Many audiophiles have at one time or another owned Magnepan speakers. When my children were still in school, I purchased an early set of MG-3A’s and later replaced them with a pair of Tympany IV A’s which I owned for a number of years, eventually replacing them with Crosby modified Quad EL-63’s/Entec subwoofers. In retrospect, I am not sure that was the best decision which I have ever made. In the intervening years, Magnepan speakers have continued to evolve, particularly the planar magnetic elements which today are faster and much more resolving than the MG-3A’s. As a result, the transition from the planar magnetic element to the ribbon tweeter is close to seamless, as detailed below.
I am hopeful that this article will be the first of three articles on the newer Magnepan speakers, with subsequent articles comparing the $2,995 MG-1.7i per pair to the $5,000 1.7x and a separate audition of the $30,000 MG-20.7x.
Methodology
While I strongly prefer to conduct reviews in my own system, that is not always possible given that my reference speakers, namely the Acapella Audio Arts Triolon Excalibur, weigh 1000 pounds and are not easily moveable. A local dealer Timbre Audio offered to allow me use of their listening rooms and systems for purposes of the review over a number of listening sessions. Given that I had previously spent many pleasant hours at this store listening to their systems, that seemed to be a reasonable path forward.
The MG-2.7i’s were reviewed on two systems: initially a system commensurate in price to a $6,000 speaker and subsequently on a cost-no-object system. By doing this, I hoped to provide the average buyer a fair assessment but also determine what these speakers were capable of doing under ideal circumstances.
The less expensive system was built around moderately priced electronics:
Linn LP12 turntable with a Lingo 4 power supply, Kore sub chassis, Linn Krane tonearm and Linn Koil cartridge, Linn Uphorik phono stage, VTL 5.5 II preamplifier; and Linn Klimax Twin amplifier.
The more expensive system included:
Linn Klimax LP12 turntable, Radikal II power supply, Keel sub chassis, Linn Arko tonearm, Linn Ekstatik cartridge, Linn Urika phono stage, VTL 7.5 III preamplifier, and VTL S400 stereo amplifier.
Nuts and Bolts
The MG2.7i is a three-way speaker consisting of a foil bass and mid and a 40” True Ribbon Tweeter column. The 2.7i can be thought of as an MG1.7i with a True Ribbon Tweeter. In both performance and price, it nestles perfectly between the $2,995 MG1.7i and the $9,495 MG3.7i. Besides the $2,495 Mini Maggie system which is intended for desktop use, the MG2.7i is Magnepan’s smallest model with a True Ribbon Tweeter. It is designed for smaller spaces than the larger Magnepans. The Magnepan’s operation is very different from that of dynamic speakers, which has its pluses and minuses, as will be discussed below.
Many audiophiles have at one time or another owned Magnepan speakers. When my children were still in school, I purchased an early set of MG-3A’s and later replaced them with a pair of Tympany IV A’s which I owned for a number of years, eventually replacing them with Crosby modified Quad EL-63’s/Entec subwoofers. In retrospect, I am not sure that was the best decision which I have ever made. In the intervening years, Magnepan speakers have continued to evolve, particularly the planar magnetic elements which today are faster and much more resolving than the MG-3A’s. As a result, the transition from the planar magnetic element to the ribbon tweeter is close to seamless, as detailed below.
I am hopeful that this article will be the first of three articles on the newer Magnepan speakers, with subsequent articles comparing the $2,995 MG-1.7i per pair to the $5,000 1.7x and a separate audition of the $30,000 MG-20.7x.
Methodology
While I strongly prefer to conduct reviews in my own system, that is not always possible given that my reference speakers, namely the Acapella Audio Arts Triolon Excalibur, weigh 1000 pounds and are not easily moveable. A local dealer Timbre Audio offered to allow me use of their listening rooms and systems for purposes of the review over a number of listening sessions. Given that I had previously spent many pleasant hours at this store listening to their systems, that seemed to be a reasonable path forward.
The MG-2.7i’s were reviewed on two systems: initially a system commensurate in price to a $6,000 speaker and subsequently on a cost-no-object system. By doing this, I hoped to provide the average buyer a fair assessment but also determine what these speakers were capable of doing under ideal circumstances.
The less expensive system was built around moderately priced electronics:
Linn LP12 turntable with a Lingo 4 power supply, Kore sub chassis, Linn Krane tonearm and Linn Koil cartridge, Linn Uphorik phono stage, VTL 5.5 II preamplifier; and Linn Klimax Twin amplifier.
The more expensive system included:
Linn Klimax LP12 turntable, Radikal II power supply, Keel sub chassis, Linn Arko tonearm, Linn Ekstatik cartridge, Linn Urika phono stage, VTL 7.5 III preamplifier, and VTL S400 stereo amplifier.
Nuts and Bolts
The MG2.7i is a three-way speaker consisting of a foil bass and mid and a 40” True Ribbon Tweeter column. The 2.7i can be thought of as an MG1.7i with a True Ribbon Tweeter. In both performance and price, it nestles perfectly between the $2,995 MG1.7i and the $9,495 MG3.7i. Besides the $2,495 Mini Maggie system which is intended for desktop use, the MG2.7i is Magnepan’s smallest model with a True Ribbon Tweeter. It is designed for smaller spaces than the larger Magnepans. The Magnepan’s operation is very different from that of dynamic speakers, which has its pluses and minuses, as will be discussed below.