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  • Opinions sought of Magnepan 20.7

    From Ed Presson@21:1/5 to All on Tue Aug 8 15:24:51 2023
    I am considering buying a used Magneplanar 20.7. My brief audition in a smallish room didn't provide
    the wide sound stage that reviews describe. I read that they need lots of power. I have Bryston 4B amps
    which can deliver, I'm told, lots of current.

    I'd appreciate any comments from folks with experience with these, and any advice you can offer.

    Ed Presson

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  • From Peter Wieck@21:1/5 to All on Thu Aug 10 03:40:55 2023
    I keep a vintage pair of MG-IIIs, which are the much older brother of the 20.7, approximately the same size, approximately the same frequency response, approximately the same impedance

    Year: 1987
    3-Way Combination
    TR tweeter : ¼″×57″
    midrange : 170in²
    woofer : 620in²

    Frequency Response: 32Hz-40kHz ±3dB

    Crossover: EXT: Low-Pass 18dB/octave @ 300Hz
    High-Pass 12dB/octave @ 500Hz
    INT: 3kHz

    75-200Wrms @8Ω

    85dB/2.83v/m @500Hz
    4Ω

    24″ × 71″
    130.lbs

    Your Bryston amps are ideal high-power amps, which will deliver 500 watts to the 20.7 4Ω load.

    Yes, they need space. Presently mine are in a 16' x 27' x 9.5' foot room, which is just adequate for them to shine. A bit wider on the short dimension would be better. These speakers want space and can deliver a very wide, but detailed soundstage. They
    are incredibly transparent - they truly disappear behind the music they deliver. Their single weakness, if that is what it is, is their frequency response - which seems to have been addressed in the 20.7. I see no downside in that option if you have the
    room for them. One bit of advice: Throw out the "Speakers must go this way" book, and experiment with placement, Bipolar speakers lend themselves to different options depending on their surroundings. Just try multiple options, you may be pleasantly
    surprised.

    http://www.integracoustics.com/MUG/MUG/articles/speakers.html

    Enjoy!

    Peter Wieck
    Melrose Park, PA

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  • From Ed Presson@21:1/5 to All on Sat Aug 12 20:15:49 2023
    Mr. Wieck,

    I tried to reply directly to you, but I missed-directed my reply, so I'll
    try again.

    Thank you for an informative and helpful replay. I'm especially interested
    in your reply that your large room is "just adequate for them to shine." My new room (actually an artist's studio) will be about 25' x 32' x 9.5' and I
    am concerned that the 20.7s might not be able to work well there; that is,
    that they many not produce adequate sound levels in such a large room. Your opinion here would help.

    The room in which I heard these Magnepan speakers was smaller than many bedrooms and the 20.7s did not throw the wide soundstage that expected. It
    did render the sections of orchestra music with great fidelity, though. So,
    I really did not get a chance to hear them at their best.

    Thanks again,
    Ed Presson

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  • From Peter Wieck@21:1/5 to All on Mon Aug 14 03:35:54 2023
    My new room (actually an artist's studio) will be about 25' x 32' x 9.5' and I
    am concerned that the 20.7s might not be able to work well there; that is, that they many not produce adequate sound levels in such a large room. Your opinion here would help.

    I will break a rule given the very nearly perfect (for Maggies) proportions of the room you mention. For a start, put them first on the short wall, about 12 feet apart, very slightly asymmetrically, say, starting at 4 feet from one wall, and 8 feet
    from the other. Vary that a bit until you like the soundstage. They *might* want to be a bit closer together, but with the Bryston feeding them, likely not.

    Put another way, they should be fine in that room. However, it is big enough that they might not like being on the long wall, and certainly not symmetrically on the long wall.

    Peter Wieck
    Melrose Park, PA

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