Just picked up my new Magnepan 1.7s two weeks ago and have been playing them for several days. The first two things that stand out are their clarity and seamless sound from top to bottom.
While most of my music playing is classical, I really enjoy Rodrigo y Gabriela's incredible guitar playing (check out the video on http://www.rodgab.com/home.html). In the past on my Magnepan 1.6s, I really felt that the music was just a little too fast and felt the Maggies had a hard time keeping up. It was good, but not great. Now, with the 1.7s the same CD was amazingly clear from start to finish. Every instrument in its proper place and all the details came forth. The best way I can describe it is effortless detail.
Last Friday I sponsored an event in Frederick, Maryland at the Downtown Piano Works. At the conclusion of the evening, the owner, Theresa Shykind, played a piece on what I believe is a $135,000 grand piano in this fantastic small concert room at their store. It was breathtaking. Then on Saturday, I set up the Magnepan 1.7s and played a couple of piano recordings (Haydn and Mozart) that for a few brief moments in each piece, it sounded like the piano was in the room. It was as if I could hear, for the first time on a recording through speakers, the natural vibrations of the piano itself as the notes trailed off just like I heard the Friday before. Very impressive.
The 1.7s are a little better with rock than the 1.6s but still not comparable to most good box speakers, in my opinion. I have lived with several different Magnepans for many years and if you are into rock music (or todays equivalent) I would recommend other speakers. Acoustic rock, and Jazz and classical music are its strengths.
Finally, to me one of the best features is that I no longer hear the treble as separate from the rest of the speaker. With my 1.6s, I could, with eyes closed, point directly at the tweeter. Now, you can now listen to the 1.7s in the near field and hear a seamless wall of sound from bass to treble!
One last update: Just received the Wyred 4 Sound Dac 1 and have been paying it non stop for about 48 hours. Wyred 4 Sound says that the DAC need 200 hours of break in before it sounds its best. Let me tell you that with every, and I mean every change in the chain of electronics feeding the Magnepans (First with MGII 35 years old, then MG 1.6s and now MG 1.7s) the Magnepans step up to another level of quality.
I get that people don't like the Magnepan sound. There are times I want to play rock music and look for another stereo in my home to do so. But when it comes to acoustic music, the Magenepans are absolutely outstanding - with the 1.7s being a significant upgrade to the 1.6s.
I just pulled the speakers out of the box on Saturday and they sounded great from the beginning (a little bright, but not objectionable). If they need break-in as suggested by Magnepan, I can't wait to hear the improvements over time. If you are a Maggie fan, this is an improvement in all areas of the 1.6. More natural sounding, clearer from top to bottom, seamless bass through treble and, to me, a little better bass (but still needs a subwoofer).
