New 20.7’s

[tdotson41]

This is my second pair of 20.7’s in less then 2 years. I sold my first pair a year ago, reason being I wanted a different finish. I’ve had my new pair for a little over a month now and I honestly think the 20.7’s are the best bargain hi-end speaker on the market. My local dealer had me on the cusp of ordering a pair of Vandersteen K?nto’s and I must say they are a great speaker. But to my ears a properly setup pair of 20.7’s beat them at half the price. Again I’m not saying anything bad about the K?nto’s, I just feel for realism and natural sounding of instruments and voices, the 20.7’s won it for me. Now I have a treated room and have ordered new fuses and stands which I believe will further improve this great speaker. I’m driving them with the stereo version of the VTL Seigfried amplifier (S-400), VTL TL-7.5lll preamp, Linn Klimax DS and a Pro-Ject Carbon RPM 10 turntable. The realism is spectacular and the soundstage is wide and deep. Bad recordings are simply that bad recording. I find that this setup is a truth teller when it comes to that. No additives just straight music. If you don’t have the room or the coin for Magepan’s 30.7’s you won’t be disappointed with the 20.7’s. I’m truly in music heaven with all my favorite jazz musicians past and present. ‘Life is so much better with Music

 

[Alpinist]

This is my second pair of 20.7’s in less then 2 years. I sold my first pair a year ago, reason being I wanted a different finish. I’ve had my new pair for a little over a month now and I honestly think the 20.7’s are the best bargain hi-end speaker on the market. My local dealer had me on the cusp of ordering a pair of Vandersteen K?nto’s and I must say they are a great speaker. But to my ears a properly setup pair of 20.7’s beat them at half the price. Again I’m not saying anything bad about the K?nto’s, I just feel for realism and natural sounding of instruments and voices, the 20.7’s won it for me. Now I have a treated room and have ordered new fuses and stands which I believe will further improve this great speaker. I’m driving them with the stereo version of the VTL Seigfried amplifier (S-400), VTL TL-7.5lll preamp, Linn Klimax DS and a Pro-Ject Carbon RPM 10 turntable. The realism is spectacular and the soundstage is wide and deep. Bad recordings are simply that bad recording. I find that this setup is a truth teller when it comes to that. No additives just straight music. If you don’t have the room or the coin for Magepan’s 30.7’s you won’t be disappointed with the 20.7’s. I’m truly in music heaven with all my favorite jazz musicians past and present. ‘Life is so much better with Music

Congrats on your new pair of Magnepan 20.7’s. I too have always felt they were the best deal in high-end audio. I have listened to both the 20.7’s and 30.7’s many times and I greatly prefer the 20.7’s due to their superior cohesiveness.

Ken

 

[LL21]

Congrats...I believe reviewer Jacob Heilbrunn owned the 20.1s as his reference speakers for 10 years, at one point writing something to the effect of he defied anyone to find a reference speaker costing up to 4x more that would performance significantly better.

 

[Hi-FiGuy]

what finish did you get, tell me Rossa Corsa red aluminum with black socks

 

[tdotson41]

what finish did you get, tell me Rossa Corsa red aluminum with black socks

No I got the black aluminum or black. I wanted something a little more subtle

 

[cfgardei1]

This is my second pair of 20.7’s in less then 2 years. I sold my first pair a year ago, reason being I wanted a different finish. I’ve had my new pair for a little over a month now and I honestly think the 20.7’s are the best bargain hi-end speaker on the market. My local dealer had me on the cusp of ordering a pair of Vandersteen K?nto’s and I must say they are a great speaker. But to my ears a properly setup pair of 20.7’s beat them at half the price. Again I’m not saying anything bad about the K?nto’s, I just feel for realism and natural sounding of instruments and voices, the 20.7’s won it for me. Now I have a treated room and have ordered new fuses and stands which I believe will further improve this great speaker. I’m driving them with the stereo version of the VTL Seigfried amplifier (S-400), VTL TL-7.5lll preamp, Linn Klimax DS and a Pro-Ject Carbon RPM 10 turntable. The realism is spectacular and the soundstage is wide and deep. Bad recordings are simply that bad recording. I find that this setup is a truth teller when it comes to that. No additives just straight music. If you don’t have the room or the coin for Magepan’s 30.7’s you won’t be disappointed with the 20.7’s. I’m truly in music heaven with all my favorite jazz musicians past and present. ‘Life is so much better with Music

Interesting about the Kentos - I auditioned them on the same day I auditioned my 3.7i's - there is simply no comparison: the kentos sound like a decent speaker-in-a-box, which is what they are.

