[Saturn94]

Haggle, which as you know is a departure from Magnepan's traditional philosophy. The thing is, the dealers wanted more margin because customers like to haggle. So now you get to pay the same as you did before, but you have to haggle with a dealer before you do. Thank you, dealers. </sarcasm mode>

Sorry to see Magnepan go this route.  I hate the haggling game.  Why should the price be based on one’s haggling skills?

[josh358]

Seriously. But what can they do? They were successful as an outlier for many years -- low margins, no nonsense. But things have changed. Old-line stores have closed, and many of the stores that remain open survive by selling what Wendell calls "audio jewelry" to the rich. They aren't run by audiophiles anymore, the kind of person who would be excited by a piece of gear and promote it to his customers because of that.

[FullRangeMan]

Selling direct online is a way of remaining competitive on the international market, smart companies want to sell to every countrie. National sales are not enough to keep companies making a high profit.

[josh358]

They do have international distribution. But I know they have been talking about direct sales. Their problem is that what sells Maggies to people who haven't heard them is the sound. As Wendell put it, no one is going to put a huge panel in their living room if they haven't heard it. And shipping them so people can try -- not really practical. Which is what the LRS program is about.

Personally, I think they should consider a direct sales program in which they give compensation to a local audiophile for demoing their speakers.

[Saturn94]

They do have international distribution. But I know they have been talking about direct sales. Their problem is that what sells Maggies to people who haven't heard them is the sound. As Wendell put it, no one is going to put a huge panel in their living room if they haven't heard it. And shipping them so people can try -- not really practical. Which is what the LRS program is about.

Personally, I think they should consider a direct sales program in which they give compensation to a local audiophile for demoing their speakers.

I fear if they continue to cling solely to the audio dealer model (there are so few left, and not a single one in my state anymore) they will eventually disappear.

Using local owners to offer auditions is something Salk use to do (though Salk didn’t offer compensation).  I agree it’s a good idea.👍

[FullRangeMan]

They do have international distribution. But I know they have been talking about direct sales. Their problem is that what sells Maggies to people who haven't heard them is the sound. As Wendell put it, no one is going to put a huge panel in their living room if they haven't heard it. And shipping them so people can try -- not really practical. Which is what the LRS program is about.

Personally, I think they should consider a direct sales program in which they give compensation to a local audiophile for demoing their speakers.

no one is going to put a huge panel in their living room if they haven't heard it.
I dont see it as a prob, the Magnepan real prob is mouch worse than it, namely very low impedance of 3Ω and low sensitivity of 86dB.

[josh358]

Well, it won't work with a receiver. The MMG was originally designed to work with receivers, but that required a sonic compromise. The thing that made the transition to the LRS possible was the Schiit Vidar! A cheap amp that can drive Maggies just fine.