Anyone hear the 30.7? Impressions? Make sense to spend THAT Money on a Magnepan?

Anyone actually hear this speaker?

 

My wife would love these if we had a bigger room. She loves her RED Maggies!

Then you need to build your wife either a new listening room or a new house

 

Last night I caught up with the Magnepan 30.7s and Wendell Diller on their cross continent tour. The demonstration was hosted in Jacksonville FL by the House of Stereo. I have been a long time acquaintance and client of the House of Stereo and had multiple occasions to enjoy their Magnepan 20.7s in one of their well-designed two channel listening rooms. I have always enjoyed the acoustic of this room which is large, not over dampened, and not too lively.
Knowing this room with the Ayre amplification and DAC, Wolf Audio Server, VPI analogue, along with Audience Cables and Power Conditioning allowed me a special comparison of just replacing the 20.7s with the 30.7s. Wendell set up the room as it has been described in previous tour write ups with most of the room cleared, including the proverbial “sweet spot”, enabling the participants to freely move through the sound field. Not only could we move about the room, we were expressly encouraged to do just that! Mr Diller started the demonstration with a short introduction about what he described as the “Power Curve”. The description was followed by the participants visiting multiple areas within the demonstration room, while music played, with an expectation we would have a similar musical experience at each location. The power curve description proposed that, with the 30.7s, all points in the room would receive similar power and subsequently a similar musical presentation. This proposition did bear fruit in my experience moving about this room.
The 30.7 in their touring colors of blue trim and white cloth are impressive and visually bright in person. Powered by the Ayre VX-5/20 through Audience AU24SX speaker cables the sound was everything excellent I have experienced with planers before with the addition of a dynamic in the bass that has always lacked for me previously. The 20.7s in this room and system always were enjoyable and engaging. The 30.7s were at a different level. When symphonic Tympani drums hit you in the gut, as they are supposed to in the Copland piece that was used as a system warmup, you know these are not your father’s planers. The sound of the 30.7 was both enveloping and precise. The soundstage was very defined and with great depth that did not disappear or really change as you moved away from the “sweet spot” area to almost any point in the room. There was a little collapse as we walked behind the speakers but this was not a concern to myself.
In the appropriate sized room that can produce music without distracting barrier reflections and other echo artifacts these 30.7s produced music in a way that altered my planar perception. I have the same Ayre amp and DAC… Similar Audience cables… Excellent Vinyl… Now I just need that MUCH larger house with the dedicated room and my order for the 30.7s will be called in… Thank you Magnepan, Wendell Diller, and the House of Stereo.

 

That sounds like a good fun rewarding music listening session coming up from the Mag 30.7s and the ancillary gear connected to them, including the source...VPI TT.

 

Have listed to the 6 foot Magnepans most every day since 1978.

Started with the IIa and GAS (Great American Sound Company) amplification, then IIIa and 3.6 in 10 different rooms.

After much speaker positioning, furniture moving, and listening spot changes, I only got great sound in two rooms.

Initially I thought every room was great and would yield great sound.

To get great sound takes much trial and error. Very small changes in listening spots, and Magnepan speaker positioning gives big differences in sonics and soundstage, unlike box speakers. "Make and Break" differences in enjoyment.

Only after a month or two can you tell if the room is capable of great sound. I found I had poor sound in 80% of my rooms, no mater what ever I did. These rooms were worthless with my speakers.

The 30.7 tour has been to 42 dealers and Wendall Diller has had said only 20% of the demos had great sound. Were the room sizes inadequate, or the associated sources, or amplification poor? Nope!

Standing up and walking around the room is not the same, as listening in a chair, in the sweet spot, like you would do at home. Why are there no chairs to sit in? Does the 30.7 have a huge sweet spot? I do not think so.

Magnepans simply do not sound great in lots of rooms.......period!

And you can not tell ahead of time. The room may seem great, and sound like crap, is my experience. And there is nothing the owner can do to "fix" the room.

The 30.7s are just now shipping, 2 or 3, every few weeks. There is no "in home" user feedback yet.

The 30.7 is a new "beast", with amplifier "taps" that alters frequency response in "unclear ways" like no other Magnepan. What is the effect of these "taps"?

The 30.7 is huge, and the "image" may be too "big and unrealistic", for many, after the initial "thrill" wears off.

The 30.7 is a $30,000 "crap shoot" that new owners will find out, after trial and error, and listening to a variety of music over time.

With Magic and Wilson box speakers there is a large body of feedback, and you can pretty much tell "what you will get" sonically.

Buying the 30.7 is a risk at this time. Beware!

 

Have listed to the 6 foot Magnepans most every day since 1978.

Started with the IIa and GAS (Great American Sound Company) amplification, then IIIa and 3.6 in 10 different rooms.

