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How do they compare to the MG944s? (Read 14712 times)
Matchstikman
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How do they compare to the MG944s?
07/29/16 at 22:09:31
 
I've always wanted a pair of horns.
I like the frequency response of these.
How do they compare to the MG944s?
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Finch
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Re: How do they compare to the MG944s?
Reply #1 - 09/18/16 at 20:00:48
 
I will let you know soon, just ordered DNA yesterday. I have had the 944's for over 6 years. Still love them, just wanted to try a different appraoch in a new room.
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Rega RP6- ZP3- macmini- Benchmark Dac2 HGC- Torii mkii/ SE84 UFO2- MG944/DNA
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doukhobar
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Re: How do they compare to the MG944s?
Reply #2 - 11/22/16 at 03:09:28
 
Wow, dis you receive then yet? How are they!
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Torii Jr, Taboo III, Dennis Had Firebottle amp & LP2 pre, ERR speakers, Omega 3XRS, Omega Super Alnico XRS, Bryston BDP-1, Kora Hermes DAC, Pear Audio Robin Hood TT w/Cornet 1 tonearm & Hana SL cart, ZP3 Cryo Beeswax caps, Bob's Devices SUT, HD800, LCD2, Zenwave
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Finch
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Re: How do they compare to the MG944s?
Reply #3 - 11/25/16 at 17:59:46
 
Still waiting, but they are in assembly.
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Rega RP6- ZP3- macmini- Benchmark Dac2 HGC- Torii mkii/ SE84 UFO2- MG944/DNA
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Finch
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Re: How do they compare to the MG944s?
Reply #4 - 12/06/16 at 03:48:42
 
DNA's should be here Thursday! I read that the drivers are pretty sensitive and require a lot of time before you can turn up the volume so it may be awhile still before I can fairly compare them.
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Rega RP6- ZP3- macmini- Benchmark Dac2 HGC- Torii mkii/ SE84 UFO2- MG944/DNA
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Finch
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Re: How do they compare to the MG944s?
Reply #5 - 12/09/16 at 21:02:33
 
They are here!!
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Rega RP6- ZP3- macmini- Benchmark Dac2 HGC- Torii mkii/ SE84 UFO2- MG944/DNA
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Finch
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Re: How do they compare to the MG944s?
Reply #6 - 12/09/16 at 21:03:54
 
I got them last night, they look amazing! Great work as always Zygi!
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Rega RP6- ZP3- macmini- Benchmark Dac2 HGC- Torii mkii/ SE84 UFO2- MG944/DNA
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Finch
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Re: How do they compare to the MG944s?
Reply #7 - 12/09/16 at 21:07:56
 
I have been playing them at a low volume as I read that is important, so I can't compare them with the 944's yet. I can tell even at the low volume though that there is an impressive amount of detail on things like echo and reverb. I pulled them way out in the room for some quiet near field listening. Listened for about 5 hours last night. I can't wait to turn them up!
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Matchstikman
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Re: How do they compare to the MG944s?
Reply #8 - 12/19/16 at 02:34:28
 
Crank it yet?
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Finch
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Re: How do they compare to the MG944s?
Reply #9 - 12/22/16 at 08:40:36
 
Sorry for the long delay, been breaking them in and it has been fun, but also got busy with holiday parties and all that. So, Where to begin, these DNA are fun and are still surprising me. I'm not quite ready to fairly compare them fully though. I spent years with the MG944's in several different rooms and tube configurations with many magical moments of whipping my head around because somehow sounds got behind me! 3D!
I moved to California and my room now is not ideal. I'm on the 1/3 end of the long wall in a shoebox shaped room projecting across the short wall. Totally wrong I know but because of the multiple windows and doors this is what it is. I do now have a second "corner" because of where I placed my record shelves. So even though I'm way down the long wall I do have the horn mouths (back of DNA) aimed about the same distance from "corners" with a nice wide spread about 7ft and toed in to cross just in front. Three feet off back wall. My head is about 8 ft away when Im on the couch but the wall is behind my head there so sometimes I sit on the floor to open up some space behind me.  Despite the room issues I had a good solid center image with both speakers. As the DNA's open up I have been having some great imaging moments, and some really rich feel the strings bass!  They weren't ready to do A/B comparisons and I had to put the 944's in the closet because we had a party and I have a wife. I will get them back out with the time off work I have coming up. So everything I can tell you now is comparing from my time with the 944's. Another thing to note is I left the tube configuration in my MK2 with what I had best results for 944's. I'll roll some tubes later in the process.  I currently have Sylvania 0A3's, Philips 5R4GYS, Genalex KT77, and Telefunken E88CC input. Right off the bat I can say the DNA sound seems to fit a touch better in the room as I had to roll back the treble cut with the 944's. In my old ideal basement room I ran it wide open. Back to wide open with the DNA. They don't seem to excite the room nodes as quickly, I think I am listening at a lower volume but feel a little deeper in the music, mostly from the room I think.  Also, I never measured db before, but with all I read about these drivers I downloaded a meter to my phone, don't know if it is super accurate but it will be standard between them when I bring back the 944. I never measured the 944 even once but I have had the volume on the Benchmark DAC2 HGC maxed and Torii MK2 to about 3 oclock if I was really rocking out around the house. Funny thing I discovered tonight, I have the dac at max and the Torii at about only 8 oclock and I'm getting 71dbmax, 60 avg full deep bass, and don't feel like I need or want to turn it up.
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Rega RP6- ZP3- macmini- Benchmark Dac2 HGC- Torii mkii/ SE84 UFO2- MG944/DNA
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Finch
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Re: How do they compare to the MG944s?
Reply #10 - 12/22/16 at 09:15:40
 
