Magneplanar MG 1.7i Speakers

Introducing the new MG 1.7i

In past model improvements, driver changes and factory retooling were extensive. It is rare when improvements can be made that are audible in a blind test and do not require a major investment. So, in view of this good fortune, we chose to pass on these small improvements rather than save them for a 1.8.

Will you be able to hear the difference between the 1.7 and 1.7i? Yes, in a careful A-B test, but we don’t do sales hype. No, it is not a 1.8. It is simply “trickle-down” ideas that were incorporated in the 3.7i

More on the MG 1.7 that the 1.7i is based

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. All members of a listening panel chose the 1.7 or the 1.6 in a blind listening test.

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.

A new, modern styling with wrap-around aluminum trim on the 1.7 is also a departure from Magnepan’s more conservative cosmetic styling. The standard wood trims of the 1.6 (as shown below) are available upon special order and an upcharge. Aluminum trim is available in silver or black or primer coat for custom finishing. Wood trim is available in natural oak, black oak or dark cherry. Fabric choices are off-white, black or dark gray.

The total design concept for the Magneplanar 1.7 results in a speaker that measures exceptionally well by all the standard criteria, but more important, sounds even better.

The 1.7 is handcrafted in the USA and made with virtually all American-made parts. The suggested UK retail price starts at £2500 a pair. There will be a modest price increase for trim and fabric upgrade options.

Specification:

Options:

Aluminium Trim – Satin Silver Aluminium Trim or Satin Black Aluminium Trim – £2995 Per Pair

Wood Trim – Oak, Black Oak, Dark Cherry – £3195 Per Pair

Reviews:

Jonathan Valin, The Absolute Sound, Issue 205.

“Not long ago, I proposed an article to our Editor in Chief, Mr. Harley, to be called ‘What Would You Really Buy?’ By this I didn’t mean what our reviewers would buy if they had access to a Rubidium Mastercard, but what they could actually afford with their own meager funds. Without a doubt, the speaker I’m about to review is the one I’d opt for……………………………Bottom line? I think you already know. Like the 1.6s, the 1.7s are the most life-like speakers I have heard in their price range–or anywhere near it. I could live with them (and did) in a system that costs 150 times more than they themselves do. IMO, they’re just plain great.”

The new 1.7 won the coveted Product of the Year award. But, it is even better–

“Not just The Absolute Sound’s Affordable Loudspeaker of the Year, the 1.7 is the affordable loudspeaker of the decade” The Absolute Sound magazine, January, 2011