Magnepan 1.7i - Floorstanding Planar Magnetic Speaker (Pair)
After a 12-year history, reaching a near-iconic standing, the Magneplanar 1.6 has been improved with value engineering. No costly tweaks of questionable sonic value. Magnepan is all about better ideas which give verifiable, high-value sonic improvements.
The 1.7 is a departure from Magnepan's 41-year history of using planar magnetic drivers for the bass or lower midrange. The use of quasi ribbon technology down into the lower midrange and bass will provide a new level of coherence.
What is a quasi-ribbon? The quasi ribbon driver is a deviation from the true ribbon design. A very thin film backing is used to hold the delicate ribbons in place. One of the advantages of quasi ribbon drivers is extremely wide frequency band width and high power handling. The result in the 1.7 is low distortion and seamless ribbon clarity--a sound so clear and effortless that it has changed the thinking of thousands of audiophiles about planar speakers. The 1.7 also boasts a quasi ribbon super tweeter with a wider "sweet spot," and one step closer to the delicacy and detail of Magnepan's true ribbon design.
The 1.7 was subjected to "blind testing" by a panel of audiophiles and casual listeners. In addition to better sound, there is one more important improvement that you can test for yourself. If you have the opportunity to hear the 1.7s at your local dealer, try this experiment---Ask the dealer to place the speakers with the tweeters on the outside. Note how the imaging remains remarkably stable when seated far off-axis. With some speakers it is necessary to sit in the "sweet spot" for good imaging. If you are too far out of the sweet spot, you will hear predominately one speaker.With the tweeters on the outside, the 1.7 has the widest sweet spot of any of any previous Maggies. If you prefer to sit only in the "sweet spot", try the tweeters on the inside.
Whether the tweeter is on the inside or outside, the tweeter should not be closer to the listener than the bass section. Measuring from your seated position, if the bass panel is 10 feet, 6 inches, the tweeter should be at least 10 feet, 7 inches (think in distance, not angles).
What is a ribbon speaker?
Ribbon and electrostatic speakers are elegant and simple. The air is moved and sound waves are created by moving an ultra-light film or aluminum ribbon. Ultra-low mass enables the ribbon to respond quickly to the electrical signal from the amplifier. What you hear is higher definition. For a more detailed explanation see Magneplanar technology
Specifications
| Description | 3-Way, Full-Range, Quasi-Ribbon |
| Freq. Resp. | 40-24 kHz |
| Rec Power | Read Frequently Asked Questions |
| Sensitivity | 86dB/500Hz /2.83v |
| Impedance | 4 Ohm |
| Dimensions | 19 x 65 x 2 |
Options
- Finish (Wood) Natural or black solid oak, dark cherry / (Aluminum) Silver or black.
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Fabric options Off-white / Black / Dark grey
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