The Magnificent Magnepan 30.7 speakers....wait, I don’t like planars!


Wendell Diller from Magnepan has been a very busy gentleman recently. Touring throughout the US, he has visited, or will visit, numerous locations to demo the new Magnepan 30.7 speakers. It takes a lot of determination and commitment to drive through the country and then to set up in the small towns and large metropolises, a speaker the size of the new 30.7.
Last night I had the very good fortune of hearing the 30.7’s for the first time...at a local high end store demo. Also, I had the pleasure of talking to Wendell and his wife about his voyage...and why he does it.
But first, the Magnepan 30.7’s are...IMHO, at the very top of a long list of planar speakers that have been brought to my attention. Having owned Maggie’s in the past along with Quads and Acoustat’s, my interest level in this type of speaker was not in any way high. Yet, here’s the thing, these new Maggie’s are not your father’s Maggie’s. Instead, we have a speaker that given the right size room ( and unfortunately this is the real determining factor...and crucial to make these work) is very near to the top of the chain in current SOTA speakers. Easily able to compete with competitors at the $100k level or above! Yet these guys are priced at $30k....which makes them by far the best $30k speakers on the planet, imho.
Anyone looking to replace a speaker with a max budget of $50k...and with the room to accommodate this speaker, needs to hear this speaker..
Unlike planars of the past, and most if not all others that are current, this model does one thing that Planars have never done before, at least that I have heard. That thing is Dynamics...and in spades. Bass control and power is on a par with some of the best large dynamic speakers on the market...along with NO discontinuity between the drivers. ( as was prevalent in the past with Maggie’s).
So, how many times have we gone into a demo with preconceived impressions based on past experience and been proven wrong....this time for me was one of those times...and for you, I suspect it will be the same thing.
If and when Wendell brings his van and his speakers to your neck of the woods, don’t miss out on a great opportunity to hear one of the worlds best speakers...at a price that will put most others to shame.

128x128daveyf

Showing 16 responses by daveyf

@seanheis1 I think the Tekton’s would be severely outclassed...most dynamic speakers are going to have a very hard time keeping up with these Maggie’s. OTOH, I suspect the Tekton’s will work in a much greater number of rooms.
@don_c55

you have an excellent point. The Snob appeal of these speakers is basically non existent.( Although for the music lover, or as JV put it...the person who is an Absolute Sound listener, the 30.7’s are truly impressive!) I asked Wendell why he didn’t price these at $100k or more, that way he would possibly accrue some snob appeal...to which he stated he is not interested in just making speakers for the wealthy!
I thought this was admirable on his part....although possibly a mistake in the marketing technique.
@joey_v 

Your comment is interesting. However, unfortunately that has never stopped any of the numerous other competitors from pricing their wares in the stratosphere...regardless of what goes into them, LOL.
@josh358 

That is exactly correct. The 30.7's require a very large room. Plus, they seem to also need acoustic treatment behind them to control the rear wave. Additionally, I think they probably truly benefit from at least bi-amping and probably quad amping. ( This has nothing to do wth the venue, but still). 
I think the problem with all speakers like these is that if you don't have the experience necessary to do the set -up and try and cram them into the wrong space, they are going to sound poor. Unlike a few other dynamic speakers that will sound ok if they are placed incorrectly, these babies will not. 

@pryso 

i am not so sure that the Maggie’s don’t sound a lot better with the rear wave attenuated. At the demo, the speakers were initially  about 5+’ from the rear wall, one of our members moved them back about 6”and they definitely sounded better.
One thing about Maggie’s, they are really really a PITA to set up...minute changes pay big dividends. However, exactitude definitely pays off with them.
@tweak1

In my OP, I stated the new 30.7’s are ’not your father’s Maggie’s’
Your description of your older model was exactly what I and many others had experienced with these speakers. Frustration was the word. OTOH, the new 30.7’s seem to have addressed the integration issue, the somewhat limited soundstage and the mid bass resolution. Unfortunately, they still need a very large room and plenty of upstream stick to drive them well.The biggest difference, IMO, is that these Maggies actually no longer need subs!!
I am pretty sure that 'if' one can accommodate these speakers, no other competitor anywhere near its price range is going to beat these guys.
@stickman451

