[SteveFord]

I had a similar experience with the 1.7s and left the dealer wondering what the deal was.
Something just was off but I had 1.6s so was familiar with the basic sound.
I got some 1.7s, set them up in my room with my own equipment in the same position the 1.6s were in (but with the tweeters on the inside) and once they broke in they sound fantastic.

[TJHUB]

Hi T,

As you have taught me the room can mean everything.  So until you have your Salks in that same room with the same equipment wouldn't it be difficult to make a judgment between the speakers?  Sure would be interesting to get a pair of Maggies in your own room with your own equipment.  I'll bet the dealer in question wasn't interested in sending a pair home with you?? At the same time, as I am learning, the best investment you can make . . . you already made 

Hey "J"

I still want to revisit said dealer with you next week as we planned.  I sure could have used a fellow audiophile there today.  We also need to chat on the phone...soon.  I have a lot to tell you.

[SoundGame]

I auditioned the 1.7's at the dealer for 2 hours today.  I must say that they left a lot to be desired.  I was rather disappointed to say the least. 

The 1.7's are ok at best.  I had a very hard time really finding anything I thought they did well.  Were they bad?  I don't think so. 

To just sum things up, they were not transparent.  They had a midrange sound to them, like I was listening to speaker.  The treble was not very airy sounding, but it wasn't lifeless either.  There was also a sort of grain to the sound, and they come off dry sounding.  I just wasn't hearing anything I'd call lifelike or realistic.  Again, I was really disappointed.

I asked to swap in a pair of 3.7's, and the sound changed dramatically.  These sound much closer to what I'm used to hearing from my Salk HT2-TL's.  The treble was much more open and extended.  There was definitely more of an airy quality.  The midrange was certainly more transparent and lifelike.  Still, I don't think I would trade my Salk's for them. 

Here is the part that's really bugging me.  The imaging was not good at all.  At no point in time did anything regarding imaging sound good or even remotely interesting.  My Salk setup images fantastically.  I felt the sound from the Maggie's was coming from the panels, because that's exactly what it sounded like.  At no time did anything disappear.  I expected a lot more from this. 

The overall tone on the 3.7's was good, but the 1.7's really lacked in this regard. 

Now, before any of you get all upset about me pooping all over these things, please know that the dealer was useless.  I told him what I thought in the nicest way possible, and all he said was that we all like different flavors.  At one point he was pissing me off and I told him the only flavor I like is real.  If that's a flavor, than that's the only one I want. 

The electronics driving the Maggie's was a Byston BDP-1/BDA-1 combo.  The amp was a 1,000 watt something or other, but I didn't pay that much attention as the speakers weren't sounding very good.  They also had Kimber Kables on everything. 

This is the second time I hear the BDP-1.  I guess that's off my list as I just don't believe it brought anything special to the table. 

So now I'm left wondering whether I "heard" the 1.7's or not.  Everyone seems to love these things, and I sure didn't.  So was something wrong with audition?  Are my Salk's even better than I think they are?  What's going on here?

I was so hoping to buy the 1.7's and get by for a while.  I was hoping to hear enough potential to want to bring them home and see what I can get out of them.  Of course this deal is an ass and won't even offer a 7 day return policy.  I don't want to buy from him out of principal alone.

Thoughts?

Wow, a 1.7, 3.7 and Bryston BDP-1 slam, all in one post???  I'm not arguing your perception but given what I've heard from a 1.6 in the past and a BDP-1, in different setups - sound like the yin/yang in that dealer's show room may have been the problem OR perhaps it was the 1000-watt no-name brand amp...the likely culprit.

[TJHUB]

Wow, a 1.7, 3.7 and Bryston BDP-1 slam, all in one post???  I'm not arguing your perception but given what I've heard from a 1.6 in the past and a BDP-1, in different setups - sound like the yin/yang in that dealer's show room may have been the problem OR perhaps it was the 1000-watt no-name brand amp...the likely culprit.

You're right.  I shouldn't have slammed any of these products.  Maybe something is wrong at the dealer.  I don't like the guy at all.  I just couldn't see any issues.  Placement in the room was good (or at least appeared to be good), the electronics should have been fantastic, and he was using well respected cables. 

