The Story Behind Magnepan
Magnepan are based in Minnesota, USA and have been manufacturing their magneplanar speakers since 1969 when engineer Jim Winey came up with the idea. Situated in a 50,000 square foot facility Magnepan have so far sold over 200,000 pairs of their speakers worldwide, also affectionately known as ‘Maggies. Basically they are a panel speaker but the voice coil of a conventional speaker is stretched out over a Mylar film sheet which when amplified excites the Mylar film to create sound, being that there is no cabinet they offer a very clean and revealing sound, with great detail, finesse and speed, being considered by many to be the closest you can get to that live sound, especially as they are a dipole design meaning that they fire out the same sound from behind as from the front giving a very big and realistic soundstage.
At Tafos Audio we are really excited to be able to offer Magneplanar speakers to our customers. If you have never heard a ‘Maggie’ before then you really should come in for a listen as they are very different in their presentation compared to a conventional box speaker, they offer amazing clarity and insight into a recording as there is no cabinet to affect the sound, In the world of HiFi they are considered by many to be an absolute bargain especially when you hear the level of performance you get, so please contact us and book your demo experience for something a little different.
Magnepan 30.7
Magneplanar flagship: the Magnepan 30.7
Faithful to the principle of the flat dipole panel, large and thin, the 30.7 nevertheless differs from other Magnepan by its operation.
Each channel is made up of two panels: a large one for the bass / medium-bass registers and a narrower one (twice as much), for the treble / medium-treble.
Despite its imposing dimensions, the Magnepan 30.7 works perfectly well in rooms of modest sizes.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Type: Four-way, four-panel, quasi-ribbon/pure-ribbon dipolar planar loudspeaker (each speaker includes a large bass/midbass panel and a smaller midrange/ tweeter panel)
Driver complement (per speaker): two quasi-ribbon bass drivers, one quasi-ribbon ‘transitional line source mid-bass coupler’, one quasi ribbon midrange driver with ultralow-mass diaphragm, and one pure-ribbon high frequency driver. Frequency response: 24 Hz-40 kHz Impedance: 4 Ohms Sensitivity: Not specified Dimensions (HxWxD): 200.7 x 73.7 x 5.2 cm Weight: Not specified Framework : Wood: natural oak, black oak or cherry Aluminum: silver, black, red or blue Fabric: off-white, black, or dark gray
What is "power response" and why is it important to music reproduction?
Wendell Diller, marketing manager, explains why Maggies have superior power response and how you can conduct this listening test at your local dealer.
30.7 wins 2017 “Overall Product of the Year” in The Absolute Sound magazine (January issue 279, 2018).
The 30.7 was awarded co-winner of “Overall Product of the Year” along with the $685,000 Wilson WAMM Master Chronosonic
30.7 review in The Absolute Sound— Part One and Part Two of the review.
2018 Editors' Choice, The Absolute Sound, March 2018
This giant, four-panel (two panels per side), four-way, ribbon/quasi-ribbon line source loudspeaker from Magnepan is the best Maggie JV has heard, which is tantamount to saying it is the best planar JV has ever heard (and right up there with the best six-figure dynamics JV has heard). With its highly coherent wave-launch, free standing imaging, vast soundstage, phenomenal resolution of inner detail, lightning transient response, incomparable naturalness of timbre, and total lack of box coloration and diffraction, the 30.7 is markedly less “there” as a sound source (and markedly more lifelike on voice and acoustic instruments) than almost every dynamic-speaker-in-a-box, no matter its price.
The best buy in an ultra-high-end loudspeaker (and one of the best high-end buys of all time), the 30.7 earned JV’s highest, most ecstatic recommendation and TAS’ 2017 Overall Product of the Year award. If you have sufficient room, amplifier, and permission from your spouse—and don’t listen to a steady diet of heavy metal—you cannot do better.
The most comprehensive review of both the 30.7 and Magnepan
Widescreen Review: Magnepan’s Ultra High-End 30.7 Magneplanar Loudspeaker
30.7 tour of North America : A short video of our adventures to date
Magnepan 20.7
The listeners for whom the 20.7s are ideal for whom Magneplanars have always been ideal are absolute sound types. This Maggies magical ability to transport you to a different space and time and to there realistically recreate (with lifelike scope and size) the sound of actual acoustic instruments is extraordinary and, of course, the very definition of the absolute sound. Indeed, the 20.7s come as close to achieving Harry Pearsons goal of reproducing the sound of real instruments in real space as any speaker I've heard. I love 'em, but then I've loved and owned more Magneplanar speakers than those from any other manufacturer. If the sound absolute is what you crave (and you can live with the 20.7s sundry demands and peculiarities), Magnepans new flagships earn my highest and warmest recommendation. It almost goes without saying (since these are Maggies), but the 20.7s are also incredibly good values. Now hie thee forth and give them a long listen, and see if you don't fall in love with them too."
