Sorry, I have not been on the board for a few days. No, neither myself or my two friends are dealers and have never been a dealer of Magnepan or any other speaker brand. Only an enthusiast. In fact two of us personally own Magnepan MG-IIIA's and think they are great speakers. I'm not disparaging the 1.7s and think I clearly stated it 'could' have been the electronics or room. I'm just stating what each of us heard. All I suggest is, listen to them yourself before buying and make up your own mind. Each of us hear differently.
Happy Listening....