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 1 response by orgillian197

I own a pair of MG-1.5/QRs that I bought from the original owner 6 years ago that were in immaculate condition. I regularly am amazed at sounds I hear coming from albums I’ve heard numerous times before but suddenly there’s a previously unheard before guitar here, or a keyboard there - in other words they expose information other speakers don’t.

That said, imagine you run a speaker company and for whatever reason, the demand for your product(s) exceeds your ability to manufacture them as quickly as your customers would like. Unless you’re unprofitable, it’s doubtful you would consider any changes other than ones that might speed up the building process without effecting your quality standards.

While I understand and certainly support those offering advice and tweaks to make a good speaker even better, from a business standpoint, you have to consider how would incorporating additional steps, parts etc make more $$ without creating more stress on the existing manufacturing process?

As consumers, we can reach for higher levels of quality, remaining within our own levels of cost vs results. A successful business often runs by the "if it isn’t broken, don’t try to fix it" policy unless something cataclysmic occurs that forces change. I suspect that’s what’s at play here with the occasional let's try a new product and see how it sells campaign.