 

[cfgardei1]

Hello! Been a LONG time since I've been on here - hope you are doing well.

 

[Hi-FiGuy]

No I got the black aluminum or black. I wanted something a little more subtle

My room is greys and whites on purpose so when I get my Rossa Corsa with black socks it will pop.
Do you still have them?

 

[tdotson41]

Interesting about the Kentos - I auditioned them on the same day I auditioned my 3.7i's - there is simply no comparison: the kentos sound like a decent speaker-in-a-box, which is what they are.

Hello! Been a LONG time since I've been on here - hope you are doing well.

Doing well, how about you?

 

[tdotson41]

My room is greys and whites on purpose so when I get my Rossa Corsa with black socks it will pop.
Do you still have them?

Yes I still have mine. I couldn’t imagine going to another speaker unless I won the lottery

 

[cfgardei1]

Glad to hear it... I am (doing well) also. You mentioned "unless I won the lottery". Well: I've heard my "lottery" speakers. A friend of mine recently bought some 30.1s and I spent a few mesmerizing hours with them. IF I won the lottery, they would be in my new house...

 

[cfgardei1]

Oops - I have a new "lottery" speaker... and it's NOT a maggie! My business partner just got Legacy Audio's Valor speakers with the Wavelet II. Finally someone made a speaker that sounds incredible AND plays loudly!

 

[LL21]

Interesting...would be interested to read more of your listening notes. Did some quick reading on them...quite a lot of bass cone surface area, reflected in the 12hz flat response profile. Something like 2 AMT tweeters, 1 x 1.5" midrange cones and then something like 7 other mid woofer, woofer and sub-woofer cones. How do you compare them to other speakers like the 20.7s for example?

 

[cfgardei1]

Here's the best quick answer I can muster: "apples and oranges".

To me, 20.7s are just larger 3.7i's: same exact tweeter and same (I believe) mid and upper-mid drivers. I auditioned them AFTER I had bought my 3.7i's, which I had recently upgraded from my first Magnepan purchase in over 20 years: 1.7i's. My 3.7i's with a (true) sub are more rewarding and sound better (to me) than 20.7's; I had, in fact, planned to upgrade my 3.7's to 20.7's prior to adding a sub AND a Maggie bass panel to my 3.7i's.

That being said: 3.7i's AND/OR 20.7's are the best sounding speakers on the planet for under $50,000, except for 30.7's (and ALL sound better than most dynamic speakers at ANY price! BTW: I HAVE heard the Wilson Wamms, a few years ago. In some respects, they sound better; in some: not as good. For example: they pin-point image better, but their soundstage is smaller).

The only downsides I can think of to Maggies are 1) possible placement and/or aesthetics; 2) lack of low bass; 3) non-existent sub-bass; and 4) inability to play loudly. At my home, I also 5) had to make removable "Maggie covers" (leatherette and velcro) to keep them from become the world's most expensive scratching post for my cats.

Upgrading to the 30.7s offers even better sound (if "better" means closer to live music), but placement is even more problematic (placing 4 columns, instead of 2) and they STILL won't play loudly. If you want to reproduce a Tool concert, for example, look elsewhere. (If you haven't read my blogs, I have two separate systems: a "good" one (3.7i's) and a "loud" one ((Klipsch Jubilees having just (this week) replaced LaScala's))

I'm NOT made of money: I now wish (having heard the Legacy's) that I hadn't invested in the Jubilee's, because the Legacy's sound almost as good as the Maggies and play almost as loudly as the Jubilees. I could have one system that does it all...

But, walking down to the basement to hear System of a Down on the klipsch's is not THAT high of a price to pay...

 

[limniscate]

Here's the best quick answer I can muster: "apples and oranges".

To me, 20.7s are just larger 3.7i's: same exact tweeter and same (I believe) mid and upper-mid drivers. I auditioned them AFTER I had bought my 3.7i's, which I had recently upgraded from my first Magnepan purchase in over 20 years: 1.7i's. My 3.7i's with a (true) sub are more rewarding and sound better (to me) than 20.7's; I had, in fact, planned to upgrade my 3.7's to 20.7's prior to adding a sub AND a Maggie bass panel to my 3.7i's.

