The Magnificent Magnepan 30.7 speakers....wait, I don’t like planars!


Wendell Diller from Magnepan has been a very busy gentleman recently. Touring throughout the US, he has visited, or will visit, numerous locations to demo the new Magnepan 30.7 speakers. It takes a lot of determination and commitment to drive through the country and then to set up in the small towns and large metropolises, a speaker the size of the new 30.7.
Last night I had the very good fortune of hearing the 30.7’s for the first time...at a local high end store demo. Also, I had the pleasure of talking to Wendell and his wife about his voyage...and why he does it.
But first, the Magnepan 30.7’s are...IMHO, at the very top of a long list of planar speakers that have been brought to my attention. Having owned Maggie’s in the past along with Quads and Acoustat’s, my interest level in this type of speaker was not in any way high. Yet, here’s the thing, these new Maggie’s are not your father’s Maggie’s. Instead, we have a speaker that given the right size room ( and unfortunately this is the real determining factor...and crucial to make these work) is very near to the top of the chain in current SOTA speakers. Easily able to compete with competitors at the $100k level or above! Yet these guys are priced at $30k....which makes them by far the best $30k speakers on the planet, imho.
Anyone looking to replace a speaker with a max budget of $50k...and with the room to accommodate this speaker, needs to hear this speaker..
Unlike planars of the past, and most if not all others that are current, this model does one thing that Planars have never done before, at least that I have heard. That thing is Dynamics...and in spades. Bass control and power is on a par with some of the best large dynamic speakers on the market...along with NO discontinuity between the drivers. ( as was prevalent in the past with Maggie’s).
So, how many times have we gone into a demo with preconceived impressions based on past experience and been proven wrong....this time for me was one of those times...and for you, I suspect it will be the same thing.
If and when Wendell brings his van and his speakers to your neck of the woods, don’t miss out on a great opportunity to hear one of the worlds best speakers...at a price that will put most others to shame.

128x128daveyf
How can Wendell price these planars at $100K??  That's an impossibility given what goes into them compared to perhaps the 20.7 or other Maggies.  
@don_c55

you have an excellent point. The Snob appeal of these speakers is basically non existent.( Although for the music lover, or as JV put it...the person who is an Absolute Sound listener, the 30.7’s are truly impressive!) I asked Wendell why he didn’t price these at $100k or more, that way he would possibly accrue some snob appeal...to which he stated he is not interested in just making speakers for the wealthy!
I thought this was admirable on his part....although possibly a mistake in the marketing technique.
I’d love the chance to hear some Maggies in a well designed room, set up properly, and playing some content I’m familiar with.  I had high hopes for the demo at AXPONA but left pretty unimpressed.  

I have a feeling that was much more due to the setup and content than the speakers though.  Unfortunately it was one of the last rooms I visited before the show closed on Sunday and the Magnepan reps had already left trying to beat the snowstorm that was predicted to be heading in, leaving a rep for a cable company behind to run the room who didn’t know how to change content from the supplied loop, which was unfortunately just insipid smooth jazz. 
I doubt the 30.7 will be a big seller.

Magnepan speakers have no snob appeal, that uber expensive buyer must have! 

Is it even available for sale now, after 8 months of "trotting" around the proto-type?
@seanheis1 I think the Tekton’s would be severely outclassed...most dynamic speakers are going to have a very hard time keeping up with these Maggie’s. OTOH, I suspect the Tekton’s will work in a much greater number of rooms.
But can they compete with the latest and greatest Tekton DI? 😛 

At some point someone will have heard both. 
the whole line is true high end sound just like Vandersteen and made in America by frugal value focused designers / craftspeople
i missed the event at Stereo Unlimited but I bet it was great...and you are right they no doubt require a big A room, given that they will shine......


Mr. Diller is a one-of-a-kind hard working businessman who has progressivly and slowly made his speakers better over many years. You have had a great opportunity to meet him (and wife) since they represent what is good in America, but maybe vanishing?. Hard work, dedication, belief in one’s self and talent, determination. The list could go on. I applaud him for keeping the price down for the blue collar guy. Plus, it is a good business decision. If I could buy these speakers, I would. But my budget would only allow me the MMGs, which are very good budget speakers IMHO.