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The Magnificent Magnepan 30.7 speakers....wait, I don’t like planars!

Wendell Diller from Magnepan has been a very busy gentleman recently. Touring throughout the US, he has visited, or will visit, numerous locations to demo the new Magnepan 30.7 speakers. It takes a lot of determination and commitment to drive through the country and then to set up in the small towns and large metropolises, a speaker the size of the new 30.7.
Last night I had the very good fortune of hearing the 30.7’s for the first time...at a local high end store demo. Also, I had the pleasure of talking to Wendell and his wife about his voyage...and why he does it.
But first, the Magnepan 30.7’s are...IMHO, at the very top of a long list of planar speakers that have been brought to my attention. Having owned Maggie’s in the past along with Quads and Acoustat’s, my interest level in this type of speaker was not in any way high. Yet, here’s the thing, these new Maggie’s are not your father’s Maggie’s. Instead, we have a speaker that given the right size room ( and unfortunately this is the real determining factor...and crucial to make these work) is very near to the top of the chain in current SOTA speakers. Easily able to compete with competitors at the $100k level or above! Yet these guys are priced at $30k....which makes them by far the best $30k speakers on the planet, imho.
Anyone looking to replace a speaker with a max budget of $50k...and with the room to accommodate this speaker, needs to hear this speaker..
Unlike planars of the past, and most if not all others that are current, this model does one thing that Planars have never done before, at least that I have heard. That thing is Dynamics...and in spades. Bass control and power is on a par with some of the best large dynamic speakers on the market...along with NO discontinuity between the drivers. ( as was prevalent in the past with Maggie’s).
So, how many times have we gone into a demo with preconceived impressions based on past experience and been proven wrong....this time for me was one of those times...and for you, I suspect it will be the same thing.
If and when Wendell brings his van and his speakers to your neck of the woods, don’t miss out on a great opportunity to hear one of the worlds best speakers...at a price that will put most others to shame.

128x128daveyf
aalenik
67 posts
 

Haven't heard the 30.7 yet, but I love the 3.7 and 20.7.  It is true that all 3 of those models require a good-sized room.  The beauty of Maggies is that if you have a smaller room... there are smaller Maggies which will integrate better... and sound better than a large model 'stuffed' into a tight space.

The one caveat with Maggies (which partially offsets their low prices) is that you need powerful amps to drive them properly. I'd recommend at least 200W/ch for the 3.7, and maybe more for the bigger ones.   

pryso
1,945 posts
 
davey, I think the need for treatment on the front wall behind the speakers is a function of how far out into the room you can place them.  With the recommended 5' or greater there should be no need.

Also, in a recent conversation with Wendell he related after moving to a smaller home his speakers (he didn't specify which model) are only about 3' out, but he does not have anything on the wall behind them.  He did confirm the 5' or greater for best set up however.

For the demo I heard he had placed the 30.7s out about 5'.
daveyf's avatar
daveyf OP
2,929 posts
 
@pryso 

i am not so sure that the Maggie’s don’t sound a lot better with the rear wave attenuated. At the demo, the speakers were initially  about 5+’ from the rear wall, one of our members moved them back about 6”and they definitely sounded better.
One thing about Maggie’s, they are really really a PITA to set up...minute changes pay big dividends. However, exactitude definitely pays off with them.
pryso
1,945 posts
 
Right.  I don't think there is ONE set-up procedure that applies for every situation.  So knowledge (reading recommendations to narrow the possibilities), experimentation, and patience are required for every installation.

Speaking of attenuating the rear wave, I have Janszens and the rear wave of the electrostatic panels is totally attenuated.  That is not common but I believe David Janszen, like his father before him, knows just what he is doing with this design
jhills
618 posts
 
Would love to, one day, afford the Maggie 30.7s and a room big enough to optimally use them. For now, I’m pretty happy with my little 1.7s.
Those who say the Maggies won’t image well, if you’re not stuck to the sweet spot, I suspect, have not taken the time to set them up properly for your room, or used adequate treatment on the wall behind. After a bit of time and patience with setting up the 1.7s. it matters little if I’m setting center stage or to either side of center; wither I’m standing, sitting or even laying down, the image stays nicely focused across the stage, behind the plane of the speakers and vocals stay, remarkably center stage.
At 14’x28’ with a 12’ vaulted ceiling, I think my room may even be large enough for the 3.7i s. Some day maybe. To those in a position to get and enjoy the new 30.7s, I give you my congrats and wish you the best of listening....Jim
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