[McNubbins]

Hi, Saturn. No, I haven't gotten anything yet. Having said that, I have decided on the 1.7i based on everyone's advice. I'm afraid of having too little speaker for my space.

I figure the .7 isn't realistically any smaller than a 1.7i physically. If the 1.7i is too big for your decor, I feel like the .7 would be too. I was just trying to get away with spending less money. Maybe in the off-white things would seem a little smaller?

More experienced members can probably tell you if your sub will adequately compensate for a smaller Maggie, if you go in that direction.

[Saturn94]

Hi, Saturn. No, I haven't gotten anything yet. Having said that, I have decided on the 1.7i based on everyone's advice. I'm afraid of having too little speaker for my space.

I figure the .7 isn't realistically any smaller than a 1.7i physically. If the 1.7i is too big for your decor, I feel like the .7 would be too. I was just trying to get away with spending less money. Maybe in the off-white things would seem a little smaller?

More experienced members can probably tell you if your sub will adequately compensate for a smaller Maggie, if you go in that direction.

Thanks.

I forgot mention it in my post, but saving money would be a really good thing too!

That said, like you, I’m also concerned about going too small, performance wise, for the space.

There’s also the issue of how well Maggies would preform in my setup/room given placement restrictions.  Does Magnepan offer a trial period on the .7 and 1.7i?  The closet dealer is over 175 miles away, so it may end up a new pair of Maggies aren’t even an option for me.

[josh358]

I suggest you call Wendell Diller at Magnepan and explain your concerns. They have a lot of experience with Maggies in different sized rooms, much more than any of us do, and Wendell will tell you what model is likely to work.

[Saturn94]

I suggest you call Wendell Diller at Magnepan and explain your concerns. They have a lot of experience with Maggies in different sized rooms, much more than any of us do, and Wendell will tell you what model is likely to work.

Yep, plan to do that as well.

[Saturn94]

Btw, I posted this in another thread after hearing the .7 in another AC member’s home.  His room/listening area is bigger than mine, allowing the Maggies more space behind them, and a bit more “live” than my room.

“Big thanks to Jay for letting me visit to hear the .7!  I really enjoyed it....even the non audio discussions.

Jay has them in a very nice, simple setup; a Mac Mini (optimized for playing music) connected to a DAC which was connected to the amp (class D I believe, 400 wpc).  Having recently completely disassembled my combo audio/HT system ( I swear there must have been 5 miles of cables!), I can really appreciate the appeal of keeping it simple!

Overall, the sound from them was very clear and detailed.  Well recorded voices and piano stood out to me as absolutely superb!  Music with small assembles sounded superb as well.  I can see wanting a pair just for these qualities.  Performance with large orchestral works was mixed, especially with the entire orchestra going full tilt.  Perhaps a bigger panel would be better suited for this.

The .7’s detail/high resolution is a double edged sword.  Great recordings sound great, stunning even.  Sub par recordings, not so great.  They certainly aren’t very forgiving speakers.  Bad recordings have nowhere to hide.

Perhaps they are too small for the room they are in (Jay mentioned earlier he intended to use them in a smaller room), but they were pretty bass shy.  Keep in mind I’m use to a system that includes a large sub with 3 15” drivers (sealed cabinet, 4000 watt amp) that can provide as much bass (extension down to 8hz) as I’d ever want, and most any music recording would call for.  A sub would be a must for me with the .7.  Of course, what bass was there was very clean.

As Maggie’s are known for, there’s a complete absence of any “box sound”.  That lack of a box sound can be very addictive.  I remember back in the early 80s when I was looking to replace pair of SMGs (wanted better bass/output capabilities), I found it difficult to find a box speaker that’s didn’t sound like a box.  I ended up replacing them with the ADS L1290, which I enjoyed greatly over 25 years.

If money weren’t a factor (not that they are particularly expensive), I could see getting a pair to use with  recordings with which they excel.  But finances and space dictate I have something that that can do most everything well (my Soundfield Audio Monitor 1 fits the bill nicely).

Thanks again Jay!  “

[McNubbins]

Does anyone know how I can buy Magnepans if I don't have a dealer in my country? I called up Magnepan a few hours ago naively expecting to be able to order a set of 1.7i directly from them.

The person I spoke with told me that they don't sell the 1.7i model factory direct. He said this is because they need to protect their dealer and distributor network...which doesn't exist in this country. He said that I should deal with one of the two dealers on my continent, and gave me two email addresses which don't work.

I called again and was put through to Wendell's line, though he wasn't in at that moment. I left a message with him, but was only able to leave my email as contact information. (I do my international calling through Skype because my lotto numbers haven't hit yet.)

I guess I need to be patient and wait for a reply, or try to call again another day. I thought it would be easier to give Magnepan my money!

EDIT:
After only about an hour (impressive!) here's the reply:
"Unfortunately, the only practical way to buy 1.7i would be when you are in a country with a dealer and take them back with you. Dealers will not sell into another country."

