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Can Magnepan survive Wendell Diller?

I bought my first set of Magnepans in 1976, and I currently have a pair of 1.7i's.

It is difficult for me to upgrade to the 3.7i's because their are so many things that the company can do to improve their product that they simply won't offer; upgraded crossover components, a solid wood/rigid frames and better stands are examples.

Other companies are now doing this, but Magnepan always says Wendell doesn't think that is a good idea.

Can a man who suggests using lamp cord for his speaker line really have that much control over an otherwise unique technological approach to speaker design? I must be missing something obvious when a product is hand assembled in MN and any of these upgrades would, in my mind, warrant factory upgrades. Who wouldn't spend an extra $1k for a 1.7i with a hardwood frame and an upgraded x-over? Adding a ribbon tweeter to the 1.7i would warrant an additional $1k, still bringing them in $2k under the 3.7i.

Is it common for one person to hold an entire company back in high end audio? 
128x128william53b
ml8764ag's avatar
ml8764ag
501 posts
 
If you could not get Maggies to sound good you may have been lacking in proper room space /acoustics or... Most likely adequate QUALITY power.... They need a good POWERFUL amp to shine.

I’ve heard multiple accounts of people being disappointed in the sound... Having hooked them up to a low power home theater receiver. What a surprise my $300, 40 watt receiver doesn’t sound good through my Maggies 😂!
william53b's avatar
william53b OP
211 posts
 
For everyone who is saying Magnepan is about value.

Exactly how bad could they make them for you to still want to buy them? 

I can live with the paperboard circuit board and the cheap connectors, and the imprecisely applied diaphragm conductor tape, but you must realize that those are more a result of lack of manufacturing savvy than necessities to keep the price down.

Handmade can have several connotations.
ml8764ag's avatar
ml8764ag
501 posts
 
Then buy something else... These are one of the few Audio Manufacturers left in this country and clearly have been very successful.

They’ve been in business for 47 years... Possibly longer than many here have been on the planet..but you’re going to diss their leadership and straighten out their very successful business model!😂

This has got to be Satire... Right?
larrymagoo's avatar
larrymagoo
3 posts
 
Well the only pair of Maggies I owned where the Tympani 1-D's back in the 70's.  Even they looked like Room Dividers, they played the female voice like no other speaker I have heard.   

They required a lot of juice to make them sing...I drove them with a Phase Linear 400  and did all right once it was modded with huge capacitors to help with the power supply.


grossman616
123 posts
 
I love mine!!!
I've upgraded the fuses and replaced the the factory tweeter/attenuatorwith a pure silver one. Other than that the are stock and sound great.    
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