Review: Magnepan MMC 2 and CC 5 On-Wall Speaker System Page 2

Whereas the MC 1 mounts to the wall on a hinge that lets you manually fold it flat like a window shutter when not in use, the MMC 2 employs a motorized process that adjusts the angle of the speaker in a much more controlled way. When the system is not in use, the MMC 2s lay flat against the wall looking like simple fabric-covered acoustic treatments. But fire up the system and they slowly swing out from the wall and then stop at a precisely predetermined angle. In a surround setup with four speakers moving in sync, the visual effect is pretty impressive — like something you might see in a Bond villain’s secret underground home theater.

Magneplanars usually rely on sheer physical size to counteract the natural bass cancellation you get with any boxless speaker, but with its relatively svelte shape, the MMC 2 can’t quite plumb the depths like its bigger brothers. Being wall-mounted helps to a degree, as the wall behaves like a partial baffle, but you still need to supplement the bottom octaves to get something approaching full-range sound.

Adding a powered subwoofer seems like the obvious move, but you’ll get an even better transition if you create a “bridge” between the MMC 2 and the sub. Magnepan’s DW 1 and DWM dipole woofers provide a solution, adding what is essentially the bottom part of the woofer from its flagship MG 20 speaker. The two models differ only in their cosmetics, with the DW 1 resembling a small end table sporting a furniture-grade finish, while the lower-cost DWM gets by with a more utilitarian look.

Most surround setups include a center-channel speaker, and despite the challenges this introduces, Magnepan has decided to stick to its guns by making only dipole planar center speakers like the new CC 5. Its low, squat shape means that its tweeter ribbon runs horizontally rather than vertically. Magnepan also curved the panel into a shallow arc to ensure good treble dispersion over a wide seating area.

Being a dipole, the CC 5 really needs to be out in the open with plenty of space around it instead of buried inside a wall unit. A threaded screw mount compatible with the OmniMount system allows you to mount it on an articulated bracket — a setup that lets you push it flat against the wall when it’s not in use. (Unfortunately, the company hasn’t figured out a way to motorize that part yet.)

 

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