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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? 
128x128william53b
william53b's avatar
william53b OP
211 posts
 
@lastperfectdaymusic

FYI

Magnepan Europe: https://magnepan-europe.com/pages/shipping-and-delivery

For other international locations contact the manufacturer: Sweden: 0046 8 362240

US for International calls: 1-651-426-1645
john1
100 posts
 
I spoke with someone inside Magnepan a couple of years ago when I had a suggestion to resolve a mkting issue they had. that. He confided in me that Wendell would not let any new ideas be implemented & that the co. was barely profitable & he was intent on doing things exactly the way they'd always done it. It's not going to go under any time soon perhaps but definitely treading water with no growth indicated on any horizon.
secretguy
1,587 posts
 
LMAO@ all the genius internet speaker designers.
vinylzone
288 posts
 
Seriously?  The 1.7i's I got IMHO might just be the best value in speakers anywhere near it's price range.  Could it be better, maybe but at the time I ordered them, it was at the top of my budget, so it didn't really matter.

They made a great replacement for my dead Apogee Duetta IIs and have given me hundreds of hours of listening pleasure.

If you don't like the company, don't buy the speakers.  I had to wait almost 4 months to get mine, so there's no shortage of customers who want them.

ymmv.
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,217 posts
 
Wendell's personality is a matter of perspective and it depends very much on the way you approach him. He does not like the "Tweak" crowd. If you come at him from that angle you will get the' "oh no. nota an other one" personality. If you come at him with a real concern he is very friendly. I had a conversation with him about making the woofer panels of the 20.7 7"10" tall to make it a line source in rooms with 8 foot ceilings. It had been on his mind but apparently the marketing folks shut that idea down. It would make the speaker more expensive and the look more intrusive. The primary goal of a company is to perpetuate itself and Magnepan has obviously been good at it. It cost them a sale to me but probably made an additional 20 sales they would not have made with an 8 foot speaker.

As for dipoles making bass, they certainly can if the panel is big enough. But if the speaker is one full range driver making bass distorts everything else. The Magnepan does not use a full range driver but neither is their woofer panel big enough to prevent cancelation at very low frequencies. Although using subwoofers with Maggies is a good idea, it does not produce the kind of improvement in performance you get with a full range ESL.

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