Planar Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Magnepan MG2.7QR Speakers by loon2

Model:	MG2.7QR
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$2000
Description:	3-way quasi-ribbon dipolar 2'x6' panel speaker
Manufacturer URL:	Magnepan

Review by loon2 on June 04, 2010 at 21:02:18
IP Address: 99.139.202.244 Add Your Review
for the MG2.7QR

I purchased the MG 2.7 QR speakers new over 12 years ago. This is the third pair of Magneplaners that I have owned, the first being a used pair of MG1's, then MG1.5's and now the 2.7 QR's. The 1.5's had poor bass response so I upgraded to the 2.7's. At the time of purchase the 2.7's had the same woofer panel as the 3.x (I've forgotten what rev they were back then). I viewed the 2.7's as a much better value play with the same bass response as the 3's and still going past 20 KHz with the quasi-ribbon tweeter. I like the detail, immediacy and sound stage of Magneplaners.

However, I must warn anyone considering the purchase of any Magneplaner that there is a significant problem endemic to the design concept of the Magneplaner - that being longevity. Of the 3 pairs of Magneplaners I have owned, 2 of them have had their serpentine wires come loose from the diaphragms over time. I have discovered that this is not uncommon to Magneplaners. The glue that they use to adhere the wires to the diaphragm degrades over time. I ended up paying $850 (including shipping) to have my 2.7’s “re-wired”.

I know of no other loudspeaker design that has an inherent flaw like this. I am disappointed that, after 30 years, Magnepan has not found a solution to this problem. No doubt, many Magneplaners will never have this problem but far too many of these speakers do, making the probability of wire separation too high for a speaker costing thousands of dollars. Thus, I have decided that when this problem occurs again, I will search for a new non-Magneplaner speaker - unless it has been proven to me that Magnepan has solved this issue. Magnepan needs to get up off its laurels and fix this problem.

Product Weakness:	Wire separation
Product Strengths:	Detail, sound stage, good bass for a Magneplaner

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Adcom
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Adcom
Sources (CDP/Turntable): VPI
Speakers: MG2.7QR
Cables/Interconnects: twisted pair 10 guage
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Classical
Room Size (LxWxH): 20 x 10 x 7
Time Period/Length of Audition: 10+ years
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	Adcom
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Adcom
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	VPI
Speakers:	MG2.7QR
Cables/Interconnects:	twisted pair 10 guage
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Classical
Room Size (LxWxH):	20 x 10 x 7
Time Period/Length of Audition:	10+ years
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner