Magnepan upgrade

Do you know about the Eminent Technology LFT-8b? Some listeners prefer it to both the 1.7i and 3.7i. It, like the Maggies, is a magnetic-planar (from 180Hz to 10k), with a ribbon tweeter and dynamic woofer. $2499, a few hundred for the almost-mandatory Sound Anchor stands.

The OP has to listen the the two Maggie's side by side. I suspect that the 3.7i's will do just about everything better but you may also come away thinking just how good the 1.7's are. I knew someone that considered going to the bigger Maggie's and wound up adding a subwoofer instead. 

@ OP,
Those 3.7's are awful big, but I bet they will sound amazing. I think Zavato's comment worthwhile- maybe adding a sub(s) would give you much of what the 3.7's can do. If I recall, more than half of the planar speaker is needed for bass reproduction, so the much larger 3.7's will move more air than your 1.7's.
B