After much speaker positioning, furniture moving, and listening spot changes, I only got great sound in two rooms.

Initially I thought every room was great and would yield great sound.

To get great sound takes much trial and error. Very small changes in listening spots, and Magnepan speaker positioning gives big differences in sonics and soundstage, unlike box speakers. "Make and Break" differences in enjoyment.

Only after a month or two can you tell if the room is capable of great sound. I found I had poor sound in 80% of my rooms, no mater what ever I did. These rooms were worthless with my speakers.

The 30.7 tour has been to 42 dealers and Wendall Diller has had said only 20% of the demos had great sound. Were the room sizes inadequate, or the associated sources, or amplification poor? Nope!

Standing up and walking around the room is not the same, as listening in a chair, in the sweet spot, like you would do at home. Why are there no chairs to sit in? Does the 30.7 have a huge sweet spot? I do not think so.

Magnepans simply do not sound great in lots of rooms.......period!

And you can not tell ahead of time. The room may seem great, and sound like crap, is my experience. And there is nothing the owner can do to "fix" the room.

The 30.7s are just now shipping, 2 or 3, every few weeks. There is no "in home" user feedback yet.

The 30.7 is a new "beast", with amplifier "taps" that alters frequency response in "unclear ways" like no other Magnepan. What is the effect of these "taps"?

The 30.7 is huge, and the "image" may be too "big and unrealistic", for many, after the initial "thrill" wears off.

The 30.7 is a $30,000 "crap shoot" that new owners will find out, after trial and error, and listening to a variety of music over time.

With Magic and Wilson box speakers there is a large body of feedback, and you can pretty much tell "what you will get" sonically.

Buying the 30.7 is a risk at this time. Beware!

Agreed....to an extent. Buying ANY speaker is going to be something of a crap shoot as to whether it works in your room and with your ancillary gear, IMO.
Until you try it at home, you won't know the answer.
OTOH, the Maggie 30.7's are like all Maggies in that they need space and they need a very stout amp upstream to drive them. This is where a good dealer comes in, because they need to be able to determine the 'likelihood' of matching this speaker to the customers requirements.
Here's where I don't agree with you...Magic(o) and Wilson Box speakers can vary greatly as well....in the wrong set up. Having heard the 30.7's, I would say that they can be an end game speaker for many...but obviously not all. Personally, I have enough experience to know that they will absolutely NOT work in my current room and with my current gear. In a different setting and with different gear, they would absolutely be high on my interest list.

 

IMO-It is a winder how Jim Winey has stayed in business all these yeas. His speakers appear to be the most under priced product in high end audio. At one point he even offered a free trial. My first rue high end speaker was the Magnepan MG1 which sold a the whopping price of $500.00. A price that I did not pay because I received a system discount. I still own them and they are in working order. The solid wood oak rails would cost more than $500 dollars today aloneA.
At the time Magnepan claimed "if you hear the Maggies, you will buy the Maggie.."My current stereo was stolen in a burglary. I visited the my favorite store searching for a replacement.. I had never heard the Maggies but had read about them in the absolute sound. T o make a long story short, they were delivered to my home the next day. I have no idea what the customer service is like because I never needed it.
In my mind Magnepan has never made an unsuccessful product.
Their products have always represented fair value.
They have never particpated in the product of the year club.
In this eara of quarter million dollar "boxes" (some of which are very good) Magnepan remains both exemplary and an embarrassment to may speaker companies. I have no doubt the 30.7 was introduced for one reason. It is a superior product.

 

IMO-It is a winder how Jim Winey has stayed in business all these yeas. His speakers appear to be the most under priced product in high end audio. At one point he even offered a free trial. My first rue high end speaker was the Magnepan MG1 which sold a the whopping price of $500.00. A price that I did not pay because I received a system discount. I still own them and they are in working order. The solid wood oak rails would cost more than $500 dollars today aloneA.
At the time Magnepan claimed "if you hear the Maggies, you will buy the Maggie.."My current stereo was stolen in a burglary. I visited the my favorite store searching for a replacement.. I had never heard the Maggies but had read about them in the absolute sound. T o make a long story short, they were delivered to my home the next day. I have no idea what the customer service is like because I never needed it.
In my mind Magnepan has never made an unsuccessful product.
Their products have always represented fair value.
They have never particpated in the product of the year club.
In this eara of quarter million dollar "boxes" (some of which are very good) Magnepan remains both exemplary and an embarrassment to may speaker companies. I have no doubt the 30.7 was introduced for one reason. It is a superior product.

