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

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'."
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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.

It’s pretty much unanimous, the 21 demos of the 30.7’s at various dealers around the country have been a mixed bag.  It’s a fact that many if not most dealer showrooms are mediocre at best, and some are downright terrible.  And it’s also true that most likely if you enjoy the sound of a speaker at a dealer’s showroom then once you bring that speaker home you’ll like it even better.  

Let’s move past all that contentious commentary.  There’s a better way.   Magnepan should announce when 30.7’s will begin shipping and provide a listing of which dealers, if any, will actually display the new flagship.  

As always, once rabid Maggie lovers get their hands on a pair of 30.7’s and actually use them in their own room they will most certainly fill the forums with discussion on how they perform, what they like, what they dislike, and how they compare to their previous Maggie’s.

I own 20.7’s and before that I owned 3.6’s. There’s No question, Magnepan’s are some of the finest speakers in the world today and they have been since day one!  And, for cost vs performance they ARE the Best buy you can make in all of Speakerdom!!!

But, since Magnepan has raised the anty by presenting a “flagship” design that costs plenty ($30k) it should also consider that buyers’ expectations have been raised.  The demos across the country aren’t addressing those expectations.  

Start rolling 30.7’s off the assembly line and let’s hear what early adopter audiophiles have to say. 

I think the best way for anybody to truly know whether any speaker is a contender for their own home system, is to take a pair home for an audition. This isn’t that easy with a speaker the size of the 30.7’s. However, compared to a lot of other SOTA contenders out there, these guys are fairly easy to move around and transport.
I would certainly consider these speakers in my system, IF I had the room- and the amplifier power to drive them effectively. Having heard many of the SOTA contenders on the market, I certainly believe that the 30.7’s can compete with the very best...at any price. While I do think that there are a few speakers that offer some very minor pluses to these Maggies, I also think that the price difference will be considerable.

@stickman451

I agree with your post, Magnepan needs to start selling these guys and having them available for home audition. This ’raising the ante’ is not a negative for Magenpan, because while I don’t agree with today’s high end speaker pricing, $30K is actually entry level for numerous other brands!!

BTW, pleased that Wendell is watching this thread, it was a pleasure to meet with him and his wife at the demo...
Now we just have to convince the local dealer to carry the 30.7's in their inventory, LOL.

Hi Pryso,

Yes, that paragraph is confusing, isn't it? But what Wendell meant is that the *customers'* rooms are too small for big panel speakers, not the dealer's.

Stickman, good point! I'm told they are coming off the assembly line now, so presumably we'll start to get some feedback. Considering that these are improved from the Tympani IVa's in just about every department and knowing what the IVa's sound like in my room, I imagine that they're pretty amazing.

I also know how much time it takes to set up a planar for best results, and Tympanis are even worse since there are so many panels!

Davey, how much room do you have? The reason I mention that is that Wendell is saying they'll work in rooms that are smaller than most people think. The original reviewer demo was in a room only 14-1/2' wide.

Of course, it helps if you have a dedicated room, or a wife who is very nearsighted. :-)