THE Show Newport 2013 • Hot Product

While marketing gurus will shriek at the use of "cheap" to describe a product, Wendell Diller of Magnepan just smiles, celebrating the notion that his company's speakers are cheap -- er, low-priced -- in today's audio market, even among competition from the Far East.

The Super MMG takes this to new levels, even for Magnepan. While it may disorient some longtime Magnepan followers -- the Super MMG is not a pair of speakers, like the original MMGs -- its performance lives up to that grand prefix, and then some. It's available two ways: as either a three- ($1199) or four-piece system ($1750), comprising a pair of left and right speakers that are the same size as the standard MMGs and a single or pair of dedicated woofer panels that can be tucked out of the way (or, with optional trim pieces and tops, double as end tables). You don't need extra amplification -- a stereo amp or integrated will do. The main speakers use some of the same technology as Magnepan's .7 models along with an improved quasi-ribbon tweeter. The entire system is available just like Magnepan's MMGs: with a 60-day in-home trial.

More to the point, the Super MMG sounded absolutely stunning, delivering a soundscape that was huge and sweeping with music of all types, along with the tonal purity and speed for which Maggies are known. If you've always wanted MMGs but were concerned about their lack of bass, or if you've wanted 1.7s or 3.7s but in a shorter, less obtrusive package, the Super MMG is your solution -- and a "cheap," no-sonic-compromise one at that.