So if my heart is set on the 1.7i, I guess my best bet would be to bring a pair back on the plane when I return from visiting my family.

[SteveFord]

Saturn94,

Only the LRS offers the trial/return offer just like the MMG had.
Not the larger models.

[Letitroll98]

You can purchase them in one country and ship them to your country paying whatever import duties your country charges.

[McNubbins]

You can purchase them in one country and ship them to your country paying whatever import duties your country charges.

I wanted to buy them over the phone and have them shipped to my country. I called Magnepan and eventually had three different people tell me I can't buy the 1.7i direct from them, and that I need to purchase from a dealer. There is no dealer in my country. Wendell himself told me dealers will not sell outside their own countries, so I would need to go and visit, in person, whatever dealer I chose. Only then could anything be shipped to me.

I also asked, out of curiosity, about buying the LRS directly from Magnepan and was told the same, that I would need to buy from a dealer.

In the year 2019, with the invention of the internet three decades behind us, I am more than a little surprised that my best option is to fly to Hong Kong or Japan (the closest dealers to where I live in South Korea) to buy from someone. I thought Magnepan be willing to deal with me directly because their dealer network doesn't serve my area. I cannot understand who this policy helps.

Guess I'm looking for some electrostats now.

[SteveFord]

That's a thought but if I really wanted a set of new 1.7i's I'd contact the dealers in Japan (or wherever) and see if they'd ship a pair to me.
The worst they could do is say no and freight would be a lot less than coming from the US.

[McNubbins]

That's a thought but if I really wanted a set of new 1.7i's I'd contact the dealers in Japan (or wherever) and see if they'd ship a pair to me.
The worst they could do is say no and freight would be a lot less than coming from the US.

You're absolutely right, Steve. I'm trying (and failing) to maintain a level head over this.

As far as Hong Kong, I cannot find any online presence for the dealer, Excel Hifi, and the email address I was given doesn't work.

The list price I see for the Japanese Magnepan dealer has the 1.7i at nearly double the US dollar MSRP, and I would still need to deal with shipping and customs besides.
https://www.stella-inc.com/magnepan/index.html#price_list
I sent them an email anyway. Maybe they'll give me a 50% discount. There we go, my optimism is returning.

[Elizabeth]

I would think the best bet is the buy them from USA dealer, and shipped. Clearly the Japanese dealer is charging for the first shipping from Minnesota to Japan and far more.
You might look for US West coast dealers Maybe find one who HAS shipped something (anything actually) to South Korea. and find out yourself what shipping the size and weight of the boxes would be. Most likely DHL as the shipper of choice for big international items. The real problem is the importation, fees, and duties to South Korea. One wrong item on a piece of paper and your paid for speakers might vanish into some duties warehouse... for years.
If I were you, I would look for a South Korean dealer of some US made product, Audio Research? Conrad Johnson? who buys US products to assist give you a heads up on the importation issues.

[McNubbins]

Shipping shouldn't be a problem. I've had other speakers shipped here from the US with zero issues. All that needs to happen is that there is a proper shipping label and my contact information is there for the customs officials on this end.

I'll send some emails over the weekend and let you folks know later what my conclusions are. Thanks for all the suggestions.

[Saturn94]

Saturn94,

Only the LRS offers the trial/return offer just like the MMG had.
Not the larger models.

This is very disappointing.  I don’t want to be in a situation trying to sell a pair of speakers that didn’t work out in my room/system because the manufacturer doesn’t allow returns (been there, done that, lost money).

In this age it doesn’t make sense to not offer direct sales with a reasonable return policy.  I understand wanting to protect their dealer network, but many of us do not have a dealer available within a reasonable distance (in my case over 350 miles round trip).

Even if there was a local dealer here, a return policy is still a must since there’s simply no good substitute for auditioning speakers in your own room/system.

I miss my local shop. 😢

[Saturn94]

I wanted to buy them over the phone and have them shipped to my country. I called Magnepan and eventually had three different people tell me I can't buy the 1.7i direct from them, and that I need to purchase from a dealer. There is no dealer in my country. Wendell himself told me dealers will not sell outside their own countries, so I would need to go and visit, in person, whatever dealer I chose. Only then could anything be shipped to me.

I also asked, out of curiosity, about buying the LRS directly from Magnepan and was told the same, that I would need to buy from a dealer.

In the year 2019, with the invention of the internet three decades behind us, I am more than a little surprised that my best option is to fly to Hong Kong or Japan (the closest dealers to where I live in South Korea) to buy from someone. I thought Magnepan be willing to deal with me directly because their dealer network doesn't serve my area. I cannot understand who this policy helps.

Guess I'm looking for some electrostats now.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I thought the LRS was only sold factory direct (wasn’t the MMG only factory direct?)?  Is it just because you’re out of the US?

I guess Magnepan is satisfied just selling to buyers who have a local dealer?  Seems like they are losing a lot of potential customers this way.

