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Puzzled about reasons why there seems to be no shortage of used planner speakers

All the over the top reviews of the Magnepan LRS has awakened the old puzzlement of how good are my DIY speakers and is it worth it to make a change?

I am very satisfied with my current system as far as my analog sources go.  I have a Denon direct drive turntable in a custom plinth, a Jelco tone arm  and a Transfiguration Temper Supreme cartridge. The phono pre is the octal version of the Hagerman Coronet with Lundahl step up transformers. I'm using a Toshiba HD DVD player for playing CD's. I'm using a Rotel RSP-1098 in analogue bypass for all sources. My amp is a VTL 50/50 tube amp.

My speakers are transmission line and utilizing parts from North Creek including hand wound coils and Harmony capacitors. Any one who has heard them has been impressed with them and with one being brought to tears of joy having never heard his favorite song played through a system such as mine.

That leaves me with a dilemma. If I go with the LRS, I will have to sell the VTL amp to get a used amp that can power the LRS. 

What is troubling me is seeing so many used planar speakers for sale on Ebay and Audiogon. Is that because they grow tired of them, or feel a need to try something new? Or are they upgrading to another planar speaker, or all of these reasons?
 
I'd like to hear from those that sold or are selling their planar speakers. 

I've only ever heard one planar speaker in my life and that was for about 5 minutes when I was taking my daughter through one of Seattle's high end stores to let her hear the differences between between differing levels of quality speakers as she was planning to get a her own system in the near future.  I've never heard a Maggie.

I don't want to get in the position of having sold my VTL to make this change and winding up with probably an amplifier that really doesn't come up to the same level quality and would most likely be a SS amp.

My goal here is to try get the best information I can from those that felt the need make similar decisions. I am retired now and living on a fixed income in a town in New Mexico (Las Cruses) that has no real Hi-end stores.

Any offers from anyone locally to let me hear their system would be most appreciated.  
rogue_angel

Showing 1 response by richopp

richopp
760 posts
 
1.  Upgrades--once you own them and set them up correctly, you will HEAR that boxes do not reproduce as accurately (given the quality of your source material and components.)  Thus, upgrades as your ability to purchase increases.  (Personally, I use older ones in other parts of the house, but that's just me!)

2.  De-lam:  Not in many years.  Jim and his team switched glues YEARS ago.  The TI-C's that I listen to and the pair that the factory refurbed for me years ago (last pair they did, I think) are just fine, thank you.  If you look at I-A or I-B you might have an issue.  Get ones that were made a bit after 1975 or so.

3.  Size can be an issue if you are downsizing; good news is that they make ALL SIZES now, so no need to give up the quality of sound that you have discovered.

Once you figure out what you have with these, you will probably not go back to boxes if you can help it.  Of course, some do not care for them, so there are 250+ other full-line manufacturers out there to choose from--no reason to hate on Maggies if you like something else.  When I had my shop, I sold MANY brands--some were horrible at accuracy but the CUSTOMER loved them, so they walked out with them and were quite happy.  Otherwise, there would be only one speaker maker, right??

Purchase carefully; audition them (used speakers) if you can, and talk to Magnepan about refreshing anything you are considering.  Crossover's can fail--you have no idea what the current owner did to them--so purchase carefully and you will be happy.

Cheers,

Richard
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