It does bother me that so many think so highly of Magnepan's.  I'm hoping something was very wrong.  However, I will reiterate that the 3.7's were significantly better sounding.  I thought the two speakers sounded VERY different, and I was expecting similar. 

I was trying to remember the brand name of the amp.  I thought he said the company was owned by Paradigm.  Who would that be?  Anthem?

 

[TJHUB]

I had a similar experience with the 1.7s and left the dealer wondering what the deal was.
Something just was off but I had 1.6s so was familiar with the basic sound.
I got some 1.7s, set them up in my room with my own equipment in the same position the 1.6s were in (but with the tweeters on the inside) and once they broke in they sound fantastic.

The dealer had the tweeters to the outside.  I asked about that, and he said they sounded better that way, and everyone likes different flavors. 

He also assured me that the 1.7's were more than broken in.

Do you know if most Maggie dealers would at least offer a 7 day return policy?  A friend of mine in the Boston area said his dealer offered a ridiculously short 7 day return policy.  That's 7 more days than my dealer offers!!

[thunderbrick]

The dealer had the tweeters to the outside.  I asked about that, and he said they sounded better that way, and everyone likes different flavors. 

He also assured me that the 1.7's were more than broken in.

Do you know if most Maggie dealers would at least offer a 7 day return policy?  A friend of mine in the Boston area said his dealer offered a ridiculously short 7 day return policy.  That's 7 more days than my dealer offers!!

What about a Saturday-Monday loan?  Quick way to see if it's the room.

And frankly, I don't care how great they sound in the showroom, if I don't like the dealer I will drive a few hundred miles to buy somewhere else. Stubborn, hell yes!  But part of having a great speaker/amp/sports car/wife is the enjoyment of the buying experience.  If the guy is a jerk it would bother me every time I looked at the speakers.  And that's too much money to spend to be shit on.

My .02. 

[josh358]

So now I'm left wondering whether I "heard" the 1.7's or not.  Everyone seems to love these things, and I sure didn't.  So was something wrong with audition?  Are my Salk's even better than I think they are?  What's going on here?

I was so hoping to buy the 1.7's and get by for a while.  I was hoping to hear enough potential to want to bring them home and see what I can get out of them.  Of course this deal is an ass and won't even offer a 7 day return policy.  I don't want to buy from him out of principal alone.

Thoughts?

This happens all the time. The acoustics at most dealers aren't suited to dipoles, which require a liver acoustic than dynamics. More like what most people have in their living rooms. People who only heard them at dealers are often amazed when they get Maggies home and set them up at how good they sound.

The fact that they didn't image is a clue that something is seriously wrong with the setup. Line source dipoles have a huge, deep image, it's one of their signature strengths.

I've been talking to another forum participant by email, he heard both the 1.7's and the 3.7's and was disappointed because the 1.7's sounded better. That seemed strange to him, so he went to another dealer and emailed back to say that the 3.7's there were astounding, and he was going to get a pair. It's an illustration of the kind of problem that can occur with dealer setups.

So I'd recommend hearing the 1.7's in better circumstances if you can, such as an audiophile's home. That will give you a better idea of whether they appeal to you. Or maybe the dealer would be willing to arrange a loan?

[TJHUB]

I'm convinced that something is wrong at the dealer's showroom.  I just have no idea what it might be.  The room was also not treated.  He just has curtains hanging over most of the walls, but there are no absorption panels in the room.

The dealer is a complete ass and wouldn't do anything for a demo or return policy.  There are no other dealers inside of a 3+ hour drive one way for me. 

I think the Maggie idea is over for me, at least for a little while.  I woke up this morning thinking I'm really being stupid for selling my Salk's. 

 

[rw@cn]

I'm convinced that something is wrong at the dealer's showroom.  I just have no idea what it might be.  The room was also not treated.  He just has curtains hanging over most of the walls, but there are no absorption panels in the room.

