Got my Magnepan 20.7 yesterday....

Elizabeth · « **on:** 10 Mar 2018, 11:03 pm »

My new Magnepan 20.7 arrived yesterday.
I feel for the guys who had to carry them up a flight of stairs since they would never fit in the elevator.
No comments on the SOUND... Since they will (according to most sources) take about a month of all day every day listening.

The one thing I am trying to do is room location.
I started at the same as 3.6 and went from there...
Then I moved them further into the room. Gettin' fuzzy.. With that, the best sound is standing nearer to the rear wall.
I decided to just put them back to the 45" 1/5 and 1/7 of room position. And BLAM! the focus at the listening position is back.

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #1 on:** 10 Mar 2018, 11:30 pm »

Congrats Elizabeth, a fine speaker indeed. When I had Maggies I don't think I ever stopped messing with positioning. My dynamic speakers never move.

LesterSleepsIn · « **Reply #2 on:** 10 Mar 2018, 11:35 pm »

Congrats on the new Maggies! I bet they sound fantastic. I’ve owned about 25 pairs of speakers but never Maggies but they’re on my list to at least give a serious audition.

Here’s an enticing come hither review on the 20.7s from Absolute Sound:

“Jonathon Valin, of the Absolute Sound magazine, is known as a demanding reviewer of super-expensive speakers. He said in his blog on www.avguide.com--
"The listeners for whom the 20.7s are ideal for whom Magneplanars have always been ideal are absolute sound types. This Maggies magical ability to transport you to a different space and time and to there realistically recreate (with lifelike scope and size) the sound of actual acoustic instruments is extraordinary and, of course, the very definition of the absolute sound. Indeed, the 20.7s come as close to achieving Harry Pearsons goal of reproducing the sound of real instruments in real space as any speaker I've heard. I love 'em, but then I've loved and owned more Magneplanar speakers than those from any other manufacturer. If the sound absolute is what you crave (and you can live with the 20.7s sundry demands and peculiarities), Magnepans new flagships earn my highest and warmest recommendation. ”

SteveFord · « **Reply #3 on:** 11 Mar 2018, 12:10 am »

All day/every day listening doesn't sound like too much of a chore with those monsters.
Big, aren't they?

A_shah · « **Reply #4 on:** 11 Mar 2018, 01:34 am »

Congratulations Elizebeth !
I had the 1.7i for about 18 months now waiting to be sold !, I was debating going to 3.7 or the 20.7 yes I was constantly moving them to get that magic floating sound , Finally mid last month I decided to go for Dynamic Speakers from Lou Hinkley Daedalus Poseidon
They are just to heavy to move around , enjoy the 20.7 I am sure they are great speakers ! don't forget to change the Fuses on them believe me they make a big difference !

dB Cooper · « **Reply #5 on:** 11 Mar 2018, 04:58 am »

Party at Elizabeth's....

PierreB · « **Reply #6 on:** 11 Mar 2018, 01:46 pm »

Don’t fotget to post some pictures of those nice 20.7

What colors by the way??

Jonathon Janusz · « **Reply #7 on:** 11 Mar 2018, 01:52 pm »

Congratulations!

I remember reading for quite a while that you were working your way up to these. I very much admire folks in this hobby who have the focus and patience to methodically work up to the system they really want to have, and it is really nice to see people "get there".

Enjoy the next ride in getting these dialed in exactly how you like them!

johnto · « **Reply #8 on:** 12 Mar 2018, 03:45 pm »

Congrats can't wait to hear your sound impressions.

rollo · « **Reply #9 on:** 12 Mar 2018, 04:20 pm »

Hope they meet all your expectations, enjoy !!!

charles

Archguy · « **Reply #10 on:** 14 Mar 2018, 08:11 am »

Wow, congrats! Definitely please show some photos. Since we can't hear them at least we'll be able to see them! And to think I'm deliberating whether or not I should upgrade to the 1.7i.

rollo · « **Reply #11 on:** 14 Mar 2018, 02:36 pm »

What amps will you be using ?

charles

JakeJ · « **Reply #12 on:** 14 Mar 2018, 02:44 pm »

Congratulations, Elizabeth! You are using Bryston for the amp, right? That will be an awesome combo. May they take you to musical nirvana.

