Magnepan 1.7

Ya really oughta hear em don't ya think? I have had so many instances that someone or a magazine said that this or that was the best thing since sliced bread only to finally hear them and think...huh? ANY speaker has it's own set of
plus's and minus's, only you can decide which ones you prefer. I'm betting that they are pretty darn good and will
reflect both source and amplification to a large degree, maybe more than a $2,000 speaker has any right to. John from AC in NJ is probably your best source of info on these as he is hearing them as God intended...with ARC!
*s*

But isn't Magnepan using Bryston these days to exhibit at shows?

The high power being used to demo the 1.7's in many cases is not representative of what the average audiophile will experience/hear from these speakers at home.

When one pushes past 500 toward 1,000wpc the results with virtually any full range larger floor standing speaker move toward the scintillating end of the experience spectrum. I have experienced this with all manner of speakers, from concentric high efficiency speakers like the Tannoy Glenair to planar hybrids like the Eminent Technology LFT-8B, to the dynamic/planar hybrid Legacy Focus SE (all reviewed). Speakers simply do not sound as "frisky" or vibrant when powered by 200wpc, say, versus 500-1,000wpc.

Some dealers may be showing them with more realistic amplification for most people, which might explain some of the disparity in reports on their sound.

Could differences in amps make that much of a difference? Absolutely. :)

Just heard the 1.7s at a local dealer. He was using NAD electronics. The amp had 150 watts and didn't seem to bring out the best in the speakers. Sounded good but there seemed like more could be pulled from the speakers.
Maggies are one of those speakers that sound better as you move up the amp food chain, both in quality and power.
Always seems counter intuitive to spend so much on amplification on a relitively inexpensive speakwer.

I am looking for new speakers and listened to the Magnepan 1.7 speakers a couple of weeks ago. They seem like such a bargain until you realize that you have to spend thousands on 500 watt mono blocks and a pair of subwoofers to get them to sound their best.