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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
josh358
286 posts
 
Don,

I understand that the 30.7 has been selling well, to the delight of Wendell, who didn't know if they'd make any money off it or if it would just have valuable as a flagship. As I understand it, though, the smaller the model, the more it sells, naturally enough.

Tutetibiimperes, I understand that the room at AXPONA had no bass. Shows are a chancy environment for any speaker, which is why Magnepan didn't take the 30.7 there -- Wendell has heard too many other manufacturers' flagship speakers sounding sub-par at shows! Even his current strategy of taking them to dealers around the country means contending with unpredictable acoustics, but at least they aren't being shown in a tiny hotel room (there's apparently a shortage of good rooms at these events so manufacturers have to live with what they get).
daveyf's avatar
daveyf OP
2,829 posts
 
@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. 

mitch4t's avatar
mitch4t
1,602 posts
 
With the sheer size of these speakers, very few people have the room to accommodate them. I’d hate to see them crammed into a room that’s too small to maximize their potential.

....but they’ll fit nicely in my room though.

;-)
aalenik
67 posts
 

Haven't heard the 30.7 yet, but I love the 3.7 and 20.7.  It is true that all 3 of those models require a good-sized room.  The beauty of Maggies is that if you have a smaller room... there are smaller Maggies which will integrate better... and sound better than a large model 'stuffed' into a tight space.

The one caveat with Maggies (which partially offsets their low prices) is that you need powerful amps to drive them properly. I'd recommend at least 200W/ch for the 3.7, and maybe more for the bigger ones.   

pryso
1,900 posts
 
davey, I think the need for treatment on the front wall behind the speakers is a function of how far out into the room you can place them.  With the recommended 5' or greater there should be no need.

Also, in a recent conversation with Wendell he related after moving to a smaller home his speakers (he didn't specify which model) are only about 3' out, but he does not have anything on the wall behind them.  He did confirm the 5' or greater for best set up however.

For the demo I heard he had placed the 30.7s out about 5'.
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