Magnepan 30.7 For Condo's at Quintessence Audio in Chicago: TitaniumTroy version

[TitaniumTroy]

https://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/vt.mpl?f=mug&m=240126
Feel free to answer any questions you want about the Magnepan 30.7 for Condo's and I will answer in this forum.
I was really impressed by what I heard, I like them better than the 30.7's in fact.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

How about pix?

 

[josh358]

Troy posted some pix on the Planar Asylum -- there are also some pictures on Six Moons:

https://6moons.com/industry_articles/magnepan-winter-tour/

And some video here:

 

[TitaniumTroy]

More

 

[Ron Resnick]

Very interesting that Magnepan is using a small dynamic driver tower in this design!

 

[josh358]

It's quite a departure, isn't it? The challenge was to equal the naturalism of planar bass with dynamic drivers and from what I heard, they've pulled it off.

 

[Ron Resnick]

As far as I understand Wendell has been so dogmatically against dynamic driver cone bass for so long I wonder if this development opens the psychological and design doors to other very interesting product possibilities, such as woofer tower options for full-size models.

 

[jeff1225]

What is their obsession with putting speakers behind curtains?

 

[josh358]

As far as I understand Wendell has been so dogmatically against dynamic driver cone bass for so long I wonder if this development opens the psychological and design doors to other very interesting product possibilities, such as woofer tower options for full-size models.

Yep, he says he's never heard a hybrid that had the realism of planar bass. I think what changed here was the technology. A sealed or ported woofer has an omnidirectional radiation pattern and excites more room modes than a dipole.

A dynamic dipole woofer doesn't suffer from these issues, but there were still quite a few challenges to solve. DSP solved the problem of dipole equalization, and they were able to develop a configuration that's both compact and blends well with the planar panels, but it took a lot to get there, something like two years of experimentation with designs, drivers, etc.

I think your comment about psychology is astute, though Magnepan's concern here was with customers, dealers, and the press! According to Wendell, hybrids have a bad name and there was resistance to a Magnepan hybrid. He concluded that an incremental approach was best -- rather than developing a hybrid using this technology, they would develop an active dynamic dipole woofer that could be used not only with the 30.7 mid-tweet panels and midbass coupler, but with other planars in their line and that was small enough to be hidden behind furniture or a couch. Hybrids and larger woofers could be developed later if this incremental concept gained traction.

I'd love to see a larger dipole woofer with greater extension and enough output for large spaces. I've read that this woofer has extension down to 10 Hz., but it isn't flat to 20, though I imagine you could stack them for use in a larger room. (Really, I think they should also offer a sealed Magnepan sub for those who listen primarily to rock and prefer slam to accuracy, but it's hard to convince Wendell of that, since their focus is on naturalism -- and, really, there are quite a few excellent subs now for those who want to go that route.)

Meanwhile, someone who wants more bass extension in a dipole could buy the GR dipole drivers and plate amps, though those are still a DIY product in that you have to make the baffle yourself.

Anyway, they're dipping the toes in the water here and if the concept is accepted, I think we'll see more variations.

 

[josh358]

What is their obsession with putting speakers behind curtains?

Heh, I asked Wendell about that and he said what's to look at? It's a lab prototype that's draped in black cloth and has boxes hanging off the rear. He said that people would have an opportunity to look after the presentation.

 

[jeff1225]

Heh, I asked Wendell about that and he said what's to look at? It's a lab prototype that's draped in black cloth and has boxes hanging off the rear. He said that people would have an opportunity to look after the presentation.

They do this at every show as well. It's odd and takes away from the presentation, literally placing a sonic barrier between the system and the listener.

 

[josh358]

Guess he likes doing that. I think he may be trying to keep visual cues from interfering with the audio experience. Or maybe he just wants everything to be a surprise.

When I heard the 30.7's and the LRS, there was nothing in the way (it would be kind of hard to hide 30.7's . . . )

 

[Kal Rubinson]

They do this at every show as well. It's odd and takes away from the presentation, literally placing a sonic barrier between the system and the listener.

Guess he likes doing that. I think he may be trying to keep visual cues from interfering with the audio experience. Or maybe he just wants everything to be a surprise.

Perhaps but, even if it is measurably transparent to audio, the presence of the curtain likely influences our perception of the sound.

 

[microstrip]

What is their obsession with putting speakers behind curtains?

They probably liked the SME listening room - the very modified ESL63 speakers and power amplifiers were hidden behind an acoustically transparent curtain.

 

[josh358]

Perhaps but, even if it is measurably transparent to audio, the presence of the curtain likely influences our perception of the sound.

I suspect you're right. I do know that Wendell likes to listen with the lights out when evaluating equipment, but the effect of that would I suspect be different than the effect of seeing a visible scrim.

 

[josh358]

They probably liked the SME listening room - the very modified ESL63 speakers and power amplifiers were hidden behind an acoustically transparent curtain. View attachment 59929

The most realistic reproduction of Liberace I've ever heard.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I suspect you're right. I do know that Wendell likes to listen with the lights out when evaluating equipment, but the effect of that would I suspect be different than the effect of seeing a visible scrim.

Agreed. The more we perceive, the more we can be biased.