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Magnepan Full-range ribbon and planar speakers

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  #11  
Old 09-12-2014, 04:06 PM
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mgard mgard is offline
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I hope I don't get in trouble for this post. I bought a subscription to Hi-Fi+ just so I could read Chris Martens full review of the new 3.7i upgrade. These are just some of his comments and not the contents of his full article. Just some of the differences he listed between the 3.7 and 3.7i. I must admit I have the itch to upgrade....

Magnepan 3.7i planar
magnetic/ribbon loudspeaker
by Chris Martens


As I listened carefully to the 3.7i, my assessment was that
it not only preserved but actually expanded upon the 3.7’s
overall coherency. If you heard the original 3.7 in isolation you
would rightly think it to be a very fine loudspeaker, but if you
then switched to the 3.7i you would soon realize that, from
the heart of the midrange and on up into the upper midrange,
the new speaker sounds noticeably smoother and more at
ease with itself. Moreover, levels of internal ‘self-noise’ seem
to be reduced in the 3.7i, so that backgrounds become
quieter, making it easier for low-level details to be revealed.
To hear these qualities in action, listen to the track ‘Big
Brother’ from Jen Chapin’s reVisions [Chesky SACD], which is
a brilliant jazz trio’s update on a selection of classic songs from
Stevie Wonder. Listen, for example, to the feisty, provocative
edge in Chapin’s voice as she sings a line accusing politicians
of only visiting their constituents “…around election time.” The
3.7i’s really bring Chapin’s voice, with its many tonal colors,
emotional moods, and engaging inflections, vividly to life.
Note, too, the fascinating passage near the end of the song
where saxophonist Chris Cheek takes a walk from the front
left side of the stage to the rear as he continues to play. As
Cheek turns and moves, the Magnepans capture small spatial
details that help you know where Cheek is standing and
which way he is facing as he moves.
The 3.7i also differs from the original 3.7 by offering
noticeably more expressive and expansive dynamics. The 3.7i,
like most Magnepan speakers, is relatively power hungry and
low in rated sensitivity, but give the speaker the power it needs
and it will respond with impressive energy and grace—areas
where the 3.7i clearly outperforms the original 3.7. When pushed
hard by challenging musical material the earlier speaker could
eventually start to exhibit faint traces of strain in the form of a
subtle, hard-edged or even ragged-sounding quality. In contrast,
when you lean hard on the 3.7i it simply plays more loudly, always
maintaining a smooth-tempered sonic disposition.
To appreciate what I mean, listen to John Adler’s
Confronting Inertia [Origin Classical], where Adler explores
both the pensive and more fiercely forceful voices of his
trumpet. On the more delicate end of the dynamic spectrum
the 3.7i captures the subtleties of Adler’s horn with admirable
finesse, but as Adler probes the other end of the dynamic
envelope the 3.7i answers with its own unflustered yet
decidedly muscular response—delivering acoustic power
tempered with an easy-going kind of grace. I won’t tell you
the 3.7i can compete with horn-type speakers in terms of
dynamic clout because that would be ridiculous, but I will tell
you that it produces a much bigger, more forceful, and yet
more relaxed presentation than the 3.7 did.
Good though the 3.7 was and is, there is something
audibly and inarguably more ‘right’ about the new 3.7i.
Interestingly, from a musical perspective, the new design at
once sounds more revealing of low-level textures and details,
yet also smoother and less prone to edginess (a package of
virtues that don’t often travel together in most speakers).

