New Magnepan 3.7 i ?

Brownsfan, I think the 3.7i upgrade is straightforward, if a bit mysterious in terms of what's actually in it. I asked Wendell about more specifics, he said he doesn't yet know the details of how the upgrade program will work, but that the information will be forthcoming once he does. He also says that the 3.7i isn't a 3.8. But I gather he's confident in the sonic improvement and the reaction of reviewers and customers who hear it, to the extent that he doesn't feel he has to tout the improvement in the sound.

BTW, while I don't think Wendell actually misled you about the 20.7 -- when I spoke to him at the time, he sounded genuinely unsure about whether they'd be able to improve the 20.1 sufficiently to have a new model at the end of the year -- I don't think they'll start announcing new models early. They have to wait until their dealers have been notified before they can do that. So I think that's one question that will never elicit a meaningful answer, except maybe right before the show when the new model is about to be released and they're in the process of publicizing it.

Brownsfan,

In recent years, they seem to have been releasing one major upgrade a year. It wouldn't surprise me if they moved pretty quickly from a decision to make say a 20.7 to production -- it's not an entirely new model like the Mini Maggie, which Jim Winey says took him 20 years to design! But their requirements for a new model are pretty strict -- it has to be preferred in a blind test by both expert and non-expert listening panels, as well as meeting other requirements -- and as Wendell said at the time, the 20.1 was a hard act to follow. So it seems entirely plausible to me that he wouldn't have known whether they'd have something sufficiently good in time.

Of course, since they won't talk about R&D and new models except in the vaguest terms, we have no way of knowing. However, they seem to time new models for CES, so it seems to me that after CES might be a good time to buy, since you know then that you'll probably have a year before a next model might arrive.

Another thing that I think is important to keep in mind is that loudspeaker model upgrades are usually incremental. I've had models change right after I bought electronics so I know the feeling, but, seriously, what was fine a year ago is probably still great today. In fact, I often like to pick up the old model when it goes on sale, because you usually get a great discount.

IIRC, what happened on the Asylum was that we discussed what Wendell said about not being sure of a new model, which was in some of the magazines -- TAS, I think. At some point, someone said that a dealer had told them that they were going to release an anniversary edition Tympani -- I think that may have been here -- and then I think someone heard an accurate rumor from a dealer. I could be remembering the model wrong.

Another sign I've noticed is when dealers start selling their floor demos.

But anyway you look at it, it's a digital process -- someone is going to get the model right before they make the change!