Amp’s and Maggie 20.7i’s

[TommyTunes]

Right now in my 2nd room, I’m using Pass XP22 PRE with a Pass X250.5 driving Maggie 3.7’s and I’m thinking of getting 20.7i’s. My question would that amp be sufficient? I also have a ARC GS150 thst I’m not using and could swap that. Any opinions if either could drive the 20.7 adequately?

[Mikado463]

try it and find out, my gut tells me the X250.5 will be the better of the two.

back in my 'Maggie Days' nothing sounded as good as Nelson's Threshold gear so I have no doubt his current offerings will do just fine.

do you have the room to do the 20.7's justice ?

[Beet Farmer]

I purchased a pair of Magnepan 20.7 this recent Spring. Previously I owned a pair of Magnepan 3.6 (eight years).
I kept my Bryston 4B-SST² amp (500 watts at 4 ohms per channel)
My dealer said I had no need of a bigger amp.
The Pass X250.5 also has:
Power Output/ch (8 ohm)
250
Power Output/ch (4 ohm)
500
This from Pass site.
So I would say, if you are playing music at reasonable levels, 500 watts is more than enough. If you are currently playing your 3.6 without blowing them up... I would say you are 'good to go' using the Pass X250.5 with Magnepan 20.7

Took my Magnepan 20.7 about two months to break in fully. After I decided to add the one ohm resistor to the midrange. Really added a lot of warmth to the sound. But sent for some Mundorf 10 watt resistors, all sorts of values, 0.33 0.50 0.75 1.0 1.5 2.0 and tried them on the midrange. I liked the 0.5 Mundorf the best. With that I decided to really go all out and bought Duelund CAST resistors. but with those, the 0.75 ohm worked best. The Duelund really do sound better.
I put nothing on the tweeter, as I have a home made choke 31 turns around a thin dowel to keep ultra high energy down in the tweeter attenuation spot.
Do not be afraid to play with the midrange resistor value to get the sound 'just right' after the speakers are broken in..
Good Listening!

[nicoff]

Is the 20.7i a new model that just came out? I’m familiar with the 20.7 but not the 20.7i.

[Beet Farmer]

The 20.7 is just 20.7 only the early 3.7 and current 3.7i exist. Then the 1.7i and MMGi (those model numbers from the Magnepan website TODAY)
Actually the "i" update IS from the 20.7 model.

[nicoff]

...

Actually the "i" update IS from the 20.7 model.


Now I’m even more confused [emoji52]

[Beet Farmer]

Sorry. Someone from Magnepan said the "i" update was IN the changes when the 20.1 became the 20.7 from the first day...
So the 20.7 has the widget, or whatever the thing is, already as a basic 20.7
Then, Magnepan decided after the fact, they could add the widget or whatever it is, to other models.
Since the 3.7 had already been in production, and Magnepan did NOT want to call the small upgrade a new model. to distinguish it from the original 3.7 they called the 3.7 with the tweak the 3.7i.
This was popular, and they added the tweak to the 1.7 to be 1.7i and the MMG to be the MMGi
SO as I wrote. The 20.7 already had the "i" tweak in it from day one.
They just never called it anything but 20.7

[TommyTunes]

try it and find out, my gut tells me the X250.5 will be the better of the two.

back in my 'Maggie Days' nothing sounded as good as Nelson's Threshold gear so I have no doubt his current offerings will do just fine.

do you have the room to do the 20.7's justice ?

I think so it’s 14 by 16

[Beet Farmer]

"Do you have room to do the 20.7's justice?"
I think so it’s 14 by 16
I would mention my listening space is 11' 8" wide on the end I have my 20.7 speakers on. The room is longer than yours, but I am seated only nine feet from the speakers, which the inner edges are about 42 inches from the wall (toe in so the outer edge is 58 1/2 inches from back wall)
Anyway I am seated about nine feet from the speakers.
My room extends back further, but not evenly. One side is a hall to front door of apartment. middle a 3' wide area sticking into area which are two closets, the other side is again going further back but is part of the kitchen area.
Anyway I have always pushed a small area with BIG SPEAKERS my whole life. No problems. Though figuring out how to avoid bass reflections doubling up gets a little harder in small spaces.
I would never hesitate to buy the speakers I want regardless of size. And would say large rooms present just as many challenges as small ones.

[Mikado463]

I think so it’s 14 by 16

you're joking of course .............:scratch2:

[Mikado463]

"Do you have room to do the 20.7's justice?"

I would mention my listening space is 11' 8" wide on the end I have my 20.7 speakers on. The room is longer than yours, but I am seated only nine feet from the speakers, which the inner edges are about 42 inches from the wall (toe in so the outer edge is 58 1/2 inches from back wall)
Anyway I am seated about nine feet from the speakers.
My room extends back further, but not evenly. One side is a hall to front door of apartment. middle a 3' wide area sticking into area which are two closets, the other side is again going further back but is part of the kitchen area.
Anyway I have always pushed a small area with BIG SPEAKERS my whole life. No problems. Though figuring out how to avoid bass reflections doubling up gets a little harder in small spaces.
I would never hesitate to buy the speakers I want regardless of size. And would say large rooms present just as many challenges as small ones.

believe what you want but no way is a 14x16 room going to do 20.7's justice....no way !

[Formerly YB-2]

believe what you want but no way is a 14x16 room going to do 20.7's justice....no way !
Yep................ The only reason I don't own 3.7's or even 1.7's. Just won't work in my room.

[timm]

So I have mine in a 17x30 room. Very nice size and flexible. Saying that - I’m a firm believer of getting the best speaker you can.

Basically you could run tweeters in - run close to sidewalls which will enhance bass - and have 7.5’ max between the speakers. You will want them 5’ at least off the front wall - so you will definitely be up close. It will be tight - probably not optimal ... but I’d do it!! Your amp will be fine in these closer quarters and you certainly won’t syffer for dynamics given the near field you will have.

[Beet Farmer]

My listening area is 11' 8" wide. The Magnepan 20.7 speakers closest edge to side wall is 18". Angled in, with tweeter in, the closest edge of tweeter side is 42" from rear wall, the woofer side is 58.5" from rear wall, so the empty space is about 56.5" between the speakers. This arrangement was carefully arrived at to allow the best imaging, least reflective problems.
I would say other folks 'never tried out' theories are not a match for actual doing
I sit about 9ft from the tweeters And per Magnepan, the woofers are slightly behind the distance to the tweeters..

[timm]

Go on audioasylum in the planar forum and search on Limage.

[zuluwarrior0760]

The rated efficiency of the two speakers is very similar. I have had 3.7s for 5 years and I just went to 20.7s. My amps are Bryston 28BSST2s. I of course experience more low end, but in terms of overall volume, it's set the same typically as what I used to have.....Your room is way too small for 20.7s, or even 3.7s for that matter. Surely you jest!!