Is Maggie 20.1 still overall better than 3.7?

When the 1.7's came out i owned 1.6's . I bought the 1.7's and listened side by side for three weeks . I returned the 1.7's . The soundstage of the 1.7's seemed recessed comparably . Also the bass seemed  (tighter) but less pronounced than the 1.6 . I couldn't understand how everyone liked the 1.7's better . Oh well ...

I’m surprised how few magnetic-planar lovers (which I am, having bought Tympani I’s back in ’73, and currently owning Tympani IV’s) have heard (or even heard OF) the Eminent Technology LFT-8b. Definitely superior to the 1.6/7 (and perhaps even the 3.7) in a number of ways, for those curious, and only a couple hundred bucks more ($2499).

Bdp,

I had had just a slightly different take on the ET.  There was a local dealer that had a pair and I was impressed.  The more extended low end vis a vis the Maggies made me initially lean toward the ET, but over a longer term listening session, it became evident that there was something in the mid-bass that didn't sound quite right to my ear.

I had previously owned (and loved) 3.6s, but they were too big for the space in my new home, so I was trying to find a similar sound in a smaller package.  In the end, I bought MMGs with a pair of subs and (much) preferred the result to either the stand-alone 1.6 or the ET.  My total cost was under $1800 and that price tag was lower  than either of my alternative planar magnetic options.

I still suspect (obviously impossible to know with certainty) that this may be the best value in a true full-range system on the market.  The one caveat is that I use Audyssey in my preamp (pre-pro). The resultant sub/panel integration is undetectable (to me ear), but the trade-off is that analog sources are subject to ADC and DAC.  It's not an issue for me as this particular system is strictly digital, but I understand that it could be a deal breaker for others.

"Interesting--I like my 3.6R’s with the Mye stands, Cardas jumpers and SR Red fuses. I would put them up against stock 3.7i’s. Maybe.....any more opinions on the two?"

I have owned the 3.6 and currently the 3.7, I would say both have their strenghts and weaknesses;

The 3.7 is more coherent with slightly better midbass slam, more articulate but sounds a bit leaner than the 3.6. I sometimes miss the fuller lows.

• The 3.7 is more coherent with slightly better mid bass slam, more articulate but sounds a bit leaner than the 3.6. I sometimes miss the fuller lows.
  

Thanks, Hasse--do you use any of the tweaks I listed?