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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? 
128x128william53b
william53b's avatar
william53b OP
211 posts
 

@mschott

Obviously having an established company with a steady customer base is the key to survival, and there is no need to look for better management or innovation, when you have everything under control.

Just ask these companies:

Kodak

Sears

K-Mart

Radio Shack

General Motors

Blockbuster

Polaroid

Borders

Pan Am

Circuit City

FW Woolworth

SS Kresge

Kay-Bee Toys

Toys R Us

Tower Records

Pier 1 Imports

Hummer

American Motors

CIT Group (NYSE:CIT)

Enron Corp. ...

Conseco Inc. ...

MF Global. ...

Chrysler. ...

Thornburg Mortgage. ...

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. ...

Texaco.

Etcetera…..

And of course, the obsession to hold the line on costs may test them to the max with runaway inflation.

mschott's avatar
mschott
132 posts
 

I’m sorry but those comparisons are stupid. Companies fail all the time but Magnepan has a niche and is very successful. There’s no real competition and their prices are very competitive. The fact that you think you know better than they do is IMO laughable. 

william53b's avatar
william53b OP
211 posts
 

Absolutely stupid, smaller businesses fail more often.
 

And sorry, but I used to make a living as a consultant in product design and development until I retired, so I have no insight into this subject at all.

 

mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 

Wow, this is very informative. Nice stuff to know🤔

william53b's avatar
william53b OP
211 posts
 

It’s irrelevant to the intent of this thread as posted.

Magnepan doesn’t need to be cheap, they need to innovate.

That people have wandered off the reservation is not my fault.

I asked Audiogon to remove this thread quite a while ago, but it's still here. Why do they remove other less contentious posts and leave this up?

I do not know.

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