Magneplanar Woofers-- DWM and DW 1

The Magneplanar DWM and DW 1 are dipole, thin-film, planar/magnetic woofers which are a derivative of the MG 20.1 DiPlanar woofer technology. The DWM and DW 1 can be driven simultaneously by multiple amplifiers (typically the front left and right channels) for use with "small" Magneplanars.

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The Maggie Woofers are not subwoofers. As the name implies, subwoofers are designed for frequencies below the range of woofers (usually below 35-40 Hz). When used above 40Hz, audiophiles find the integration with the "fast" Magneplanars to be unsatisfactory.

The DWM and DW 1 were designed for use with any of the "small" Maggies, such as the motorized MMC 2 on-wall speakers, MC 1 on-wall speakers, desktop Mini Maggies or for bass augmentation of any of the Magneplanar center channel speakers. In addition, the Maggie Woofers can be used for fine-tuning the bass and midbass performance of floor-standing models. See below for more information.

The thin-film, planar/magnetic drivers of the DWM and the DW 1 are the same. The differences are in the applications. The DW 1 is a beautifully-crafted, modern Scandinavian coffee or end-table. Optional, glass top and bottoms can be added, if desired. In a modern decor, the DW 1 can virtually "disappear" as shown in the installation below with the motorized MMC 2. Full-range Maggie sound can be achieved with a very "stealthy" system.

The DWM has two applications. It can be used simply as a panel woofer. Or the woofer panel, without the base, can be built into cabinetry or custom furniture as was installed in some of the rooms at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. (For a virtual tour of Mandalay Bay, click on the links at the bottom of the page.)

Typical cabinetry for custom installation of DWM. Shown with motorized MMC 2 in open position and center speaker.

Motorized MMC 2 in closed position

These photos are examples of how the Maggie Woofers can be integrated into the aesthetics and interior design of your home. In-wall, on-wall, customized grilles with art work, etc.---- all are possible. Magnepan can deliver the sound quality. The creativity of the interior designer is the final step to blend sound and sight.

MMC 2 with DW 1 Woofer

Motorized MMC 2

Chris Martens, editor of The Perfect Vision, put the Maggie System (including the Maggie Woofer) "under the microscope". It is in 2 parts and a very long review. (You might want to print it out to read later.)

http://www.avguide.com/review/magnepan-s-wall-surround-sound-speaker-system-part-1-tpv-96

http://www.avguide.com/review/magnepan-s-wall-surround-sound-speaker-system-part-2-tpv-96

Custom Woofer

DWM Woofer

Chris went on to say about the DWM Maggie Woofer--

"Let the Maggie Woofers carry most of the System’s Bass Workload. With typical speaker systems, it’s normally a good idea to hand off much of the system’s overall bass workload to a powered subwoofer, but with a Magnepan system this is not the approach you’ll want to take at all. The reason is that Maggies are so fast and so pure-sounding that they make most subs sound thick, slow, and sluggish by comparison".

If you are in Las Vegas, check out the Maggie system by staying in one of the "high-roller" suites at the Mandalay Bay. Magnepan won the contract to outfit their suites with 100 pair of the automated Maggie speaker systems. Take the virtual tour of the home theater room.

http://www.motion-vr.net/tourm.aspx?tn=444&cp=3&b=1&la=0&fl=0

During your stay, you could also listen to the little 2-channel/home theater system in the bedroom.

http://www.motion-vr.net/tourm.aspx?tn=444&cp=2&b=1&la=0&fl=0

Another example of creative installations that fulfills the wishes of both audiophile and interior designer comes from a relative. The sister of our marketing manager can have most any model she would like. Many years ago, his sister had MG Is in her living room. Not any more. He likes to tease her that since her handiwork has been featured in the Portland, Oregon Sunday paper in the section of "My Home is Better Than Yours", something changed. To keep everyone happy, our marketing manager, his sister and his audiophile brother-in-law did some creative thinking. There is a Maggie system in their living room, but, it is TOTALLY invisible.

His sister designed a dual-function piece of furniture (shown with the young lady) that she would like to own--irrespective of it's "stealthy" function for audio. Hidden inside is a DWM woofer. The furniture is both a stand for artwork or it can be used for additional seating for parties, etc.

Our marketing manager would like to add-- The model is his niece.

If you have a dual-purpose, music/home theater system, adding a Maggie Woofer for more diaphragm area might be helpful, especially for movies.

Since Magneplanar center channel speakers are "small" and require bass augmentation, one logical solution is to add the Maggie Woofer to the center channel. However, you may find that augmenting the front left/right speakers with the Maggie Woofers is more effective for both home theater and 2-channel music. For movies, this approach would require a flexible bass management system in the processor.

Do you have a "hostile" sound room?

Some rooms are especially difficult for full-range dipole speakers to generate sufficient bass and midbass. "Great Rooms" or large rooms which have essentially square dimensions (and even worse-- a high ceiling) may require special solutions.

And "dipole friendly" rooms can also be a challenge. Due to standing waves, dips and peaks in the bass and midbass are a fact of life. Each room has its sonic signature depending upon the size, shape and construction. One solution is electronic equalization to deal with room aberrations. Many of the newer receivers and processors incorporate a microphone and automatic EQ that will correct frequency imbalances. However, this approach has drawbacks and is not well accepted by most audiophiles. There is another and better solution.

Multiple subwoofers are commonly used to smooth room bass response. Although an expensive solution, this technique has been proven to be superior to EQ of a single subwoofer. Using the same fundamentals of acoustics, Magnepan has a solution which can fine-tune the bass and midbass of Magneplanar floor-standing models--- the Maggie Woofer (DWM and DW 1). When both time domain and frequency response has been optimized in a given room, smaller, floor-standing Maggies can begin to replicate the "Gold Standard" of bass reproduction--the Tympani series Magneplanars. Technical details describing this application of the Maggie Woofers can be found in the DWM manual.