Magnepan 3.7

I live about 15 minutes from Gifted Listener in Centreville Va which is outside DC more mid-Atlantic than southeast.
Tom Unger the owner has carried Maggie's for years and as of two weeks ago he had his floor 20.1s still. He had them on sale when I was there and he has the 3.7 and 1.7 with system driven by nice Ayre gear

Tom is a very nice guy and his store is where the 20.7 reviewer bought his 20.1s

Mike

I finally got to hear the 3.7s and have to say, after hearing Wilson's and Avalons In the last month, when it comes to low level resolution at least, the Maggie Ribbon kills both. Of course just one man's opinion.

Listening to Diana Kralls "look of love" cd, track 5 "cry me a river" you hear the pressure of the drummer's brushes change as it swirls around snare and call follow the circular motion.

For 5500 I think they are an audio steal and always sound musical. So much so I am finally going to upgrade my bi-amped, MGIIIAs. Will likely add at least one JL Audio sub to replace my current old velodynes because let's be honest the Maggie's will only go so low and if you want true low bass a sub is needed. Since I can not bi-amp the 3.7s i may used the Marchand I have to set up 3 different bass crossover points and slopes.

I haven't heard the 20.7 yet but 3.7s with twin subs is going to be hard to beat by the 20.7 which will cost more by itself than the 3.7/subs combo

Also, perhaps I am lucky but I have never experienced delamination on the IIIAs and I am the original owner and have had them over 20 years.
With my original MGIIBs they has warnings about not having them in direct sunlight but again never experience it with the MGIIIAs

Mike

Browns fan,
Thanks, I actually have been using anti able jumpers for a few years on my MGIIIAS but may try the audio magic since you have experience with both.

When I sold them I kept the anti able jumpers :-)

Still debating the Mye stands. My buddy does custom home set ups and has acoustic panels I can try along with a computer program to help tame the room.

Haven't looked forward to set up adjustments for a while so this will be fun

Take care,
Mike

I also listened to to 20.1 but am buying the 3.7 although I may wait to hear the 20.7 or insist on full trade in.

The 20.1 will go deeper but using subs with 3.7 takes away any advantage in that area acknowledging that sub choice ans set up are critical.
Sound stage is slightly larger but seems to me at least some of that is little bigger physical size.

To my ear even the 20.1 has that "I can hear the crossover point and mild grain" between ribbon and midrange. I can and have lived with it since I had owned Maggies for over 25 years, but this is virtually absent in the 3.7 so while the 20.7 might beat the 3.7 I will take the 3.7s with a pair of JL Audio F 112s over the 20.1 and that set up is almost 11k and I can have the dealers demo 20.1 for that

I appreciate opinions will differ but n this guys opinion, the ".7 series" eliminates a flaw I have always heard in Maggie ribbon/mid coherency and for that alone I am buying 3.7 and passing and passed on 20.1

Mike

My 3.7s arrived and must say an improvement over my old bi-amped MGIIIas. The tweeter no longer seems so distinct from the total speaker if that makes any sense. Need some time for the to break I and still want to swap my old Velodynes subs for a pair of JL Audio F112s. Regardless it is a wonderful speaker right out of the box.

Down side is I am already starting to want to hear the 20.7s but will wait a couple months. Magnepan wants you to come to MN to audition and depending on what the 3.7s sound like after break in and new subs, I may take them up on that. This will likely be my last speakers but 20.7s with the 2 subs is close to 20k.

I knew getting the "upgrade bug" again might get expensive :-)