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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 sns

sns
3,813 posts
 
I'm in agreement with op as to in house upgrade paths. Being an inveterate modder I often can't leave things alone. There have been a number of instances in which I was able to directly contact owner/designer of said equipment to relate my experience with mods. In all cases these owners/designers felt offended that I even felt the need to improve their product. While I can empathize with their perspective of having designed and built a great product, I can't understand their unwillingness to improve it.

Now, in one case I modified an unnamed speaker with upgraded capacitors;  contacted the owner/designer with my findings, no positive response. Low and behold, a few months later those very same speakers had those capacitors in an upgraded version!
Iconoclasts at work here, many of these guys only like their own ideas. While I still modify some of my equipment, I no longer contact manufacture as I don't expect positive response.
I see so much equipment that could be improved by simple parts substitutions, resistance comes from positive reviews and sales figures of stock configuration equipment. I do see some manufacturers are beginning to grasp the idea of high quality parts such that I've  now been able to limit my purchases to equipment that doesn't need my mods.

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