Can Magnepan survive Wendell Diller?


I bought my first set of Magnepans in 1976, and I currently have a pair of 1.7i's.

It is difficult for me to upgrade to the 3.7i's because their are so many things that the company can do to improve their product that they simply won't offer; upgraded crossover components, a solid wood/rigid frames and better stands are examples.

Other companies are now doing this, but Magnepan always says Wendell doesn't think that is a good idea.

Can a man who suggests using lamp cord for his speaker line really have that much control over an otherwise unique technological approach to speaker design? I must be missing something obvious when a product is hand assembled in MN and any of these upgrades would, in my mind, warrant factory upgrades. Who wouldn't spend an extra $1k for a 1.7i with a hardwood frame and an upgraded x-over? Adding a ribbon tweeter to the 1.7i would warrant an additional $1k, still bringing them in $2k under the 3.7i.

Is it common for one person to hold an entire company back in high end audio? 
william53b

Showing 2 responses by ironlung

He does not design anything at Magnepan.
This is false, Wendell does not take credit for designing anything at Magnepan but he is intimately involved with the design regardless.

It sounds to me like the OP would rather obsess over the shortcomings of someone who has worked tirelessly to promote what is a highly niche product that very few individuals I have met are even willing to consider taking the proper approach to implementing in the first place, than to realize that it's a miracle a brand like Magnepan is even still around given the plethora of available loudspeaker technologies out there.

Obsessing over things like why the crossover parts aren't different/better is just another reason why Magnepan has failed to reach a broader market. The product attracts hobbyists and tweakers who think they can take a $2,000 retail speaker and improve upon it instead of just looking at a better approach to their HiFi in the first place.

The issue with Magnepan isn't Wendell, it's Magnepan. Most affluent consumers of HiFi simply aren't interested in a speaker that looks like an obelisk from Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, requires a Hoover Dam to run properly, and need to be six feet away from a wall to sound any good in most rooms. The few that are, are few and far between.

If anything Wendell is the lifeblood that has kept that corner of the HiFi world alive and if you appreciate it (I certainly do) one might realize just how wacky one has to be to consider purchasing a system given the profile I've outlined above. I'm quite surprised they even sold 50 pairs of 30.7's if that is to be believed.
Of course you can bitch about whatever you want. It just looks ridiculous on the face of it, bitching about Wendell not offering mods or whatever when the guy is a saint compared to just about any other sleaze ball sales douchebag in this industry. I think personally attacking someone like Wendell over something so inherently mentally ill, says a lot about your perception of what people should be doing to somehow make you happy.