I also heard the Maggie 30.7’s with Mcintosh gear...which I don’t feel is the best synergy with these speakers. ( although the amps do have the necessary drive to power the panels well)
I asked Wendell what is the minimum size room for this model, his answer was that a minimum of about 15’ wide and length...depending on user preference. I would think that 25’+ would be required. The room I heard it in was 19’ X28’...which seemed pretty good. Did you happen to notice if there was any acoustic treatment behind the speakers, because I think this is pretty crucial. Although from your description of the room, it seems that the acoustics were definitely sub par in that space.
If I remember correctly, Wendell told me that the photo in the 30.7 ads showing the long haired listener was actually taken at one of their dealer events. The room was apparently 15' wide at this event...and would seem to show this in the ad.
@effer,

If you get a chance to hear the 30.7’s, I think you will be very impressed...I was..and I don’t even generally like planars!
Only problem is that you will probably be looking to sell your Tympani IVa’s, LOL. Your idea about matching Pass Labs with these speakers is a good one, IMO.
I think the best way for anybody to truly know whether any speaker is a contender for their own home system, is to take a pair home for an audition. This isn’t that easy with a speaker the size of the 30.7’s. However, compared to a lot of other SOTA contenders out there, these guys are fairly easy to move around and transport.
I would certainly consider these speakers in my system, IF I had the room- and the amplifier power to drive them effectively. Having heard many of the SOTA contenders on the market, I certainly believe that the 30.7’s can compete with the very best...at any price. While I do think that there are a few speakers that offer some very minor pluses to these Maggies, I also think that the price difference will be considerable.

@stickman451

I agree with your post, Magnepan needs to start selling these guys and having them available for home audition. This ’raising the ante’ is not a negative for Magenpan, because while I don’t agree with today’s high end speaker pricing, $30K is actually entry level for numerous other brands!!

BTW, pleased that Wendell is watching this thread, it was a pleasure to meet with him and his wife at the demo...
Now we just have to convince the local dealer to carry the 30.7's in their inventory, LOL.
@josh358

My dedicated room is 10’X11’.Saving grace is it has a vault ceiling that goes up to 13’. Big Maggies definitely are off the table...and most likely the larger models above the 0.7’s. I’m pretty happy with what I have right now.
@dlcockrum 

What you describe would lead me to believe that the speakers were interacting with the room in a detrimental way. This would seem to be an ongoing problem with the larger Maggies. Really don't think you can just plop these speakers down and expect to get anywhere near what they are capable of. OTOH, even with care, a less than maximum set up is easily accomplished. At the demo I attended, the SQ originally was good..yet several members of the club knew that the speakers could sound even better. With a little experimentation in positioning and care, along with some judicially placed room treatments, the speakers did shake off their last vestiges of tonal awkwardness and opened up brilliantly. I would think the same might apply at your meet.

@hughp3

i agree that the new 30.7’s are an upgrade over the 20.7’s that I have heard...and IMO, they are a significant upgrade over all other Maggie’s.
What you mentioned about the bass is the one thing that struck me more forceably than the other areas of this speaker...it is now quite integrated and strong enough to not really need a separate sub. That to me is quite an achievement with these speakers.
If one has the room, and the upstream gear, then as I said before, they should definitely be on one’s short list.
@hyperduel 

At the demo that I attended, Wendell was nice enough to let us play with the set-up. We first listened to his set-up, which was very good, and then we experimented a little, pushed the speakers a little back to the rear wall and then changed the toe-in a little...making sure that everything was aligned correctly. The differences were easy to hear, and we were able to get the imaging so that it was pin point accurate. I agree with your post above ...huge room, great ancillary gear, and these could well be one's end game. Compared to a lot of other far more pricey speakers, they really do hold their own...an amazing accomplishment from a speaker manufacturer who obviously knows a thing or two about great sound.

The more I think about Wendell's comment to me...wherein he stated and I quote: " we don't make speakers for wealthy people, nor are we interested in making speakers just for the wealthy"...the more I respect his position.
@stromberg1937.   Congrats! Superb speakers. I think you will have one heck of a grin on your face when these finally show up in your room. What ancillary gear are you planning on using with them?
@stromberg1937.   Nice combo. Brystons should have no problem driving the Maggie’s