Jonathon Valin, of the Absolute Sound magazine
Who buys 20.7s?
The typical 20.7 customer has owned Maggies for many years. They are ready for something better. Many buy without ever hearing the 20.7. That is trust and we feel very honored to have earned their trust.
So, you are considering something even better? Typically, you are not rich--nor do you care about status. The music is what it is all about--and your older Maggies have served you well. You now have the means to consider what you have always dreamed about.
The 20.7 is not big.
What? You say.
The 20.7 is not big from an acoustical standpoint. However, the bass driver is big. If we sold the portion of the speaker from 200 Hz up, you could put it in the average apartment. Yes, it is tall, but very narrow. The ideal speaker would be a massless line-source that would look like a pole--from the floor to the ceiling. The 20.7 comes as close to that ideal as is possible with real-world devices.
The 20.7 bass driver is the reason it is big. Sorry, but that is what it takes to have high definition bass
Description : 3 Channels / Ribbon Tweeter - Planar - Magnetic
Frequency response : 25-40 kHz
Sensitivity : 86dB/500Hz /2.83v
Impedance : 4 ohms
Dimensions : 29 x 79x 2.062 cm
Magnepan 3.7 i
The 3.7 is a 3-way design, like the 3.6, but, it is a full-range ribbon design, like the highly acclaimed 1.7. We are calling it "trickle-up" technology. The concepts that worked so well in the 1.7 were incorporated in the 3.7.
Following the success of the predecessor, the 3.7 became the 3.7i
In past model improvements, driver changes and factory retooling were extensive. It is rare when improvements can be made that are audible in a blind test and do not require a major investment. So, in view of this good fortune, we chose to pass on these small improvements rather than save them for a 3.8.
Will you be able to hear the difference between the 3.7 and 3.7i? Yes, in a careful A-B test, but we don't do sales hype. It is not a 3.8. And for those that have a 3.7, we have some good news.
The first online reviews of the 3.7i
Editorial on 3.7s and Magnepan's CES demonstration begins in second column of link below. Gary Reber states :
"These are without question the best performance/value in loudspeakers that I have experienced. American-made throughout, these high-resolution, full-range ribbon, planar loudspeakers set a new benchmark for high-fidelity performance in loudspeaker design. No other demonstration at the CES came close to the sonic and spatial realism, and seamless response and time coherence delivered by the Magneplanars!"
Technical specifications :
Frequency response : 35Hz- 40 kHz Sensitivity : 86dB/500Hz /2.83v Impedance : 4 Ohm Dimensions : 61 x 180 x 4,1 cm
Magnepan 1.7i
"Not just The Absolute Sound's Affordable Loudspeaker of the Year, the 1.7 is the affordable loudspeaker of the decade" The Absolute Sound magazine, January, 2011
After a 12-year history, reaching a near-iconic standing, the Magneplanar 1.6 has been improved with value engineering. No costly tweaks of questionable sonic value. Magnepan is all about better ideas which give verifiable, high-value sonic improvements. All members of a listening panel chose the 1.7 or the 1.6 in a blind listening test.
The 1.7 is a departure from Magnepan's 41-year history of using planar magnetic drivers for the bass or lower midrange. The use of quasi ribbon technology down into the lower midrange and bass will provide a new level of coherence.
What is a quasi-ribbon? The quasi ribbon driver is a deviation from the true ribbon design. A very thin film backing is used to hold the delicate ribbons in place. One of the advantages of quasi ribbon drivers is extremely wide frequency band width and high power handling. The result in the 1.7 is low distortion and seamless ribbon clarity--a sound so clear and effortless that it has changed the thinking of thousands of audiophiles about planar speakers.
The 1.7 also boasts a quasi ribbon super tweeter with a wider "sweet spot," and one step closer to the delicacy and detail of Magnepan's true ribbon design.