Greg, let's be frank here. The Maggie speakers do not consist of highly costly materials. The new 30.7's are a simple frame with painted panels and some cloth. The stands are very inexpensive metal bars and the x-overs are made of readily available components..and not expensive ones at that. The connectors are actually some of the poorest I have seen...we are NOT talking of WBT quality here. So add it all up, and there really isn't that much in the overall cost of these speakers. Now, i do agree that R&D and running a profitable business with all of its ancillary expenses, costs money. But just looking at the way the speakers are made...and you cannot really come up with a $30K value. IMHO.
Not saying in comparison to other box speakers they are not a value, due to their SQ and their overall cost...BUT IMO this isn't saying much for the competition....except it is also probably grossly overpriced!

 

Welcome to WBF drsutliff! Thank you for that 30.7 report!

The MG-IIIA was my very first loudspeaker. I liked it very much, but I found it a bit too bass-shy. I needed some oomph and impact.

I think the 20.7 is great. I am sure I would love the 30.7, too.

I still think the Magnepan ribbon tweeter might be the very best tweeter anyone has ever made.

 

Greg, let's be frank here. The Maggie speakers do not consist of highly costly materials. The new 30.7's are a simple frame with painted panels and some cloth. The stands are very inexpensive metal bars and the x-overs are made of readily available components..and not expensive ones at that. The connectors are actually some of the poorest I have seen...we are NOT talking of WBT quality here. So add it all up, and there really isn't that much in the overall cost of these speakers. Now, i do agree that R&D and running a profitable business with all of its ancillary expenses, costs money. But just looking at the way the speakers are made...and you cannot really come up with a $30K value. IMHO.
Not saying in comparison to other box speakers they are not a value, due to their SQ and their overall cost...BUT IMO this isn't saying much for the competition....except it is also probably grossly overpriced!

I am always frank! Although tat's not my name.
There are many examples. Let's take a highly regarded speaker manufacturer that makes $250k speakers. This company was widely criticized for using off the shelf parts and stuffing them into a box. Most high end companies have never filed for a patent, let alone received one. In defense of the above company someone mentioned they had to pay their workers health insurance. I am certainly not the high end price police. A product is worth what some one is willing to pay for it. However calling a out a manufacturer for charging $30k for their top of the line speaker? Some spend more than t that on accessories.
I think someone is being disingenuous.

 

I am always frank! Although tat's not my name.
There are many examples. Let's take a highly regarded speaker manufacturer that makes $250k speakers. This company was widely criticized for using off the shelf parts and stuffing them into a box. Most high end companies have never filed for a patent, let alone received one. In defense of the above company someone mentioned they had to pay their workers health insurance. I am certainly not the high end price police. A product is worth what some one is willing to pay for it. However calling a out a manufacturer for charging $30k for their top of the line speaker? Some spend more than t that on accessories.
I think someone is being disingenuous.

Greg, don’t get me wrong, I am agreeing with you that the Maggie’s are in fact a fair price in this market. In fact, I believe the 30.7’s compete with speakers in the $100 k range.
So, I am certainly NOT calling out Maggie for charging what they do for the 30.7’s. What I am pointing out is that what goes into the construction of these speakers....leaves plenty of room for profit. Nothing wrong in that either, as Wendell and company deserve what they can get, imo. So...disingenuous, I don’t think so.

 

Welcome to WBF drsutliff! Thank you for that 30.7 report!

The MG-IIIA was my very first loudspeaker. I liked it very much, but I found it a bit too bass-shy. I needed some oomph and impact.

I think the 20.7 is great. I am sure I would love the 30.7, too.

I still think the Magnepan ribbon tweeter might be the very best tweeter anyone has ever made.

+1 on all the above Ron... and yes, the Maggie tweeter is a marvel.

The 20.7 is absolutely coherent and instantly solved for me the whole to Apogee or not to Apogee question. I may be one of the only 20.7 owners who have had their speaker professionally taken apart and then modded the capacitors in the crossover so I have seen the components in the .7 iteration and I feel no shame in saying the big Maggies represents sensational value in terms of sonics and the BOM. There is much cost involved even just in the scale and size of production of such a lifesize full range panel and also given Wendell’s strong sense of real world ethics and thrift doubt there is any sign of unusual business gouging going on here.

Given how fantastic my 20.7s sound up on their modded stands with multiple layers of ultra 5s (more ultra 10s really) with wireworld platinum jumpers and upgraded wiring and with capacitor mods which have all added depth in reach and heft as well as considerable resolve... and also given the additional constraints in going up to a multi panel like the 30.7 I’d doubt I’ll end up going the step up (it would also require another 12 ultra 5s for me for the additional stands alone) but I will just hold off on deciding on that scary conundrum till I have actually heard the panels that are the 30.7 beast.

