Magneplanar 1.7s to Recruit New Audiophile?

If you are going to add additional surround sound speakers to the Magnepan 1.7's, the system could be difficult to set up properly as setting up just the 1.7's properly won't be easy especially if your room isn't large enough. For home theater you could add a subwoofer. The EAD theatermaster/powermaster has the advantage of plenty of power for your 1.7's as well as any other speakers you add later on with the addition of automatic room set up calibration for multiple speakers (and I believe a built in crossover for subwoofers). If interested, google EAD or ask the seller or call noble electronics. If you are are careful, you could spend $7-10,000 for near mint used equipment and get a $30,000 system or spend $10,000 on new equipment and have it worth $5,000 a year from now. My advice is to let someone else pay for the depreciation. I love magnepans but would be cautious about using them for surround sound unless you have a large room. You might be better with just 2 front speakers and sub and perhaps trying a center channel later etc.

Macdadtexas,

Thanks and yes, I have heard some accuse the Benchmark of being "bright" or "clinical" but others think its pretty good.

Mainly, it seems like a good utility device given PC, DVD, HDTV etc. which also elminates the need for a dedicated preamp?

Perhaps the Eastern Electric can function that way, too?

Having heard good things about the sound, the MHDT looks pretty homemade to me and not sure I could ever get comfortable with the 1970's smoked plastic (?) finish.

Might look at home in a car stereo for a pimp my ride style custom van renovation.

As an aside, I am always curious why the first Google hit for both of these - and it seems every other quirky brand recommended on Audiogon - is enjoythemusic.com, but I will try to keep an open mind.

The MHDT, well in person, does not look home made. It sounds fantastic, and I tried many.

I think you will find many, many, many Benchmark comments where they think it's bright, mainly because it really is.

With a warm system, it would work very well I am sure.

I also loved the Bryston BDA-1 when I owned it, and have heard the Wyred4Sound DAC2 recently, and thought it sounded stellar as well.

Gosh, CW, poking through old threads while lazing about on vacation, occurs to me that I have both a MHDT Havana and a Bryston 4b-st lying about, in the box, just waiting for me to get off my lazy butt and try to sell them (a date that I have successfully put off for years, mostly 'cause I don't seem to want to part with them although I'm not even using them...). But, before I do -- once you get the Tympanis fired up again -- sounds like perhaps I should bring them by for a try...? My money's on the Levinson, but why guess?

Macdadtexas,

I think you will find many many many Benchmark comments stating how fine the DAC1 is, not bright at all.

And I've commented in the past about your multiple multiple anti-Benchmark comments - two in this thread alone.

I'm sure you're just trying to be helpful and you hear what you hear, but others hear what they hear but don't go around restating it multiple multiple times.