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My New Magnepan 1.7i's sound dull and lifeless on the top end...why?

First time Magnepan owner - 5  days old 100+ burn-in hours on them
Associated Equipment:
-Denafrips Terminator Plus
-Holo Audio May KTE version
-Pass Labs X22 Pre-amp
-PrimaLuna EVO 400 Pre-amp
-Pass Labs XA100.8 Monos
-PrimaLuna EVO 400 Monos
-AntiCables interconnects and speaker cables
-Stock tweeter attenuator jumper replaced with AntiCables level 5 spade jumpers on the 1.7i's

My spectrum analyzer indicates both speakers highs are falling off beginning at 1.25K and are 9db down from 2.5K on
Been playing around with speaker placement and room treatments for 2 days now without any remediation. What am I missing? Suggestions appreciated.
128x128nayls02
mozartfan
2,143 posts
 
Are you sure there is not some snakeoil selling going  here?
jonboy
8 posts
 
I had a similar problem with my MMG's last year. I thought the tweeters were blown, however, I took a shot and tried this: I removed the binding post plate and found that the wires from the crossover to the plate were slightly loose. I tightened them up and they're back to normal. I don't know how this happened, perhaps through shipping. Either way, it might be worth looking into. Best of luck.

Jon
gkr7007's avatar
gkr7007
139 posts
 
Sounds to me like you set everything up right.  Those stock steel jumpers are junk.  Pass Labs have plenty of current to drive those ribbons.  Anticables work well with Maggies but maybe you just need more break in time.  You may try tilting forward a couple inches to see if that helps because what you are describing doesn't make sense.  I owned 1.7i's and used Anticables and their jumpers with high current amps and the one thing that was never lacking was upper ranges.  And don't be  influenced by measuring devices.  The two best ones you have are the ones on either side of your head.
yuviarora's avatar
yuviarora
537 posts
 
The crossover in the 1.7i is pure junk. Replace the capacitors and the inductor, ditch the stock  wiring. Lose the fuse
And you  will have dynamic range coming out of those speakers that you  would not believe. 
I am saying this, because I have a pair myself, and did all the upgrades. 
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,478 posts
 
Absolutely @yuviarora, the binding posts as well (Cardas posts will fit right in the stock holes). That whole plate is filled with ferrous parts! Have you watched the GR Research YouTube video in which Danny Richie measures the 1.7 and looks into it's x/o? Well worth your time. A YouTube search for "GR Research" will bring up all Danny's videos.
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