That being said: 3.7i's AND/OR 20.7's are the best sounding speakers on the planet for under $50,000, except for 30.7's (and ALL sound better than most dynamic speakers at ANY price! BTW: I HAVE heard the Wilson Wamms, a few years ago. In some respects, they sound better; in some: not as good. For example: they pin-point image better, but their soundstage is smaller).

The only downsides I can think of to Maggies are 1) possible placement and/or aesthetics; 2) lack of low bass; 3) non-existent sub-bass; and 4) inability to play loudly. At my home, I also 5) had to make removable "Maggie covers" (leatherette and velcro) to keep them from become the world's most expensive scratching post for my cats.

Upgrading to the 30.7s offers even better sound (if "better" means closer to live music), but placement is even more problematic (placing 4 columns, instead of 2) and they STILL won't play loudly. If you want to reproduce a Tool concert, for example, look elsewhere. (If you haven't read my blogs, I have two separate systems: a "good" one (3.7i's) and a "loud" one ((Klipsch Jubilees having just (this week) replaced LaScala's))

I'm NOT made of money: I now wish (having heard the Legacy's) that I hadn't invested in the Jubilee's, because the Legacy's sound almost as good as the Maggies and play almost as loudly as the Jubilees. I could have one system that does it all...

But, walking down to the basement to hear System of a Down on the klipsch's is not THAT high of a price to pay...

I think the mid drivers have half the mass on the 20.7 versus the 3.7i, so they're not the same.

 

[Audiohertz2]

I do agree 3.7 with multiple subs beat 20.7, but 20.7 with multiple subs beat 3.7 with multiple subs .


Regards

 

[cfgardei1]

Possibly - perhaps "probably". Though I wouldn't risk too much money on a double-blind challenge to tell which is which...

 

[limniscate]

I do agree 3.7 with multiple subs beat 20.7, but 20.7 with multiple subs beat 3.7 with multiple subs .


Regards

No way, the mids sound way better on the 20.7. I've owned both.

 

[stewart0722]

Here's the best quick answer I can muster: "apples and oranges".

To me, 20.7s are just larger 3.7i's: same exact tweeter and same (I believe) mid and upper-mid drivers. I auditioned them AFTER I had bought my 3.7i's, which I had recently upgraded from my first Magnepan purchase in over 20 years: 1.7i's. My 3.7i's with a (true) sub are more rewarding and sound better (to me) than 20.7's; I had, in fact, planned to upgrade my 3.7's to 20.7's prior to adding a sub AND a Maggie bass panel to my 3.7i's.

That being said: 3.7i's AND/OR 20.7's are the best sounding speakers on the planet for under $50,000, except for 30.7's (and ALL sound better than most dynamic speakers at ANY price! BTW: I HAVE heard the Wilson Wamms, a few years ago. In some respects, they sound better; in some: not as good. For example: they pin-point image better, but their soundstage is smaller).

The only downsides I can think of to Maggies are 1) possible placement and/or aesthetics; 2) lack of low bass; 3) non-existent sub-bass; and 4) inability to play loudly. At my home, I also 5) had to make removable "Maggie covers" (leatherette and velcro) to keep them from become the world's most expensive scratching post for my cats.

Upgrading to the 30.7s offers even better sound (if "better" means closer to live music), but placement is even more problematic (placing 4 columns, instead of 2) and they STILL won't play loudly. If you want to reproduce a Tool concert, for example, look elsewhere. (If you haven't read my blogs, I have two separate systems: a "good" one (3.7i's) and a "loud" one ((Klipsch Jubilees having just (this week) replaced LaScala's))

I'm NOT made of money: I now wish (having heard the Legacy's) that I hadn't invested in the Jubilee's, because the Legacy's sound almost as good as the Maggies and play almost as loudly as the Jubilees. I could have one system that does it all...

But, walking down to the basement to hear System of a Down on the klipsch's is not THAT high of a price to pay...

You are generally correct about the tweeter being identical. Everything else you state here is false, there are dramatic differences in the mid
and bass panels with the 20.7, the structure is stiffer, the magnets are much different and the mass is less than half. The crossovers are also dramatically different.

 

[cfgardei1]

I did not know that (mid and bass panel differences).

All of my previous posts are about to become "moot", however, as my "loud" system (along with a severe "lack of self-discipline" with the volume control!) has exacerbated my tinnitus! As such, I have decided that the Maggies' PRIMARY "downside" (the inability to play insanely-loudly) is not necessarily a "downside", after all...

I am having a new home designed and 30.7s are planned for the centerpiece of the new home: the A/V room.