[James Tanner]

Hi All,

Here's a link to the new speaker Magnepan will be introducing at the upcoming CES Show in Vegas.  Magnepan will be using a complete Bryston playback system to introduce these new speakers.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-10422797-47.html?tag=mncol;title

james

[rollo]

 Great news about Magnepan offering a new design.


charles

[Bear Heath]

James,

I assume you have heard the new 1.7? Any comments? Also do you know anything about the "super tweeter" mentioned by Guttenberg at the link?  Thanks
Sean

[James Tanner]

James,

I assume you have heard the new 1.7? Any comments? Also do you know anything about the "super tweeter" mentioned by Guttenberg at the link?  Thanks
Sean

Hi Sean,

I have a pair on order but my first hearing will be the show!

james

[Jon L]

I don't think that CNET guy has the lingo correct, as I have no idea what he means by 1.7 is the first(?) "full-range ribbon speaker" from Magnepan:
 
"The Magneplanar 1.7 is the first full-range ribbon speaker from the company, and it may be the only such design currently on the market (Apogee Acoustics started making full-range ribbon speakers in the 1980s and went out of business in the 1990s)."

[James Tanner]

I don't think that CNET guy has the lingo correct, as I have no idea what he means by 1.7 is the first(?) "full-range ribbon speaker" from Magnepan:
 
"The Magneplanar 1.7 is the first full-range ribbon speaker from the company, and it may be the only such design currently on the market (Apogee Acoustics started making full-range ribbon speakers in the 1980s and went out of business in the 1990s)."

Hi Jon,

I agree.

It depends on your definition of "Ribbon"
 
A "TRUE RIBBON" is where the Conductor is also the Transducer.
A "QUASI RIBBON" is where the Conductor is on a Substrate (Mylar)
 
So the new 1.7 is better defined as a 'full range quasi ribbon' speaker.
 
james

[hottuner]

Plenty of room for debate as to what constitutes "true ribbon" vs "planar dynamic" since there are so many variations on the theme. The purest definition of "true ribbon" is no bonded substrate used to increase mechanical tractability of the conductor. AFAIK only the original Apogee fits this definition in a full range design. Building a "real world" ribbon woofer with no substrate is difficult at best.

Another definition of true ribbon, and what I believe Guttenberg meant, is conductor and substrate are one and the same in terms of area. By this definition planar dynamic or quasi-ribbon would be where the conductor (driven area) is smaller compared to substrate, as in all previous Maggie iterations. In that sense the 1.7 is Maggie's first "true ribbon", a definition I can agree with personally.

[danman]

I am seriously looking forward to your opinion of this speaker James! I cannot believe the price and as a Electrostatic speaker lover this fits my category of preference. I have heard from many of you here the coherence of Bryston and Magnepan and this could be a good option for me in the future if ever I can have the chance to hear them someday!

I have never listened to ribbon speakers so I am quite curious of how they sound. Are they a full range speaker from lows to highs? Can they play all sorts of music ranging from rock to jazz? What about loud volume, not that I listen at 110db or anything only that sometimes speakers don't sound as good at higher volumes. Very curious!

[James Tanner]

Plenty of room for debate as to what constitutes "true ribbon" vs "planar dynamic" since there are so many variations on the theme. The purest definition of "true ribbon" is no bonded substrate used to increase mechanical tractability of the conductor. AFAIK only the original Apogee fits this definition in a full range design. Building a "real world" ribbon woofer with no substrate is difficult at best.

Another definition of true ribbon, and what I believe Guttenberg meant, is conductor and substrate are one and the same in terms of area. By this definition planar dynamic or quasi-ribbon would be where the conductor (driven area) is smaller compared to substrate, as in all previous Maggie iterations. In that sense the 1.7 is Maggie's first "true ribbon", a definition I can agree with personally.

Hi,

The bass foil on the Apogee was on a resonably massive substrate which was attached on 4 sides AFAIK.

Building a "real world" ribbon woofer with no substrate is difficult at best (A true ribbon bass driver has never been done to my knowledge).

james

[vegasdave]

I'll be there to hear it!