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Sound Lab vs Magnepan 20.7

I owned Sound Labs back about 2005. I loved them: enter divorce... not related.
Now a decade later remembering those monsters I'm wondering how they compare with the Maggie 20.7. I realize the technical differences, but still am aware of their relative strengths. Just wondering if one of our more articulate brethren on here can sum up the differences and who wins?
Thanks.
Larry
lrsky
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,792 posts
 
Roger Modjeski (Music Reference) is making an ESL speaker with a direct coupled tube power amp. He claims a substantial increase in transparency in comparison to a transformer coupled version.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,806 posts
 
Clio09, you should know by now that getting rid of the transformer gets you greater transparency :)

However direct-driving ESLs has its own set of problems- chief amongst them is how the amplifier can be safely connected to the speaker such that it does not represent a danger to the user. This usually means the amp is built into the speaker, and *that* usually means if you want to upgrade to a better speaker or more powerful amp, you have to start over...
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,792 posts
 
True Ralph, but most serious junkies use a specific amp with a specific speaker anyway. Change one and you most likely will have to change the other. When an engineer designs a speaker/amplifier combination, he can tailor each to the other.
clio09
3,355 posts
 
Ralph, yes there is a benefit in transparancy with the OTLs that I have realized but now I am putting that signal through a transformer with my Quad 57s. Previously that was not the case with my Jazz Modules. I was hoping someone could talk more about the use of a direct drive amp. I know Roger Modjeski builds one and some Acoustat users have modified their speakers to use it. But can it be done with other ESL designs such as Quad or Soundlab? At what level of complexity or risk. You pointed out a couple in your post but would like to hear more from you and others. Perhaps I should start a separate thread on that.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,806 posts
 
Acoustat actually made a powered direct-drive ESL. They had to integrate the amp into the speaker on account of the rather dangerous high voltages involved.

This will be the case with any direct-drive installation. Of course, any ESL can be direct-driven if you are willing to do the surgery. So it would be possible to do that with a Sound Lab. But with the voltages involved to bias the speaker, the amp would have some very high operating voltages which would make it a challenging amplifier to build and operate.
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