Magnepan20.7usedMagnepan 20.7These are a pair of used, in mint condition, Magnepan 20.7 in black Ash wood trim with black fabric grilles in a Widescreen Review reference system with about 200 hours on them. Sensitivity 86 dB, ...10500.00

Magnepan 20.7

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9/10
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Ships fromMurrieta, CA, 92562
Ships toUnited States
Package dimensionsunspecified
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Original accessoriesManual
AverageResearch Pricing

These are a pair of used, in mint condition, Magnepan 20.7 in black Ash wood trim with black fabric grilles in a Widescreen Review reference system with about 200 hours on them. Sensitivity 86 dB, 500 Hz, 1 meter, 2.83V. Impedance Nominal 4 Ohms, Dimensions 29 W x 79 H x 2 1/2 D inches. Weight approximately 310 lbs. Will deliver free in Southern California. Priced new $14,500 (soon to be increased).

Jonathon Valin, of the Absolute Sound magazine, is known as a demanding reviewer of super-expensive speakers. He said in his blog about the Magnepan 20.7s:

"The listeners for whom the 20.7s are ideal for whom Magneplanars have always been ideal are absolute sound types. This Maggies magical ability to transport you to a different space and time and to there realistically recreate (with lifelike scope and size) the sound of actual acoustic instruments is extraordinary and, of course, the very definition of the absolute sound. Indeed, the 20.7s come as close to achieving Harry Pearsons goal of reproducing the sound of real instruments in real space as any speaker I've heard. I love 'em, but then I've loved and owned more Magneplanar speakers than those from any other manufacturer. If the sound absolute is what you crave (and you can live with the 20.7s sundry demands and peculiarities), Magnepans new flagships earn my highest and warmest recommendation. It almost goes without saying (since these are Maggies), but the 20.7s are also incredibly good values."

As a stereo pair, the Magnepan 20.7s’ soundstage reproduction is exceptionally capable of lifelike scale and realism with the extension of deep, natural, flat amplitude, low-frequency extension and power down to 25 Hz in-room response! Spending time to position the dipolar 20.7s is well worth it, as the result attained is a soundstage emitting a continuous, cohesive image from left to right, with exceptional depth perception and image size proportional to the soundscape being reproduced. This trans- lates to an ambient-realistic “you are there” sonic presence with superb recordings. 

Another factor that contributes to Magnepan’s “real life” sound quality is the design of the Magneplanar 0.0005-inch-thick Mylar diaphragm. The diaphragm in the Magneplanar 20.7 is bonded to a current-carrying, evenly-spaced, quasi-ribbon grid. The drivers are purely resistive since they are like a straight wire. When an amplified signal is applied to the conductors, the current travels through the grid and reacts to and is “driven” by a vertical array of permanent bar magnets located on an acoustically transparent perforated sheet-metal screen located behind the diaphragm. The result- ant electrical forces react with the magnetic field to move the Mylar film sheet, which projects sound as a dipole. This approach relies on the same concept as a voice coil-driven cone driver, but in a Magneplanar loudspeaker the “voice coils” are attached (glued) directly to the radiating surface. Conventional loudspeaker drivers are “driven” from the center or edge by a voice coil, so the surface of the driver is free to deform and flex its shape as it makes sound, result- ing in cone breakup. In the Magneplanar design, the woofer, midrange, and tweeter’s entire surface area remains under full control by the amplified signal being reproduced. The force of the signal is distributed over the entire diaphragm so that it all moves at the same time. Because the surface area does not change shape, there is no cone or diaphragm breakup, and the integrity of the signal is preserved. 

High mass is one of the main causes of sonic degradation in conventional loudspeakers. Unlike most loudspeaker diaphragms, a Magneplanar is closer to the ideal theoretical driver––massless and suspended in free air. The mass of a Magneplanar diaphragm is ultra low and not contained. The rear sound wave is not restricted and radiates freely into space. Because the loudspeakers are open on both sides, the membrane radiates equally, yet out of phase from the front and the rear in a dipolar radiation pattern. The box-free design eliminates resonance and the colorations introduced by typical loud- speaker enclosures. Unlike conventional dynamic drivers that are required to be stiff and low-mass weighted to accurately follow the electrical signal, thin-film/ribbon and electrostatic loudspeakers are not burdened with the mutually exclusive challenge of achieving zero mass and infinite stiffness. This results in amazing speed, due to the near weightlessness of the Mylar that is moved back and forth to produce sound, and a greater wave launch due to the large radiating surface made possible by a Mylar film with ultra-low mass. As well, linearity, continuity, coherence, and control is better attained with this technology. 

