A fair amount of DIY went into this system, which has turned out to be very musically rewarding.
The basic Salamander Archetype racks were modified with constrained-layer damping incorporated into much thicker and stronger shelves, which were then trimmed in oak. Additionally, the racks were given some substantial solid oak outriggers. For the left rack, I made a thinner top shelf from oak-veneered plywood.
The Magnepan 1.6's stock passive networks were removed to accomdate vertical bi-amping (one Odyssey amp per Maggie). The Maggie's binding post plates were modified with CNC'd pieces from Front Panel Express in Seattle and binding posts from Cardas. The frames of the Maggie's were modified to be much thicker, more substantial, and incorporate constrained-layer damping on both sides of the magnet/driver panel. The magnet/driver panel is sandwiched onto the main frame with a screwed-down & finished retaining frame. This, combined with the [sand-filled-struts] MyeStands, offers a very strong and stable platform from which sound can be launched. Externally, though, the enhanced frames are visually identical to stock, with the exception of the new oak side trim.
Eventually, the dbx crossover will be replaced with my Bryston 10B L-R's. Also, the McIntosh integrated amp will probably move to another system, and I will replace it with a dedicated preamp.
The Rythmik subwoofers, deployed in stereo, offer a wonderful match to the Maggie's. The dbx crossover sends all frequencies below 50Hz to the subs, relieveing the Maggie's from having to reproduce frequencies that are muted by dipole cancellation, and saving that bit of extra headroom in the Odyssey's as well. After experimenting (and failing) with integrating other subs with the Maggie's, the self-amplified servo-controlled Rythmik's make a perfect match. And, they were a snap to get one seamless sound from top to bottom.
Power cords for all components are the Pangea Audio AC-14's and AC-9's from Audio Advisor. The cable risers are homemade.
Although I loved the Maggie's when they were stock, the system now represents a level of musical performance that is a quantum leap above what it was. Overall, an extemely worthwhile endeavor!
Next....VPI tweaks? Cambridge 840 upgrades? Who knows?
