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Can Magnepan survive Wendell Diller?

I bought my first set of Magnepans in 1976, and I currently have a pair of 1.7i's.

It is difficult for me to upgrade to the 3.7i's because their are so many things that the company can do to improve their product that they simply won't offer; upgraded crossover components, a solid wood/rigid frames and better stands are examples.

Other companies are now doing this, but Magnepan always says Wendell doesn't think that is a good idea.

Can a man who suggests using lamp cord for his speaker line really have that much control over an otherwise unique technological approach to speaker design? I must be missing something obvious when a product is hand assembled in MN and any of these upgrades would, in my mind, warrant factory upgrades. Who wouldn't spend an extra $1k for a 1.7i with a hardwood frame and an upgraded x-over? Adding a ribbon tweeter to the 1.7i would warrant an additional $1k, still bringing them in $2k under the 3.7i.

Is it common for one person to hold an entire company back in high end audio? 
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panzrwagn's avatar
panzrwagn
518 posts
 
I am a car guy as well as an audiophile. In the automobile world, there are dozens of modding sites and vendors galore for nearly every brand, old or new.
Take a really fun car to drive - a VW Golf. From that base, from the factory, you can step up I to a GTI, or all the way to the Type R. I can tell you from personal experience that for about $300, I can significantly improve the handling performance. For $1,000, the handling and get you 20% more power, and for $3,000 even better handing, braking, and power. That's part of the fun - planning your upgrades. I also know how to do that with Maggie's. For 3-5% of the cost I can rebuild the crossovers, and as we go up I can improve the frames, use more transparent grill cloth. The genius in both cases is a affordable platform with enough innate goodness to make it worthwhile, and for that, Magnepan should be thanked, not demonized. 
william53b's avatar
william53b OP
211 posts
 
@panzrwagen

All good points. I do that with my Mustang, I love to drive and I get a lot of satisfaction from wrenching this car.

I love GTI’s too, I’ve had 2 of them including a prototype that I bought off one of their engineers in 1986. Man did that thing eat electrical relays! Why give the money to the modders when you can mod them and sell them?

That’s why Civics go from about $22-36k, right?
william53b's avatar
william53b OP
211 posts
 
@speakermaster

I don’t know what’s going on there, so I can’t say. I just know who everyone points at when you ask "why" of Magnepan’s corporate decisions. It's the same guy that I have a bone to pick with.

If, once Wendell is gone, Mark wants to keep a steady course, that’s just the way it is I guess.
jaytor's avatar
jaytor
765 posts
 
A wannabe speaker designer.
@william53b - Hardly "wannabe". Danny has designed some of the best speakers available - winning best sound at show at a number of audiophile shows. He offers designs, drivers and crossover components at a bargain price to those interested in building their own speakers, and, for a price, is willing to do crossover and other design optimization of any speaker you can provide. 

I was going to respond to your thread saying that if you really want to improve on the base Magnepan model, just do it yourself with or without the help of someone like Danny Ritchie from GR Research. There are also a number of artisans that can help with the actual modifications if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself. 
william53b's avatar
william53b OP
211 posts
 
@jaytor 

I know, I was referring that comment to the person who said we we were speaker designer wannabe's for criticizing a manufacturer.

I ordered his 1.7 upgrade package today and it will be here Thursday. I want to hear what an experienced designer of his caliber  can do with these before I go off on a tangent. If it is what I expect, I may not pursue this any further, except to try a return baffle on the back for rigidity and deeper bass. I also have to chamfer the MDF around the panel, everything in me says it is wrong to have a right angle next to a radiating surface.

I would like to try his open baffle subs in the future also, as they are servo controlled.

Sorry for the mixup.

You wouldn't happen to need any De'WooferMagnapan panels in Oak, would you? 😉
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