So with some background out of the way and knowing they still continue to bloom how do they sound? I started out slow with light strings and voices, amazing, great job, ran some frequency sweeps at the low power/volume, bass wasn't there for a few days. This was at like 50db though being very careful first few days. Add a few days and a little more power and wow! Here comes some bass. Throwing more and more musical styles through it really shining on strings of course but also pop and funk, not quite ready for certain rock recordings yet, but was crushing bass heavy pop?  Most of this listening has been digital through my macmini-audirvana plus- upscaled to DSD-Benchmark-Torii mk2- DNA with some Rega RP6-ZP3-analogue thruput Benchmark pre- Torii-DNA. Mostly digital for ease and Tidal HiFi streaming to throwmore stuff at it.
Add a few more days and Im up to the 85db peak and 75-80 avg. more than enough. Finding the volume very recording dependant. Not touching any knobs different recordings louder than others, compression I guess. These speakers are very revealing because I have been thinking alot about the mixes and can tell the differences in presentation. Some rock is amazing and some lacks some attack that was there with the 944's. Amazing- I Robot Alan Parsons Project, widest soundstage I've had in this room, felt so clear I felt like I was sitting in the seat at the soundboard. Thats what came to me as I was listening and I havent ever thought that before. In this room the DNA have vertical definition to the soudstage too.
Pink Floyd which was always great on the 944's too, sounds wide and open but without the control board in front of you feel, more from floor to ceiling.
Lacking- on both vinyl and digital Dire Straits Brothers in Arms, So Far Away, beautiful, drums on Money for Nothing, solid, but when the guitar should peel your face off it is a little laid back and towards the back rather than out front.  Will try again amping up the power. Also had a really strange listen to Metallica Black Album, drums, solid center and realistically wide, bass and vocals like Ive never heard it but some guitar floating up and to the right almost like on the drummers shoulder.  A touch too laid back. Some of the guitar tracks were up front and to the left, no problem.
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Rega RP6- ZP3- macmini- Benchmark Dac2 HGC- Torii mkii/ SE84 UFO2- MG944/DNA
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Finch
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Re: How do they compare to the MG944s?
Reply #11 - 12/22/16 at 09:29:25
 
I do hear on some recordings an almost hands cupped to mouth sound but not all, adjusting to no tweeter maybe?

So back to the awesome strengths, for bass quality I like to play Quarter Chicken Dark, YoYoMa, Goat Rodeo sessions and Aras with Bela Fleck on it. Great strings, thick rich bass you can feel in your teeth like you are flossing with a bass string. Powerfull and really rich.

For quantity I like to test with Outkast Speakerboxxx track 1 and 2 because it has the whole freq spectrum going on and then goes really deep, can quickly find room problems with it. Gets everything shaking.  

The DNA is so fun to play with that I just type bass into Tidal search and have found some bass head stuff that the DNA is really killing. I gotta remind that I havent played the new bass stuff on the 944 yet. And they are no slouch in the low freq, but the way the DNA throws it seems to "fit" or play nicer with this room.
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Matchstikman
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Re: How do they compare to the MG944s?
Reply #12 - 12/22/16 at 23:34:30
 
Wow, great review.

Standing next to the MG944s it is obvious how much smaller they are.  And, from what I read, the bass is great.  Would you say the bass is as advertised?  Does it actually go that low?

Do you plan on keeping both sets of loudspeakers or does each one provide something different?  Or will you relegate one set to a different system.  

You have me even more interested.
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Finch
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Re: How do they compare to the MG944s?
Reply #13 - 12/23/16 at 01:16:24
 
Thanks,

I would say so far the bass really is as advertised, deep but also very clear, you can really hear each note on the deep stuff.

I still want to try some different tubes and then bring back the 944 to A/B compare some things.

Not sure what I will do, maybe a second system upstairs, maybe even make a Frankenstein surround sound, build a sub and use the DNA as rears with 944 fronts.

Definitely not ready to part with 944's yet. I don't know how big of a room the DNA could fill but they are doing a nice job in this one.
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Matchstikman
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Re: How do they compare to the MG944s?
Reply #14 - 12/23/16 at 01:54:37
 
Finch, good for you.  I'm glad they are working out.  I'd like to hear your thoughts after you get a chance to do an A/B test between them.  I don't know if you are like me, but my audio memory is short so in order to compare things I need to go back and forth in quick order.

Keep at it....
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