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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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william53b's avatar
william53b OP
211 posts
 
@drbarney1

I hope they do pursue Tri-eo, it is better than stereo and works well for audiophiles who happen to want to use their stereo with movies. 
Both Bryson and Parasound make very good 3 channel amps. The devotion to 2 channel evades me, especially when considering soundstage. It is plain wrong headed to pretend that a soundstage does not have a center. And a singer is usually at the center of a stage of one, ergo a a +60hz center channel, not unlike Paul Klipsh envisioned for the Heresy.

The thing that saves my 1.7i’s is my KEF R600 in the middle to fill in the highs.

I did not know that Wedell’s wife works for Magnepan as well.
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russ69's avatar
russ69
3,501 posts
 
"...By the way, the lowest button on my left panel is 4” lower than it’s twin. Why do you think that is?..."

We don't really know why that is but the "buttons" are to control membrane vibrations/resonances we think. The mylar might have uneven tension and Magnepan might have a way to measure or find the areas and apply a button to control it. 
russ69's avatar
russ69
3,501 posts
 
"...As an aside, all ribbon tweeters have a Mylar plastic backing, to one extent or another, a solid metal aluminum ribbon would immediately deform upon flexation, because Aluminium has no stretch in it’s pure metal form; once stretched, it will never return to it’s past dimensions..."

True ribbons are solid metal and not on a substrate. And that makes them a little fragile. 
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