The 1.7 was subjected to "blind testing" by a panel of audiophiles and casual listeners. In addition to better sound, there is one more important improvement that you can test for yourself. If you have the opportunity to hear the 1.7s at your local dealer, try this experiment---Ask the dealer to place the speakers with the tweeters on the outside. Note how the imaging remains remarkably stable when seated far off-axis. With some speakers it is necessary to sit in the "sweet spot" for good imaging. If you are too far out of the sweet spot, you will hear predominately one speaker.With the tweeters on the outside, the 1.7 has the widest sweet spot of any of any previous Maggies. If you prefer to sit only in the "sweet spot", try the tweeters on the inside.
Magnepan Magneplanar 1.7 speakers
They look more like doors than speakers. And in a sense, they are—the supermodel-sized speakers seem to "open up" and let you hear into a recording in a way you can't with conventional speakers. Credit the quasi-ribbon-driver technology, which suspends super-thin strips of mylar-backed foil in a magnetic field. The result: the big speakers seem to disappear, replaced by a soundstage that's as deep as it is wide. Voices sound uncannily real, and the bass is surprisingly satisfying for a design without conventional woofers.
The 1.7i is not big.
What? You say.
The 1.7i is not big from an acoustical standpoint. However, the bass driver is big. If we sold the portion of the speaker from 200 Hz up, you could put it in the average apartment. Yes, it is tall, but very narrow. The ideal speaker would be a massless line-source that would look like a pole--from the floor to the ceiling. The 1.7i comes as close to that ideal as is possible with real-world devices.
The 1.7i bass driver is the reason it is big. Sorry, but that is what it takes to have high definition bass
Technical specifications :
3-Way, Full-Range, Quasi-Ribbon Frequency response : 40 Hz - 24 Hz Sensitivity : 88+ dB/ 500 Hz / 2,83v Impedance : 4 Ohms Dimensions : 162 x 47,5 x 5 cm Weight : 22 kg
Magnepan .7
“Best Sound (for the money): Unquestionably the Maggie .7.” Alan Taffel, The Absolute Sound, April 2015
The .7 — High-End Audio where space is at a premium
We heard you —“The 1.7 is too big for my small room.”
So, we down-sized the 1.7 and called it the ‘.7’. It was that simple. Most all of what you read about the 1.7 applies to the .7.
Ok, not everything. Because the .7 has a smaller bass diaphragm, it has less “bite on the air.” Consequently, the bass will be less than the 1.7 if you wish to use it in a larger room. However, the DWM Bass Panel can be used to supplement the bass.
The .7 offers full-range, quasi-ribbon technology at a price that some audiophiles spend for speaker cables. Value is what Magneplanars are all about.
The .7 has an optional oval base as shown below for modern decors.
For those that have followed the "i" upgrades of the 3.7 and 1.7, the improvements of the 3.7i and 1.7i were incorporated into the .7.
Technical Specifications : 2-Way/Quasi Ribbon Freq. Resp.45-22kHz ±3dB Sensitivity : 86dB/500Hz /2.83v Impedance4 Ω Dimensions: 138 x 38 x 3,2 cm
Magnepan LRS
Magnepan’s newest entry-level speaker replaces the old MMGi. Designed from the ground up, the LRS, or Little Ribbon Speaker, is a full-range quasi-ribbon speaker. Thus, it is a speaker completely different from its predecessor – more coherent, and much more like the larger models.
Technical differences between the LRS and its predecessor
All versions of the MMG were generically planar-magnetic – wires connected to a non-conducting membrane. The LRS, in contrast, is a ribbon speaker. Or, as we prefer to describe it, quasi-ribbon, since to us, the only true ribbon is the original aluminum-foil variety.
Unlike both the SMG and MMG that were designed for the limitations of receivers with relatively low power and low current capability, the LRS was created using high-end electronics and mono blocks. It will perform nicely with a receiver, but was intentionally designed to extract the most from high-end amplifiers and electronics. In contrast to most entry-level speakers, the LRS expects more from a properly designed high-current amplifier. Put your expensive high-end amplifier on the LRS, and you will hear the difference!
Once you have tried a Magneplanar in your home, the probability is high that you will become a lifelong Maggie enthusiast.
Technical Specifications :
Loudspeaker system 2-way quasi-ribbon planar-magnetic loudspeaker system Frequency response 50–24 kHz Sensitivity 86 dB / 500 Hz / 2.83 v Recommended power See FAQs on Magnepan’s American site Impedance 4 Ohm Dimensions (B) 36.83 cm X (H) 121.92 cm X (D) 2.54 cm Weight 22.6 kg