 

If I had those speakers I totally would do those modifications. I bet an investment in upgraded parts goes a long way sonically.

How did you find an engineer who could do those modifications?

 

Yeah I want to hear a Maggie modded. For me the Maggie is value only upto the 3.7i...after that it ceases to be a value play. Also I find the tone of the Maggies an issue compared to the Analysis Audio or the Apogees, and their bass is less too. But I think mods can get rid of that tone issue...probably comes from cheap parts. But if a 3.7i is modded properly it could seriously be unbeatable value

 

Ron,
I had a tech who has been working with Maggies for many years do the work. I wanted the work to be seamless as there is quite an art to pulling them apart... (the easy part) and then putting them back together again (I watched in awe). Thankfully I had already identified that my real skills are in other areas apparently lol.

Ked, I had the 3.7s which taught me a lot about panel setup, speaker dialling and system improvement but for me the 20.7s completely just brought EVERYTHING the 3.7s could possibly plus a considerable additional command, weight and authority that the 3.7s always just cried out for.

The mods to the 20.7s really took them up a few notches. They are marvellous.

I probably was a bit overplaying when I said I no longer fancy Apogees as they always make me want them but the 20.7s I have (as they are) really are my happy place in sonic portrayal.

I know many like Audio Analysis but I tried very hard to like them but I found them a shade sleepy although every time I heard them it was with Ypsilon and I wondered if it was not the best combo for either brands.

I am doing a lateral move now having upgraded my Harbeths to 40.2s (the ultimate easy listening device) and a planned diy horn is very much imminent. I have listened for years and just given up on the notion that any one speaker can do it all for me. My bad I guess.

 

Analysis also need to be modded. They have better tone than stock maggies but yes compared to apogees they are quite laid back. And on all panels amps make a lot of difference. I never liked the Ypsilon hybrids. Based on the external crossover discussion on the Aida thread, the modded Analysis and Apogees do come with external crossover boxes and your choice of crossover material - Mundorf, Duelunds, etc

 

Yes, absolutely amp choice is all with ribbons and with ribbons there is nowhere for poor electronic matching left to hide. In a lot of ways if I just wanted an alternative presentation with the 20.7s I’d just have had a set of second amps to switch in, Conrad Johnson art monos or next gen Audio Research monos would be my valve weapons of choice here. This may likely be a saner spend than chasing after 30.7s. Maybe still something of a potential down the track now that I’ve got my destination speakers all kinda sorta sorted.

 

a planned diy horn is very much imminent. I have listened for years and just given up on the notion that any one speaker can do it all for me. My bad I guess.

Please Elaborate, best in a new dedicated thread, PLEASE
As for different systems, I'm on the same page with you

 

Christoph, you are my inspiration in this panel horn box threeway but I will have to limit myself to just one of each.

Sanity prevails... just barely lol.

Will update when I have some things arrive soonish. Mine will be perhaps a modest journey and played out in two parts. First act shortly.

 

Christoph, you are my inspiration in this panel horn box threeway but I will have to limit myself to just one of each.

Sanity prevails... just barely lol.

Will update when I have some things arrive soonish. Mine will be perhaps a modest journey and played out in two parts. First act shortly.

Calling me an inspiration is just too much (undue) honor

And I don't have cone-domes. Having horns AND panels, cone-dome-boxes just don't appeal to me
For me, just one (or maybe two, Apogees and Acoustats) very good pairs of each would do it for me too, but I'm too lazy to sell the rest

I'm VERY curious about your diy horn adventure and would love to read about it in as many parts you like. Just keep it coming

 

Ron,
I had a tech who has been working with Maggies for many years do the work. I wanted the work to be seamless as there is quite an art to pulling them apart... (the easy part) and then putting them back together again (I watched in awe). Thankfully I had already identified that my real skills are in other areas apparently lol.

Ked, I had the 3.7s which taught me a lot about panel setup, speaker dialling and system improvement but for me the 20.7s completely just brought EVERYTHING the 3.7s could possibly plus a considerable additional command, weight and authority that the 3.7s always just cried out for.

The mods to the 20.7s really took them up a few notches. They are marvellous.

I probably was a bit overplaying when I said I no longer fancy Apogees as they always make me want them but the 20.7s I have (as they are) really are my happy place in sonic portrayal.

I know many like Audio Analysis but I tried very hard to like them but I found them a shade sleepy although every time I heard them it was with Ypsilon and I wondered if it was not the best combo for either brands.

I am doing a lateral move now having upgraded my Harbeths to 40.2s (the ultimate easy listening device) and a planned diy horn is very much imminent. I have listened for years and just given up on the notion that any one speaker can do it all for me. My bad I guess.

Thank you, Tao. Did you ever add external subwoofers to the 20.7s?