First Listen: Magnepan’s New Flagship 20.7 Loudspeaker
Another audible improvement is in dynamics. On drums, the 20.7 has a quality more akin to that of a horn loudspeaker in its rapidity. Be careful with the volume control: the 20.7 can almost snap your head off with its whiplash speed. The improved coherence of the 20.7 also means that the midbass reproduction is far more satisfying than with the 20.1. The improved alacrity of the bass panel helps to make for a more potent sound. Unanticipated bass drum whacks may make you jump. This speaker, in other words, has come to play.
Will the 20.7 prompt devotees of moving coil designs to decamp en masse for planar loudspeakers? Probably not. What I’m trying to say here is not that Magnepan has reinvented the planar loudspeaker, but that it has significantly improved upon its designs to the point that many of the drawbacks long associated with planars have now either been banished or rendered nugatory. To be sure, the 20.7 will not have the pinpoint imaging or ultimate bass dynamics or the supernatural black backgrounds of competitors costing ten or even twenty times as much (as of this writing final price has not been determined, but the factory seems intent on retaining or not appreciably raising the cost from the current $13,000 for a 20.1).
But here’s the skinny: no other speaker at this price will offer even remotely similar lifelike performance, and it should—no, will—scare the bejeezus out of most of its competitors. It’s no accident that Audio Research, which I also got to visit, has 3.7 loudspeakers as part of its reference system. So go ahead. Search for another loudspeaker. But I can only wish you good luck. I defy you to find one at up to five times the cost with the scale and realism of the 20.7. I know. I heard it first.
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Comments
Nice preview, JH. Can't wait for the full review. It seems rather ironic that at a time when the wider public remains largely unaware of their existence, firms like Magnepan, Audio Research, Bryston, Mcintosh and PS Audio are producing some of the finest gear ever.
Amandela77
I love the way Maggies sound ... had a set 10 years ago. I just wish that they were not so "beamy."
Mac Mini Sever -> Bel Canto DAC3.5 - > SimAudio i7 -> Dynaudio C1
"Beamy" as in high frequency beaming, or dipole figure-8 radiation pattern?
I'm not sure which model you had, but the 1.7's and all of the true ribbon models have very little high frequency beaming because they have very narrow tweeters. They're much less beamy than most dynamics.
I think the dipole radiation pattern has both advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is that it interacts less with the room, so you need less acoustical treatment for good results. Another is that you can turn the sound up without disturbing the neighbors. But they aren't the best speakers for parties, or listening as you move around the room. As so often in audio, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. The very quality that makes a speaker better at one thing can make it worse at another . . .
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A very exciting release...!
How bizzare that we as magnepan owners hear about the news from a source other than magnepan.....
One can only hope that magnepan graduates to first grade marketing, from the kindergarten marketing they have always done.
Nothing on the (pathetic) magnepan website. No press release. No letter to current owners. No newsflash. No wonder nobody else outside of the high end has heard of magnepan.. If apple would have operated like this the Mac would have died of fumes in the garage of Mr. Jobs.
Agreed Round:
Magnepan's website ranks amongst the worst in the High-end. Few decent photos, outdated descriptions of products, limited to no information about new product releases, just plain bad.
Amandela77
They've explained that they don't have the resources to make a fancier one. The question I think is -- do we want a fancy website to the point at which we're willing to pay more for their speakers? One of the reasons they have such good bang for the buck is that they don't spend huge sums on frills and promotion.
Good point...
Amandela77
This is a poor and tired excuse.
A half decent website can be had for next to free these days.
A good website can be done for $1500-$3000
A very good website can be done for $5,000
A truly world class website (at least in terms of audiophile websites) could be done for $10,000.
Magnepan attends CES and other major Audiophile trade shows with regularity year after year. These shows cost a minimum of $5,000 for what Magnepan does and very likely costs them $10,000+ (especially the larger rooms/venues they have rented in the past). Magnepan would merely need to cede one show and let their dealers/reps/clients know they are skipping one show so they can invest in a proper website. Take the $10,000 and hire a reputable and professional website design firm to build them a truly proper website. Hire a pro photography studio to shoot all your models. Truck them to their studio and hire them for the day. What - maybe $1000-$2000 for some really high end photography?
Hell Magnepan doesn't even need to skip a show. Simply cut back their advertising budget in the major magazines for a couple months and right there they would save boatloads of cash to support a major website overhaul.
Magnepan already has all the ad/web copy they need. Just add some good photos and better design. Shit look at the guys from Zuaudio.com - they are a younger upstart company and their website has undergone numerous changes over the years while they continued to innovate their product line. I just don't buy the excuse from a company the size of Magnepan to say they don't have the resources.
Personally I think it's simply a reflection of the management of Magnepan. They just don't care that much about building a truly excellent website.
What they have is sufficient for their needs and that's what satisfies them. Sadly they are probably missing out on all new generations of would-be audiophiles if they simply would step into the 21st century and shed the old school website. The MMG isn't so expensive that many music lovers from the iPod generation couldn't swing it with a nice receiver.
For the record I'm a huge fan of Magnepan - I've owned 3 different models and I intend to purchase their newer .7 iterations when my own finances permit me.
