SoundStage gave them a "Standout Demo"
http://www.soundstagenetwork.com/lasvegas2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=65:magnepan&catid=38:standout-demos&Itemid=37 |
They sound like 1.6's. good. Anyone saying it was a standout demo is misleading and kissing butt. |
Hey 605hifi, did you hear the 1.7s at CES or elsewhere? |
Butt kidding in high end audio! Huhm, I mean butt kissing, does that really go on? |
Jonathan Valin from "The Absolute Sound" seem to like them pretty well too. 1.7 mini review |
Thanks for the link, James63. I imagine just putting the regular 1.6s into an aluminum frame would give an improvement in sound. I used to own 1.6s five or six years ago and would be very interested in hearing the 1.7s. |
Nope, I heard them at the T.H.E. Show. Stood in line at the end of the hall and waited my turn like everyone else. Hey, they sounded good but they certainly weren't "Stand outs". I wasnt the only one who thought so either. When I left I overheard a dealer talking with his buddies saying he expected more. I am not bad mouthing them by any means. they were good, but only good in my opinion |
Reading from the Jonathan Valian's post, Chris Sommovigo liked the 1.7s as well.
Best,
iSanchez
|
After hearing them and talking with Jim Winey about the technical changes... imo they sound, well, just about like 1.6's. I heard them in the L/C/R demo (very disappointing set up in that it was convoluted in attempting to assess the 1.7 sound). Yet, attempting to hear past the center speaker and sub, there was nothing "new" about the sound other than seeming a bit tighter, more coherent.
The changes are worth about the $100 Magnepan is charging. This was a face lift to an aging speaker which will likely keep it from falling from popularity. I did not expect it to be a sea change in performance, and it wasn't. No one should think that they might abandon 3.6's or other "biggie" speakers they enjoy for it. Magneplanar is just keeping it a fresh product, but it certainly has not been transformed.
As to its absolute performance, it's just about the same as the 1.6; not going to take away any awards from the big boys, but among the best speakers offered in its price class. |
I don't think they changed the actual frame, just the trim pieces on the sides are aluminum. Peeking through the grill it appears to be the same MDF base, had magnepan gone to an all aluminum frame there is no way they could have kept the price at 2k. As a current 1.6 owner I will definitely audition them when my dealer has them in stock. I am a little disapointed that the mini maggies have not gotten much press. The one photo I have seen of them looks like they have refined the cosmetics, they look like a shrunk down version of a 1.6. |
Seems a little odd to me that it wouldn't sound "more different" from the 1.6 than some seem to be saying. I know it was a "show" room with all the attendant problems and all, and the center channel sure wouldn't help in simply evaluating the 1.7s on their own merit. But seriously...from a 2-way to a 3-way, planar to all quasi-ribbon, and supposedly significantly improved caps and other x-over parts would seem to indicate a more noticeably different sound compared to the 1.6 SHOULD be expected. I'm not necessarily saying better (although that should definitely be expected as well based on Magnepan's history), but certainly at least different. |
I agree, they would have to sound different with the 3 way quasi setup. |
A musical instrument like the 1.7's need to be evaluated in an appropriate environment and with commensurate electronics. In addition, playing crap through them at a show in a surround setup does little to convey their potential. They are QR's, 3 way with imrproved XO's and a more stable frame....Duh, of course they will sound better! Remember, a Maggie needs significant breakin time as well and should be noted when evaluating them. |
I realize speaker sound is subjective, but I found with a nice sub, and a mills resistor, the 1.6's were about as good as any of the 4k-7k speakers Ive owned. Better in some areas, worse in others. Setup isnt hard once you get the right formula, but is insanely important to get these near there best. The supplied resistors stink. Im not one to buy into costly tweaks, but the mills are in another world then the.39 cent supplied resistors.
My ONLY GRIPES on the 1.6 stock sound is that they could use a little more low end(sub) and run pretty hot in the quasi's (resistors). Otherwise incredible. If only we could get a new 2.7 version of a larger bass panel 1.7 :) |
Laterglas, I would agree with you. Just using logical thinking, the possibility of Manepan putting out a speaker that marginally surpasses a 10-year old model is highly unlikely.
What is more likely is that the speaker had good days and bad days, as is common at shows.
