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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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4425
861 posts
 
fwiw i find it hard to rag on a company that is backordered on some models for months. they’re doing something right.
i’ve  owned many expensive box speakers over a long period of time and find the .7’s with a perfectly integrated subwoofer to be sonically competitive with box speakers that I’ve heard in the 20k range. the key is the sub which must have a lot of setup flexibility and be of high quality. it’s going to cost more than the .7’s for sure. i use a b&w db1 to darn near perfection. 
The .7’s in my room with no sub is not workable for me. You have to get around the relatively low price of the maggie’s because they can and should be used with high quality components. 
I am amazed at my $5900( db1 and .7) speaker system. I look forward to every listening session. ymmv
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