The dealer is a complete ass and wouldn't do anything for a demo or return policy.  There are no other dealers inside of a 3+ hour drive one way for me. 

I think the Maggie idea is over for me, at least for a little while.  I woke up this morning thinking I'm really being stupid for selling my Salk's.

Communicate with Magnepan and let them know.

[thunderbrick]

Where are you?  Maybe find an AC Maggie owner nearby for an audition.

[TJHUB]

Where are you?  Maybe find an AC Maggie owner nearby for an audition.

I'm in Eastern Wisconsin.

[josh358]

Yeah, since you've already sold your speakers, I'd try to listen at someone's house and then if you like what you hear buy them from a different dealer.

Another possibility if you like them would be to buy a used pair on Audiogon, they've only been out for two years or so so you wouldn't be getting one with much use. (You could potentially buy, try, and sell back if you didn't like them, but really, that's a lot of work for a trial.)

[josh358]

PS -- The curtains may have done it, curtains absorb high frequencies preferentially and the room just may have been too dead.

[TJHUB]

Yeah, since you've already sold your speakers, I'd try to listen at someone's house and then if you like what you hear buy them from a different dealer.

Another possibility if you like them would be to buy a used pair on Audiogon, they've only been out for two years or so so you wouldn't be getting one with much use. (You could potentially buy, try, and sell back if you didn't like them, but really, that's a lot of work for a trial.)

I was originally going to do just that.  I missed out on a used pair here on AC just this week.  I'll keep an eye out for a pair.

FYI, I did not sell my speakers.  The Salk's are staying right where they are until I actually know I can settle for something less...or different as it may be.

[SteveFord]

Thub,
Wendell asked if you would give him a call at Magnepan.

[WilCox]

I'm in Eastern Wisconsin.

I can recommend Audio Consultants in Evanston, IL.  I bought my Maggies from them after they were kind enough to let me borrow a pair for a long weekend to see how they integrated into my room.  It may be a bit of a drive for you, but getting good dealer support is important given the investment some of us have in our systems.

[Nuance]

I've visited the same dealer TJHUB did numerous times, and I was with him the first time he went, which is when we heard the Maggies and the B&W 802's.  I'd not heard the Magnepan 1.7's before, but I am very familiar with the 802D's; both speakers sounded mediocre to bad to my ears, with the B&W's being the ones that were flat out bad.  Having heard the 802D's numerous times before that I knew something wasn't right, but I really didn't care as I wasn't looking to change my speakers.  The Maggies sounded better, but they were nothing special. 

I'm pretty convinced this "demo showroom" is garbage, and the owner of the shop pushes B&W like none other, almost to the point that if you like something else you're stupid, so he would have been no help in trying to re-position the speakers in attempt to let them perform to their true potential.  He probably remembered us from the previous visit, and specifically what TJHUB said about the 802D's when the dealer was standing right there with us...  It was something to the effect that they "sucked" and were way "overpriced."  Truth be told I've heard them sound much better than they did at the dealer on that day, but I'm still not a big fan of anything B&W makes.  I've brought numerous potential customers into this guy's shop, but I'm never treated very well, so I don't blame TJHUB for not wanting to make a purchase from him.  With that said, it's going to be extremely difficult to best what Terry currently has, dollar for dollar. 

[rw@cn]

Magnepan doesn't have that many dealers so the dealers it does have should be better than this one. I think you should contact Magnepan and complain.

[johzel]

I can recommend Audio Consultants in Evanston, IL.  I bought my Maggies from them after they were kind enough to let me borrow a pair for a long weekend to see how they integrated into my room.  It may be a bit of a drive for you, but getting good dealer support is important given the investment some of us have in our systems.

Doesn't this same dealer (company) have a store in Libertyville as well?  I believe that's actually closer when coming down through Milwaukee??  It's amazing Magnepan has but one dealer in Wisconsin (surprised there's not a dealer in Madison or the Green Bay/Appleton area) and only one in their home state of Minnesota . . . go figure.

[josh358]

Unfortunately, the dealer network has been shrinking. Many people don't have even a single dealer within a reasonable distance. It's a problem for everybody in high end audio.