Old vs New Magnepan 1.7 vs Tympani IV

I know a guy who acquired a pair of the Tympani IV. Myself and another friend overhauled them with premium crossover parts and wiring for the guy.
We've since compared them to everything from the 1.6/1.7 to the 3.6/3.7 to the 20s. There is no question, the Tympani IV can still be considered SOTA, especially for anyone who prefers the planar advantages.
My advice to anyone who has the option of getting a hold of a pair of Tympani is to definitely do so. As long as they are in good working condition they will be worth the effort. And if you ever feel like upgrading the crossover parts you will actually be amazed at what they can do.

The 3 series suggestion is an excellent one. In the end, it may come down to what works better in your room.

This may be redundant after all the other posts, but as an old 1-D owner who now has a pair of IVa's, I'll add my voice and say go for the Tympanis! It's a no brainer, if you have the space. I don't know of anything that will touch them for the price. Some of what they do no speaker does as well to this date, e.g., the amazing midbass. The rest of what they do is still pretty well up there. And as Schussor points out, if you get the urge, you can bring their performance to even higher levels for not that much money and work.

Re upgrading crossovers, can anyone please advise on how to best do this on a pair of Tympani IVas?

Does this mean simply replacing the external passive crossover box with higher quality components?

Or using an active crossover and biamping?

I know I know I know I can go over to the MUG site, but would rather not spend hours somewhere else to then get pitched on $10,000 worth of garage built weirdness.

Thank you for any sensible, readily available upgrade ideas.

Oh and further to the original post, yes, the Tympani speakers are really amazing, but not only in terms of mid bass, but expansive depth and imaging.

I am enjoying them with a new DAC - an Antelope Zodiac plus - in a newly redecorated room.

Will try to post updated photos later.....

Just a wild thought here-- Why not shoot Peter Gunn (magnestand) and email and see if you can get him to bite on a pair of Tympannis?