I'd love to consult with Magnepan and help them reach younger generations of music lovers.
Jacob, would it be possible for you to elaborate about the equipment configuration used in your audition? Was it single or bi-amped?...Or, in other words, can the 20.7's be bi-amped (like the 20.1's)? Unlike the 3.6's, the 3.7's cannot be biamped --inherent to the new and "improved" internal x-over--so, most likely,it is the same for the 20.7's, isn't it?
Thanks a lot................dr.larkos
According to a very reliable internet source the 20.7 will not be shown at CES. Any thoughts Jacob?
I can't speak for Jacob, but according to Magnepan, the reason the 20.7 won't be at CES is that they're showing another new product, a "mystery speaker" to be sold through their Dealer Direct program. There have been some online rumors that the 20.7 was "withdrawn" but that's inaccurate, Wendell Diller said months ago that he wasn't going to show it at CES.
Is the driver layout the same as the 20.1 - Ribbon tweeter, Quasi-ribbon midrange, and Planar bass - or, like the 3.7, have they done away with the Planar bass and gone all ribbon?
I think it's safe to assume the .7 designation means that the bass is also quasi ribbon so that there are no wires in the design anymore. What is not known is the nature of the crossover. I would be very surprised if the bi-amplification ability were removed on the 20.7 as was done w/ the 3.7, but then again......
This is simply fantastic news, period.
At a time when speaker pricing is reaching absurd levels (considering that only 25 years ago, the Infinity IRS was only $25k and anything over 10K was considered a "top-tier" speaker, pricing-wise), Magnepan is giving reference-quality speakers to the "masses" of audiophiles, some of whom may not want them because they lack "slam" (I personally DO understand that: I do like a sense of "impact" with my speakers), but otherwise can compete with the high-priced tiers in terms of transparency to the source, low distortion, soundstaging, imaging, musicality (the real kind, not the euphonic kind. In other words, the way it sounds in a concert hall, which, even in bad ones, still sounds like "music" in ways most audio systems do not), and coherence.
It makes me want to run out and buy a dozen just to support them!
After listening to the 20.7 and then hearing a $70 k speaker from Utah there is no way I could justify spending 5 times the money. The 20.7 is really coherent/seamless and has increased dynamics at lower volumes. Magnepan has outdone itself on the 20.7! The crossover is built in now. I can't wait to order a pair. Hearing a female vocal was "like she was there." I also listened to a $34 k speaker from Berkley and while the bass slammed and was taut and deep the soundstage and presentation of the female vocal on Fleetwood Mac Rumours was about 2 feet tall. Overpowered by bass and not convinced. At slightly 1/3 the price I'll stick with the 20.7
I took Wendell up on touring the factory and it was just as Jacob described. Old school old world American manufacturing at its best. It's great that "down to earth" people and manufacturers like Magnepan exist. I was always amazed at how Jacob had the 20.1 for 10 years. I remember reading about his audio room upgrade and seeing the 20.1 's in the picture.
Whenever a friend asks what audio dealer to go to I tell him look on the Magnepan website and see the closest dealer to him. Magnepan
usually selects a fine dealer to represent them.
It is a series crossover. It cannot be biamplified. After you hear the sound, I don't think you will quarrel with Magnepan's design choices.
Is the woofer now quasi ribbon rather than wire, as on the 1.7 and 3.7?
Yes. This makes the speaker sound more coherent and potent.
Thanks
.
As big a Magnepan fan as I am, I'm still very surprised that they were able to get the same bass slam from quasi-ribbon that they got from planar-magnetic. Although, given the brilliance of the design, I guess I shouldn't be too shocked. Have you ever noticed that most competitors are willing to talk value with regards to speakers until Magnepan enters the conversation. Magnepan is like the genius kid that ruined the bell curve for everyone else. Once you start talking value, the fans of all other speakers start looking for the exits. Shows how much R&D money and manufacturing go into taking the box out of the equation (as much as possible) with regards to box speakers. Jim was pure genius. There should be a statue of him at Sea Cliff.
I've read that the box is the most expensive part of a speaker. And that's before you get into Magico territory, and pull out all the stops to make it non-resonant.
I'm really looking forward to hearing the 20.7's! :)
Can wait to read what Jon Valin thinks of them with his audition .Especially with the Constellation gear driving them.
It will be difficult at first because Magnepan has so many preorders for them sight and sound unseen. They say it is unprecedented. So seems like it will be a while before the dealers get them. My dealer of 14 years in Chicago who has four stores said he has already placed two orders for them for customers. Way to go Magnepan.
Majesticgiraffe,
Tell us more about your site visit to Magnepan to hear the 20.7's. I am scheduled to go there myself in June. Have you purchased a set of 20.7's?
Jason,
I too have been a long time maggi fan. Currently 3.6 with revel subs. My issue is upgrading to 20.7 with JL subs or Maxx 3 with JL subs. Fortunately you are of similar taste (cant go with alexandria unfortunately-yet) I like everything from rock to acoustic and bass with everything. Given you have had basically both systems I am considering. Which do you find gives you the most listening pleasure? I would like to audition but as you know, this level of equipment is just too difficult to actually get your hands on unless you purchase.
thanks