room correction. Something like the SVS 3000 Micro is similarly priced. Ultimately I think you'll want a stereo pair, whether it's dynamic drivers or planars.
As always, a lot of this comes down to your preferences/priorities/musical tastes.
An approach more similar to the Mini Grand's standard configuration would be to replace the integrated subs with modern subs with built-in room correction. Something like the SVS 3000 Micro is similarly priced. Ultimately I think you'll want a stereo pair, whether it's dynamic drivers or planars.
As always, a lot of this comes down to your preferences/priorities/musical tastes.
I do have experience with dipole bass. I have owned Magnepans, Quads, and currently have Acoustats and Apogees. I think Tympani mid bass is as clear and impactful as it gets. This is what I am aiming to emulate. The DWM is also one of the few “subs” fast enough to keep up with the Apogee “ribbons”. I’m currently using a single Rhythmik servo F12SE sub and I’m pretty happy with the results. I’m debating adding a second F12SE or going with the DWM.
If I said that I currently had a sub and I was thinking of a DWM, I would get opinions on what people think was better. I’m looking for feedback on mating the DWM panel with Stages only.
Pff ofcourse you can use them , one person said they are completely different.. well they are not.
Both are planar magnetic speakers. the DWm is push pull though... but uses weaker magnets... in general they are the same principle. to get to the output of the apogee's might be a problem though, and when using low frequencies the need to make it a DWM instead of a open baffle woofer. remains to be seen 🙂
i would opt for dynamic woofers to do anything below 75 hz either open baffle or closed 🙂 since both will perform better then the planar variant measurement wise in this region.
Both are planar magnetic speakers. the DWm is push pull though... but uses weaker magnets... in general they are the same principle. to get to the output of the apogee's might be a problem though, and when using low frequencies the need to make it a DWM instead of a open baffle woofer. remains to be seen 🙂
i would opt for dynamic woofers to do anything below 75 hz either open baffle or closed 🙂 since both will perform better then the planar variant measurement wise in this region.
I hadn't heard of the DWM until I saw this thread. But, having checked it out, it appears that its intended use is to overlap the bass range of a Magnepan speaker. It's a slightly odd idea. But if it works with a Maggie, I guess it could work with a Stage. They're both dipole planars, after all. If I remember correctly, the mini-grand sub was meant to be crossed over to the Stage bass panel, not to overlap with it.