I worked with Jonathan Valin at Fi and know how his mind works. If he says the bass choirs remind him of the Magnepan 1-U in clarity and that was his benchmark of bass realism, to this day, then he was either high or correct. I vote for the latter. Manepan has never been the kind of company to put out incremental improvements: the adjustments are usually extremely significant. However, the electricity of any room at CES is suspect, depending on the time of day.
I trust Jonathan's assessment. The only caveat is that he likes smaller scale music and vocals, not symphonies (it would be nice if TAS used musical examples, complete with the version, as they once did) so that one could hear what they heard (system variances withstanding).
I find it exciting that a speaker can be good from 35 to around 300hz, where so much power lies. If the upper midrange is equally open, this should be a killer speaker! |
Here is a link to a longer review from Jonathan Valin of "The Absolute Sound". Magnepan 1.7 review |
The 1.7s are now mine! Muhahaha
Just got back from a 10 hour roadtrip to pick them up, still tweaking the final position, but they sound utterly fantastic!
front of the "chamber":
http://s142.photobucket.com/albums/r117/dawsonblah/?action=view¤t=front.jpg
back of the room:
http://s142.photobucket.com/albums/r117/dawsonblah/?action=view¤t=rear.jpg |
I have been living with my MG 1.7s now for two months. Shortly after purchasing the MG 1.7s, I purchased the Wyred for Sound DAC 1, a Netgear 9150 digital music center and a Polk Audio DSW MicroPRO 2000 subwoofer so some of the subjective changes in sound quality can't be pinned on any one piece of equipment. Other equipment includes a BADA MA3MK II tube hybrid preamp and MA100MK II amplifier (300 watts into 4 ohms). All wiring is Xindak ribbon speaker wire and Xindak analogue and digital cables.
The past two months have been an amazing journey with the new equipment. I replaced 5 year old MG 1.6s with the MG 1.7s (along with an original 35 year old pair of MG IIs!). As the equipment has broken in the clarity of sound is becoming nothing short of outstanding. The combo, Magnepan and Wyred 4 Sound DAC, has been a marriage made in heaven. Both seem to provide amazing clarity without sounding etched or unrealistic. I primarily listen to classical music and couldnt be happier about the sound quality. Music ebbs and flows and where orchestra crescendos used to send me to the volume control to turn it down, now explode with amazing control. It really is phenomenal.
I have always had a problem getting depth from my system. Clarity, realistic reproduction of orchestral instruments and vocals have been outstanding but all were presented within a broad right to left very narrow depth presentation. For the first time, I am getting some depth to the music. Still not what has been reported by others with Magnepans, but much better than ever before. I am still tweaking the position of the speakers to try to improve the depth but it is a work in progress.
Rock music, for the first time ever for me, sounds good through Magnepans. Always to me a weak link, I now enjoy listening to rock music through my system.
I will be visiting a gentleman who has a dedicated sound room with MBL speakers and amplifiers with analogue front end on June 19, 2010. I estimate he has between $50K and $100K into his system. I am very excited to hear what the absolute top end sound equipment can bring and to be able to compare it to my system which is based on the best deal for the dollar strategy. If we can work it out, I may bring my Magnepan 1.7s to his system at a later date to hear what a top end turntable and MBL amp/preamp can do with my speakers. Will follow up on this later.
For now, I am very happy with the quality of my system. The weakest link is likely the small Polk subwoofer; however, I must say it is amazingly good for the price I paid for it ($429.00 at Newegg with list over $1K) and very convenient with a separate remote control. |
these sounded very good for classical and jazz.
haven't heard them with pop/rock yet |
I think some mildly worked over 1.6s will beat 'stock' 1.7s hands down..... |
I cannot believe the 3d sound and the tonal definition blows away the 1.6s which I had and sold. These are unequivocally the best speakers for the money out there. In fact just got my Absolute sound , the issue which picks systems for different costs, they include the 1.7s in both their $15000 and $40,000 system NO Joking!! They have depth width height and front to back spacing unavailable in even the best loudspeakers available, I am truly in love |
Guys. I listened to them thoroughly, hooked to fm acoustic pre amp, esoteric sacd and esoteric solid state amp (80watt).. They have great details and reference quality dinamic. Especially the upper octave, they shine through various genre of musics. However, I found their bottom octave is a little compressed and metalic and edgy(a little too planar or too digital like bass sound).. However, I must admit they produce great transient and dark background, they also were very precise in producing all kind of musical instruments, they are not perfect, but for the money involved, they are wonderful and must be taken into consideration for those looking for quality speakers within the price range..cheers |