[SteveFord]

I think the idea is to keep the local dealers from disappearing entirely.
My "local" one is an hour or two away from me (depending on how many car wrecks there are).

I miss all the stereo stores myself.  Every decent sized town used to have one, now it's iPods and ear buds.
Ugh.

[Elizabeth]

My local dealer is about a 15 minute freeway trip (during not rush hours).
He actually was an early Magnepan dealer, then quit carrying Magnepan for several years... Then took Magnepan back on. I was fortunate to have gone over and listened to a pair of 20.7s when they first few years they were out. He had a pair to demo. I went twice, with my own music, and listened for several hours. Then waffling, decided to not buy them. (that was at least five years ago).  After he was not getting much interest in the 20.7s he sold the demo pair, and I doubt he would get another!
But at least when I decided to buy the 20.7 last year, I already had a very good idea of what they sound like.
Seeing as he is one of the survivors.. stopping carrying a slow selling brand and taking on others, actually pretty often, has managed to keep his business going. I know he quit brands when stores like Best Buy started carrying them. And he took on McIntosh when another big store, carrying MAC gear went belly up.

[josh358]

Btw, I posted this in another thread after hearing the .7 in another AC member’s home.  His room/listening area is bigger than mine, allowing the Maggies more space behind them, and a bit more “live” than my room.

“Big thanks to Jay for letting me visit to hear the .7!  I really enjoyed it....even the non audio discussions.

Jay has them in a very nice, simple setup; a Mac Mini (optimized for playing music) connected to a DAC which was connected to the amp (class D I believe, 400 wpc).  Having recently completely disassembled my combo audio/HT system ( I swear there must have been 5 miles of cables!), I can really appreciate the appeal of keeping it simple!

Overall, the sound from them was very clear and detailed.  Well recorded voices and piano stood out to me as absolutely superb!  Music with small assembles sounded superb as well.  I can see wanting a pair just for these qualities.  Performance with large orchestral works was mixed, especially with the entire orchestra going full tilt.  Perhaps a bigger panel would be better suited for this.

The .7’s detail/high resolution is a double edged sword.  Great recordings sound great, stunning even.  Sub par recordings, not so great.  They certainly aren’t very forgiving speakers.  Bad recordings have nowhere to hide.

Perhaps they are too small for the room they are in (Jay mentioned earlier he intended to use them in a smaller room), but they were pretty bass shy.  Keep in mind I’m use to a system that includes a large sub with 3 15” drivers (sealed cabinet, 4000 watt amp) that can provide as much bass (extension down to 8hz) as I’d ever want, and most any music recording would call for.  A sub would be a must for me with the .7.  Of course, what bass was there was very clean.

As Maggie’s are known for, there’s a complete absence of any “box sound”.  That lack of a box sound can be very addictive.  I remember back in the early 80s when I was looking to replace pair of SMGs (wanted better bass/output capabilities), I found it difficult to find a box speaker that’s didn’t sound like a box.  I ended up replacing them with the ADS L1290, which I enjoyed greatly over 25 years.

If money weren’t a factor (not that they are particularly expensive), I could see getting a pair to use with  recordings with which they excel.  But finances and space dictate I have something that that can do most everything well (my Soundfield Audio Monitor 1 fits the bill nicely).

Thanks again Jay!  “

Yep -- the bigger ones give you deeper bass, higher output, and lower distortion. The large ones are superb on orchestral material because they can make a huge image. The .7's are basically their compact model for smaller spaces or displeased spouses.

[josh358]

This is very disappointing.  I don’t want to be in a situation trying to sell a pair of speakers that didn’t work out in my room/system because the manufacturer doesn’t allow returns (been there, done that, lost money).

In this age it doesn’t make sense to not offer direct sales with a reasonable return policy.  I understand wanting to protect their dealer network, but many of us do not have a dealer available within a reasonable distance (in my case over 350 miles round trip).

Even if there was a local dealer here, a return policy is still a must since there’s simply no good substitute for auditioning speakers in your own room/system.

I miss my local shop. 😢

I think part of the problem is that they're big and expensive to ship. Another issue is that dealers see direct sales as a threat. In a foreign country, service and support would also be an issue.

At one point, they had a "dealer direct" program where you could buy some things online and the sale would be handled by the nearest dealer, not sure what happened to that. But it's important to them to keep the dealer network alive, because large planar speakers sell only when people have heard them and realized how good they sound. The idea of the little LRS is to let people who don't live near a dealer hear a taste of the Maggie sound on trial. If they like it, they can then move up to a larger model.

[Saturn94]

I certainly understand wanting to preserve the dealer network.  But I don’t see how selling online to those without a dealer threatens any existing dealers.  As it is, it leaves those without a (reasonably) local dealer few to no options.  Apparently, Magnepan is ok with this.

I seriously miss my local dealer who would let me audition most anything at home, knowing I’d likely end up buying it. 

I’m can’t say I’m real confident that the LRS would give me a good enough idea how a larger Maggie (and which one??) would  look and perform in my room.  Am I wrong?