Last edited by mgard; 09-12-2014 at 04:11 PM.
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  #12  
Old 09-16-2014, 12:25 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by audio bill View Post
I know that there has been quite a bit of speculation as to what Magnepan changed with their recent introduction of the revised Magneplanar 3.7i. The company has been quite secretive about exactly what the modification consists of, just claiming that it makes an audible improvement. I recently came across this press release regarding the 3.7i from the UK which I thought could clear up some of the confusion. You can see in the fourth paragraph that they mention a newly re-engineered time and phase aligned crossover. This type of change would be consistent with the requirement to ship the speakers back to the factory to have the upgrade installed and the cost of $500. Hope that you find this information helpful.
Thanks for this useful update.
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  #13  
Old 10-06-2014, 05:14 PM
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The complete 3.7i review from Hi-Fi Plus referred to by mgard above is now available here for your reference. While details of what the upgrade actually incorporates are still not provided, the review describes very well the improvements offered by the upgraded model.
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  #14  
Old 10-09-2014, 04:16 PM
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I heard the 3.7i just last week at my dealer. I owned the 3.7 before I moved to the 20.7 a couple years ago. Do I have to list all of the usual hyperbole we all use when describing a new and improved product or can I just say that everything the reviewer said was true? Very simply it's a better sounding and better performing speaker. There was absolutely no discussion. Is it as good as the 20.7 now? In a word, no. To my ears though, it took a nice step closer. I understand the concern about the shipping cost and possible damage. If it were me I'd just trade the 3.7 or sell it outright and buy the 3.7i new. Let the dealer worry about the shipping. Actually, I think the shipping worries are a little overblown. I've had 1.6s, 3.5s, 3.6s, 3.7s, 20.7s and the CCR center all shipped and never had so much as a blemish. Magnepan has been doing this for a long time. If you get them there properly packaged I don't think there's too much to worry about. After hearing what this change has done for the 3.7 I'm wondering now if the same kind of upgrade can be done to the 20.7? I wouldn't think twice to make the change.
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Old 10-09-2014, 05:51 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by magnut View Post
I heard the 3.7i just last week at my dealer. I owned the 3.7 before I moved to the 20.7 a couple years ago. Do I have to list all of the usual hyperbole we all use when describing a new and improved product or can I just say that everything the reviewer said was true? Very simply it's a better sounding and better performing speaker. There was absolutely no discussion. Is it as good as the 20.7 now? In a word, no. To my ears though, it took a nice step closer. I understand the concern about the shipping cost and possible damage. If it were me I'd just trade the 3.7 or sell it outright and buy the 3.7i new. Let the dealer worry about the shipping. Actually, I think the shipping worries are a little overblown. I've had 1.6s, 3.5s, 3.6s, 3.7s, 20.7s and the CCR center all shipped and never had so much as a blemish. Magnepan has been doing this for a long time. If you get them there properly packaged I don't think there's too much to worry about. After hearing what this change has done for the 3.7 I'm wondering now if the same kind of upgrade can be done to the 20.7? I wouldn't think twice to make the change.
Thanks for the post, magnut. It's good to see Magnepan continuously put out excellent products and even doing a few tweaks to an already well-regarded product to make it even better. If they offer a 20.7i upgrade, I would definitely look into that as well.
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  #16  
Old 10-10-2014, 05:01 PM
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I was trying to decide if I should go for the Mye stands for my 3.7s first or the upgrade. Not sure which would have a bigger impact on the sound. I may wait till next year as the weather is starting to get colder.

~Mike
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  #17  
Old 10-10-2014, 05:52 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mgard View Post
I was trying to decide if I should go for the Mye stands for my 3.7s first or the upgrade. Not sure which would have a bigger impact on the sound. I may wait till next year as the weather is starting to get colder.

~Mike
Mike - I got the Mye Stands for my 20.7s and they certainly brace the speaker well and make the whole structure very rigid. I'm happy with them.

However, based on the review posted, I think the "i" upgrade might be the way to go - reviewer did not have the Mye stands and still described significant benefits going from 3.7s to 3.7is.
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  #18  
Old 10-10-2014, 07:03 PM
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Hi Mike,

I had the opportunity to compare the 3.7 and 3.7i for an arvo at a mate's place in a system much like my own so was easy to spot the differences. He also has Mye stands so we could compare those and the Sound Anchors.

The changes between the original 3.7 and upgraded panels and the change with adding stands was essentially different in nature.

The change from 3.7 to 3.7i we agreed was primarily a balance shift with additional fullness in the mid bass to lower mids which made for a slightly richer sound overall and moved the weight a bit more towards the overall 20.7 balance.

The addition of stands for the 3.7 didn't so much shift the tonal balance in the mid bass to mid range but rather made resolution/focus/clarity/agility gains overall and also some additional extension down lower. The stands also make possible the use of isolation footers which can take you further down the resolution and speed route.

Both benefits seem valuable so possibly it comes down to whether you feel like you need a richer presentation (3.7i) or a faster more resolved one (stands and mechanical isolation) while keeping the balance fairly largely similar with more extension down lower tho if your running subs this might be less an issue.

Graham
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  #19  
Old 10-10-2014, 07:08 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cma29 View Post
Mike - I got the Mye Stands for my 20.7s and they certainly brace the speaker well and make the whole structure very rigid. I'm happy with them.

However, based on the review posted, I think the "i" upgrade might be the way to go - reviewer did not have the Mye stands and still described significant benefits going from 3.7s to 3.7is.
Mike - forget I said and go with Graham's ^ ^ ^ much better recommendation
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  #20  
Old 10-10-2014, 09:40 PM
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Thank you magnut, Graham and Carlos for your observations. It is good to hear positive feed back form others on the 3.7i upgrade. I would like more warmth in the mid to upper range. Graham both upgrades sound very benifical. I will be keeping these speakers for a number of years so I think it would be good to unleash all their capabilities. I have recently moved all my audio equipment to a different room. I have a number of options for moving things around. Right now I am coming off the short wall. The speakers should be farther apart.

~Mike
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