The Magnificent Magnepan 30.7 speakers....wait, I don’t like planars!
Hey Efffer, I have a pair of IVa's as well! Mine are in a room that's only 13-1/2 feet wide -- it's been a challenge, but I can believe Wendell when he says that they work in a 14-1/2' wide room because the bass panel of the 30.7 are designed to go against the side wall, whereas the single panel Maggies are generally used about two feet out. I'd love to try them with a Pass Amp too. As I understand it, the dealers are providing the amplification during the tour, so it's up to them, but when Wendell demoed them for Christ Martens at Magnepan, it seems he mated them with Audio Research gear: http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/magnepan-307-fourpanel-dipolar-planar-loudspeaker-system/ |
I've been hearing a lot from Wendell about the varying acoustics at the dealers on the tour. He's been following this thread, and he's concerned that some will mistake the performance of the 30.7's in showrooms with sub par acoustics for the kind of performance they can expect at home, so he asked me to post this: 30.7 in 21 different sound rooms To date, I have set up the 30.7s in 21 different rooms including the North American tour. If you really want to hear the full potential of the speakers, Hi Fi Centre in Vancouver, BC would be the place to go. However, the 30.7s won't be on display there. There are plenty of wealthy customers in Vancouver, but invariably, their rooms are too small for big panel speakers. The world's best speakers can not fix a "challenged" sound room. So, it is risky business to undertake a North American tour with the 30.7 when I know in advance that most of the dealer's sound rooms are not capable of showing the full potential of the speakers. Dealers will readily admit that their sound rooms are not the best. (There is a downside to having a sound room that is superior to what their customers might have.) Your dealer can usually assure you that if you like the speakers in their sound room, you will like them even more in your home. At last count, there were 2,599 views on one thread about the 30.7 on the Audiogon forum. I saw comments such as--- "I was told by someone that attended that exact demo that overall the mid/bass was too fat, bloated and 'phasey'." . If any one of those 2,599 readers wants to know the sonic issues of any one of the 30.7 demos they heard (or heard about)-----call me. I have no problem disclosing what worked and what didn't work at each event. The purpose of the North American tour is not what it might seem. We might sell a few more pairs of 30.7s, but considering the huge expense and effort, it is not the most effective way to sell more 30.7s. The reasons are varied. Many customers have never heard 20.7s (especially in smaller markets). They are even less likely to hear 30.7s. Given the significance of the 30.7s, we decided to bring them to you---even if you live in Eugene, Oregon or Vernon, British Columbia. P.S. One customer heard the 30.7s at two different stores. He did not want to be identified out of concern for the dealer that had the lesser sound room--- "The moment we walked into the room in XXXX, I wondered if they really were the same speakers. They seemed to have a natural quality, particularly with the choral group that was singing that was lacking in XXXX. The bass response was spectacularly good without being “spectacular”. It just sounded natural in the way acoustic instruments sound in real rooms." Wendell Diller, Magnepan |
Thanks for posting this Josh. But with all due respect to Wendell, the third paragraph doesn't make sense. If Hi Fi Centre has been "the place to hear the full potential of the speakers" then how can at least one of their rooms be "too small for big panel speakers"? It sounds like he is saying they had the best sonic presentation of any of the first 21 rooms for tour demos. If so, why would they not be offered there for plenty of potential customers? I was fortunate to be able to attend one of the demos conducted so far. It was a pleasure to meet Wendell and his wife and chat briefly. My reaction to the speakers was fine basic enjoyment while not being overwhelmed by the performance. But I've been reluctant to post much about that because of personal issues with my hearing that day and not wanting to jump to any false conclusions. I can say the speakers are beautiful in person and assuming one's room is of adequate size and the cosmetics of the 30.7s carefully chosen they can have visual appeal in spite of their size. |
