Magnepan 20.7 Review

[russell]

Question for Admin: Ok to post link to .pdf of Magnepan 20.7 TAS Review (January 2015) from another site?

[cma29]

The Absolute Sound posted the 20.7 review on their website. Here is the link:

TAS Jan 2015 Magnepan 20.7 Review

[audiot servant]

Thanks for the link Carlos.

I reckon Don Saltzman did a fine job on this and its largely on point throughout, comprehensive and fair, a good reflection of the 20.7s and definitely a useful addition to the available info out there on them. Add in Timm's thoughts on how the 20.7s sound with instruments and we've got them covered.

Just thinking tho if he loved the mid bass and bass with just 200 hours on the 20.7s then I think he's in for a real treat when he gets his pair to 600 hours and beyond when IMO the lower registers really get integrated with even more authority, richness and depth.

Probably the real achievement for the 20.7s is taking full range panel speakers to the point where there is realistically no real sense of loss or trade off compromise while they are doing the full panel magic trick of sounding completely cohesive and at times so very real.

I recently swapped over to another set of jumpers replacing Empirical Designs silver litz (still very recommendable) and now using the Wireworld Platinum Eclipse jumpers to match my speaker cables and ICs. Its great the way these speakers let you know everything you are doing right (and wrong) with setup which is such a gift for people who like to optimise (aka audiophile disease). Btw the WW plat jumpers are unfortunately awesome if a bit of an investment. The bass and mid bass did a little leap into the next postcode along with all that delicious WW plat trademark air and musical sweetness and they are only a few weeks old in the circuit.

We've got to figure that the 20.7s are surely likely to set themselves as one of the great benchmark designs in terms of musical and sonic wholeness. What a brilliant achievement for Wendell Diller and the Magnepan crew taking the full range planar experience up to the point of no regrets. Maggie 20.7s - the speaker of no regret



Magnepan 20.7 - Shindo - Sanders - Chord - Shunyata Cyclops & Z Anaconda and Python PCs - Wireworld Platinum Eclipse SCs, ICs, USB, jumpers - Stillpoint Ultra 5s throughout the system.

[nicoff]

[QUOTE="audiot servant;673048"
Probably the real achievement for the 20.7s is taking full range panel speakers to the point where there is realistically no real sense of loss or trade off compromise while they are doing the full panel magic trick of sounding completely cohesive and at times so very real.[/QUOTE]
You are right, but as good as they are, they can still benefit from a solid subwoofer(s) playing the very low frequencies.

[audiot servant]

100% with you nic, all speakers can benefit from subs even up to the biggest full range dynamic speakers hence those big qsubs for the Magico Q7. But it also needs to be balanced against how much the main speaker needs the additional hertz and how much it will ultimately be compromised by the match up.

I tried a Wilson Benesch Torus and as responsive as it is even it wasn't a complete win/win pairing when trying to keep up to the fleetfooted low mass ribbons even tho there were clearly some lovely things that it still brought to the presentation. But I was always aware of that crossover from fast ribbon bass to a carbon fibre cone sub.

Be really nice to have the choice to also run with subs occasionally based on the type of music and the mood if there wasn't the trade offs and the panels are good down to the mid 20s lower than many box designs, open baffles and horns and they certainly go completely deep enough on their own for all the music I love.

[clin36]

hi folks,

I am thinking of upgrading my Maggie MG-IIIa to 20.7. Current power amps are Audio Research Ref 250 mono.

I've also been thinking about subs ... like the new Rel T/i or S series. T/i is class AB amp, while S is class D. T/i also coming out with 'Arrow' feature allowing uncompressed and high-speed wireless connection of subs. If I use subs I would probably buy two to make integration easier.

Worry about integration still, so what do you think about the Magnepan Base Panel? Will 20.7 benefit fro base panel? 1 or 2 base panel?

Has anyone heard the 20.7 with Maggie's own base panel?

thank you for your advice!

Charles

[harri009]

I personally wouldn't do subs with 20.7's. Have you heard 20.7's yet? They have quite a bit of impact

[clin36]

hi Harri009,

No, have not heard 20.7 because no local dealer has it. Don't think I have time to fly to Colorado HQ to hear it. Have been Maggie lover since the late 80's when I bought my MG-IIIa. Few years ago I listened to 3.7i at local dealer and was very impressed.

I had been using my MG-IIIa with Accuphase C-200 preamp and an upgraded Adcom GFA-555 (added 2nd torroidal transformer, upped output cap to 108k uF and bypassed with Sidereal (now known as Musical Caps) caps.

Last year finally replaced pre- and power amps with ARC, and new Marantz 11S3 Ref SACD player. Cables all Kimber Kable Select.

Was pretty much settled on buying 20.7 without hearing it, but since I stumble upon this great forum, I figure I'll ask you guys for some guidance (or just reassurance :-)

As for Maggie Base Panels, of course, I could just buy/listen to the 20.7 first for a while, and later add the base panels if still desired. Normally that would probably be what most of us audiophile like to do anyway - try things incrementally - and to prolong the joy of continual system improvement or joy of buying more things :-)

But I figure if any of you have actual experience with integration with the Base Panel or some of the newer subs from Rel or JL Audio, I would like to incorporate that into my purchase decision so that I can start to enjoy better music sooner.

thank you
Charles

[nicoff]

Originally Posted by clin36

hi Harri009, No, have not heard 20.7 because no local dealer has it. Don't think I have time to fly to Colorado HQ to hear it. Have been Maggie lover since the late 80's when I bought my MG-IIIa. Few years ago I listened to 3.7i at local dealer and was very impressed. I had been using my MG-IIIa with Accuphase C-200 preamp and an upgraded Adcom GFA-555 (added 2nd torroidal transformer, upped output cap to 108k uF and bypassed with Sidereal (now known as Musical Caps) caps. Last year finally replaced pre- and power amps with ARC, and new Marantz 11S3 Ref SACD player. Cables all Kimber Kable Select. Was pretty much settled on buying 20.7 without hearing it, but since I stumble upon this great forum, I figure I'll ask you guys for some guidance (or just reassurance :-) As for Maggie Base Panels, of course, I could just buy/listen to the 20.7 first for a while, and later add the base panels if still desired. Normally that would probably be what most of us audiophile like to do anyway - try things incrementally - and to prolong the joy of continual system improvement or joy of buying more things :-) But I figure if any of you have actual experience with integration with the Base Panel or some of the newer subs from Rel or JL Audio, I would like to incorporate that into my purchase decision so that I can start to enjoy better music sooner. thank you Charles

I am a former owner of mg IIIa and currently own the 20.7. The 20.7 would be a huge jump in sound quality. Don't bother listening to it first; you can buy the 20.7 without hearing them; they are that good.
The 20.7 will have more and better bass than the IIIa that you have so you might try the 20.7 without subs or base panels first and then decide.
I currently have my 20.7 well integrated with JL F113 subs. The subs can add tremendous impact depending on the kind of music that you listen to.

[clin36]

Thank you, Nicoff

Did you try other subs (Rel, Maggie base panel, etc) before deciding on the JL F113?

Also started reading 'Stillpoint' forum. Wow, sounds like snake oil but also unbelievable how many of you aficionados attest to its audible benefits. Wonder if anyone with Maggie tried Stillpoint?