The ribbon, or thin film, is driven over its entire area. The aluminum foil ribbon is suspended in a magnetic gap. Stiffness is irrelevant, so the designer can focus on low mass to enable the drivers to match the light speed movement of electrons from an amplifier. Because Magneplanar drivers are ultra-low mass, thin-film designs, they are as close to zero mass as is physically possible. The most subtle, nuanced signal from the amplifier will cause the low-mass rib- bon to respond and resolve nuances that other loudspeakers obscure. The Magneplanar true ribbon element used in the 20.7 is one-tenth the thickness of a human hair. It is so light that when a piece of it is dropped from a height of six feet it takes an average of five seconds for it to reach the floor. With such fragility, only by driving the transducer over its entire area can materi- als of such low mass be used. 

Magnepan’s patented direct-coupled true ribbon tweeter is world renown amongst audiophile reviewers for being one of the best, if not the best, in the world. The five-foot tall tweeter is designed to radiate 360 degrees and operate as a dipole driver. 

In the Magnepan 20.7, the resulting blend of true ribbon and quasi-ribbon panels is impressive, especially in midband resolution. The true ribbon in the 20.7 extends to 40 kHz! The Magneplanar true ribbon driver eliminates the need for a transformer––nothing between the amplifier to degrade the sound. The crossovers are first-order designs to optimize phase response. Ribbon drivers are non-reactive and act like a simple resistor to the amplifier. According to Magnepan, Magneplanars do require a high-current amplifier with the ability to drive a relatively low-sensitivity 4-Ohm load, but the non-reactive load will allow an amplifier to perform at its best. The better power amplifiers should double the power at 4 ohms—an indicator of a good amplifier design. THX® recognizes this aspect of power amplifier design and requires the amplifier section of THX-certified receivers and separates to drive a 4-Ohm load continuously. 

The Magneppan 20.7 extends deep into the 25 Hz frequency region and delivers the full-resolution of audible low frequencies with zero overhang on transients. Likewise, a full-range Magneplanar can reproduce the lower register of a piano with the same accuracy as the midrange. Noticeably apparent is that most of the area of a Magneplanar is needed for bass reproduction. 

The Magnepan 20.7 is fully capable of reaching short-duration peak SPL levels of 105 to 110 dB, without generating harshness or audibly bothersome levels of non-linear distortion, and without intrinsic colorations throughout the response range. Such is dependent on the “deadness” of the listening space, the properties of the power amplifier, etc. 

The Magnepan  20.7s are true full-range reproducers and really do not require bass management in a home theatre system as long as the system supports a dedicated .1 LFE channel for subwoofer(s) reproduction of motion picture soundtracks. 

Magneplanar loudspeakers are renown for their exceptional imaging qualities. Much as poorly displayed stereoscopic imaging can visually distort either or both the clarity and 3D image, poorly matched loudspeakers (both in amplitude or phase) can blur a stereo soundstage or move the apparent location of individual instruments within the soundstage. The Magnepan 20.7 loudspeakers are matched pairs to very close tolerances in amplitude and phase to ensure that the imaging across the stereo soundstage will be accurately preserved. 

As with optimizing the performance of any loudspeaker, the most accurate audiophile/videophile systems are always dependent upon room acoustics and proper placement of the loudspeakers within the room, relative to the room boundaries (walls, doors, etc.) and the primary listening or sweet spot position. 

Magneplanar loudspeakers should always point toward the listener at an angle, sufficiently out into the listening room at a minimum of about three feet (one meter) from adjacent wall surfaces (though, this is less critical as the in-phase and out-of-phase, bi-directional outputs cancel each other out to result in zero output at the sides of the loudspeaker; thus, off-axis radiation is null).

The dynamic and harmonic timbre performance of the Magnepan 20.7s is uncanny, with respect to accurately reproducing the sonic qualities of first-rate music recordings and motion picture soundtracks. Their midrange and treble response is exceptional and natural sounding—neither overly warm nor unemotional. With the Magnepan 20.7s, there is no sense of leanness in the low-bass regions of the frequency spectrum, when called upon to reproduce the lowest octaves of intense motion picture soundtracks. You will not find performance “realism” of this high caliber for anything close to the value proposition that Magnepan offers. The Magnepan 20.7 delivers truly state-of-the-art sonic realism, and compared to other super high-end loudspeakers is an incredible value. Deservedly so, Magnepan loudspeakers have earned a reputation as among the best you can buy, regardless of price. They are absolutely stunning as a listening experience and will deliver audiophile nirvana and a WOW! experience! 

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