Elizabeth · « **Reply #13 on:** 14 Mar 2018, 03:16 pm »

So far.. The '2' (nominally left, but I am tweets in) had a dead tweeter from go. One day delivery new tweeter. Saturday.
Installed and right off it was weak. Way lower in volume than the '1' speaker (my left speaker) The left tweet is clear and actually really loud from the back.
The '2' my right, is nothing at all from the front, and I can hear it from the back, but only a 1/3 the volume of '1'.
The fellow said 'it is the music' and left. (I wonder if he is embarrassed? he can't hear it? Day one it WAS only the second installer who said that tweet '2' was dead)

I ignored it for a few days to see if maybe it was just breaking in (the '1' tweet had a whole day head start)

This morning...
I replaced the fuse right off, no change. Swapped speaker cables from amp right to left & versa..no change.
The only final test is the swap the actual tweeter in speaker '1' and speaker '2'.
This I am calling the store to come and do. (hopefully today)

This is a trivial problem, as long as it gets fixed.
(It may mean replacing them?? I heard of a fellow with some other new 20.7 crossover issue and Magnepan sent a new pair.)
I figure for $14,000 I should get speakers that work properly. LOL

I can listen to them with no problem. Just eventually I do plan to do some critical listening.. As it is, I pretend they are a clock radio.. A really nice clock radio playing.

I.Greyhound Fan · « **Reply #14 on:** 14 Mar 2018, 04:22 pm »

Magnepan should replace the speakers no questions asked. I would be very disappointed if they did not. At almost $15K for the speakers, they should bend over backwards for you. When I purchased my 1.6's, I could see through the black fabric that the foil strips were severely wrinkled. I called Magnepan and spoke with Wendell. He apologized and replaced the speakers. Of course, I live 20 minutes from the Magenpan factory. He said it was just a cosmetic issue and would not affect the sound.

Congrats on the speakers and hope you get years of enjoyment from them.

Larry

Elizabeth · « **Reply #15 on:** 14 Mar 2018, 07:48 pm »

The audio store service guys where here for about an hour. They replace the 'bad' tweeter with another, same issue.
So it is the speaker
But then they turned my second tweeter upside down when they put'mine' back in. And suddenly it works.
It is not supposed to work upside down. So ?clearly the wiring in the speaker is partially backwards, at least for the tweeter.
Wendell is unavailable, so they have to wait until they can talk to him.

If they are going to replace one, I want a real pair, not one and a replacement.

johnto · « **Reply #16 on:** 14 Mar 2018, 09:02 pm »

For the price they should do the right thing by replacing the pair of speakers. Sorry for your trouble, never fun having problems with a new product.

Elizabeth · « **Reply #17 on:** 15 Mar 2018, 01:08 am »

Tonight I listened to opera Barber of Seville. Wonderful.
I would say one week is pretty much 'enough' for break in good enough to get goosebumps.
Way more detail than with my prior 3.6

WGH · « **Reply #18 on:** 15 Mar 2018, 01:27 am »

Quote from: Elizabeth on 15 Mar 2018, 01:08 am

Tonight I listened to opera Barber of Seville. Wonderful.

Congrats on your new speakers. Bugs Bunny's Barber of Seville was always one of my favorites.

https://vimeo.com/182263712

dB Cooper · « **Reply #19 on:** 15 Mar 2018, 01:47 am »

Quote from: Elizabeth on 14 Mar 2018, 07:48 pm

If they are going to replace one, I want a real pair, not one and a replacement.

Seems reasonable. A brand new $$$ speaker shouldn't have to be 'fixed'.