[cma29]

Originally Posted by magnut

As they say, the world can be a small place. I live in the Chicagoland area and have done business with Audio Consultants for many years. I've owned Magnepans for about 15 or 16 years now. The last couple years I've had the 20.7's. AC didn't have them to audition when they first came out so I made a trip to Magnepan and did the company tour with Wendell Diller and heard them there. My only comparison to other speakers would come from what I've heard at the Axpona shows and a few at the dealer. To me, the difference is the "big" sound. The openness. The soundstage is huge. This is what a panel speaker gives you. When my wife and I would walk into a room at a show you could tell before you even got all the way in what type of speaker was playing. Magnepan, Kingsound, Martin Logan, Sound Labs, Sanders etc. All have that open and airy sound. Box speakers sound like boxes. After an audition when asked what we thought my wife would say, "Sounds like the music is in a box." I had to start telling her to be careful of what she says. I didn't want to make enemies. Are there fabulous sounding box style speakers? Of course. But, to my ears, getting to that fabulous sounding box speaker means a trip up the golden road. Magnepans are always compared to speakers costing double and triple their price. The 1.7 and 3.7 have been critically acclaimed as incomparable at their price point.
My wife and I attended a seminar by REL subwoofers at AC awhile back. There were two G1's paired to the $70,000 or so Wilson Maxxes. The electronics were in the $70 to $80,000 range. I'm not even gonna mention the ridiculous cable costs. Was the sound amazing? Yes it was. Was it better then my 20.7's and my two REL G2's? In some ways yes and some no. As loud and as powerful as it was it still didn't give that Phil Spector "wall of sound" sound. My wife said it sounded like a box.

So what can you compare the 20.7 to in it's price range? Nothing. It has a sound all it's own. Now, to your ear, can you "like" a different speaker in this price range more? Absolutely. You could like a speaker that costs less. The new 3.7i is amazing at $6000. You won't know till you listen.

I've been in that room with the Boulder electronics, dCS stack and the Transparent cabling.

Audio Consultants should move the 20.7s into that room and put them by the Wilsons.