Opinions on Magnepans sales/marketing approach to

I would have to agree to audition whenever you can because you really can't depend on what someone else hears. A perfect example would be if you were taking Djexxx's advice and not buying 3.7's because there is no difference between them and the 3.6. Not only is there a difference, it jumps out at you immedietly. The same can be said for the 20.7. Yes, Stickman, I was at Magnepan and it was a very unique experience. Wendell gave my family and I the tour and it was really interesting to see just what goes into these speakers. A number of folks here on AG have also been there and I can only second what has already been reported. This is a company that operates with a minimal workforce. They are all specialists and just about everything is done by hand. They work on one type of speaker at a time. Mr. Diller was very engaging and we had some laughs and just a very casual meeting. When first making the arrangements for the tour there had been some chance, according to Wendell that the 20.7's might not be available for demo. In another thread I commented that I would be rather put off if after making plans two weeks ahead that they wouldn't be available. My comments were that if they are inviting you on their website to come to the plant to hear what you want to buy then it would be in their best interest to have them available. I mean how hard is it to hook up two speakers at the place where they're made? Well, let me tell you that Wendell most definitely reads these threads and he had the 20.7's ready. I actually felt a little bad after writing what I did and then being treated so wonderfully while we were there. But even at that, I still stand by what I said. If you extend the offer then follow thru....and they did. When we got to the lab, also their demo room, Wendell warned us that it was nothing special, and it wasn't. Just as the other visitors have noted, this is a concrete room, no acoustic treatments and very sparse electronics. The amp and pre-amp were Bryston and the CD was Denon. The amp was 125w a side. Now I'm not calling Bryston sparse. I refer only to the wattage and that the preamp was nothing special. Wendell stayed with us for a few songs and then turned the controls over to me and just said to have at it. We stayed for about an hour and played just about everything we had brought with us. I could've stayed quite a bit longer but my wife didn't want us to overstay our welcome. As to what was heard I'll just say that the 3.7 isn't in the same league. There's a reason why there's an $8000 difference. I luv my 3.7's. I think they are fabulous speakers. But they just don't come close. You have to hear the 20.7 to know why. There's a fullness, and a richness you don't get with the 3.7's. I am not technical. I couldn't care less about specs. I couldn't tell you what most mean anyway. I go by what I hear and the 20.7's are phenomonal. One thing I did notice though was that on some of the music we played, when the volume was kicked up, there just wasn't enuff juice. 125 watts just isn't going to drive them unless your listenning to acoustical guitar at low levels. But as my wife said, if they sounded that good, with minimal amounts of power, imagine what they'd be like with bigger amps. Bless her heart. So, the bottom line is if you love Maggies, and you'd like to see the uniqness of the Magnepan company, by all means go and see it. The company is only about 25 minutes away from the Mall of America so my wife enjoyed that also. Yes Wendell, there is still money left for the speakers.

Mike, as far as I know, Magnepan doesn't have a say in this. The dealers choose what they want to stock. They've been trying to find a way around the shrinking dealer network. The Dealer Direct program allows you to try a speaker in your own home that's shipped from Magnepan, but it's probably better suited to smaller speakers like the Mini Maggies and MC-1's than to a hard-to-ship behemoth like the 20.7. And the factory demo/tour offer for the 20.7. I'm not sure what else they could do. Trade shows, as we know, are a good way to see what's out there but not such a good way to hear it under the kind of conditions that would allow a buying decision.

I think that as several have been said, we're going to be buying more stuff on the basis of reviews and faith. When I was at Magnepan, they were surprised and touched by the number of orders they'd gotten for the 20.7, "sight unheard." But of course, that isn't going to work for everybody.

Stickman, those binding posts are a gripe of mine too but someone once pointed out that they wouldn't be flush with the back of the speaker, which would make shipping difficult. So they'd need some kind of plug-in arrangement and I think they already sell an adaptor for people who want one (or recommend one). But you're adding an extra connection when you do that.

Finally! Just got word from my local dealer that my 20.7's will go into production next week and that they should be delivered the last week of September. Better straighten-up my room pronto.

Great news!

Stickman,
I got the same update. Originally was told to not expect them until November so this was great news!