Magnepan 1.7i Planar Magnetic Floorstanding Speakers; Pair

"This is a genuine Hall of Famer, and an easy pick for TAS 2021 Budget Product of the Year."

In Issue 107, JV (Jonathan Valin - The Absolute Sound) selected Magnepan's tall, skinny, three-way, full-range, quasi-ribbon, dipole MG 1.7 floorstander as one of his favorite loudspeakers of the last 70 years.  High in resolution, low in distortion, with enough bass and treble (of superlatively high quality) to satisfy anyone save a headbanger, and a midrange that reproduces well-recorded voices and acoustic instruments with jaw-dropping realism, it is one of those "sweet-spot" wonders that pops up every decade or two.  The 1.7 gave you a generous taste of everything its bigger, more expensive Maggie brothers were capable of, for a fraction of what you'd pay for the same wonderment in a top-line dynamic speaker.  In his review of Maggie's latest version of this classic, the 1.7i, long-time TAS reviewer John Nork (who purchased the review pair) was in complete agreement. John Nork 1.7i review.

Trim Options

 Now available with the X Upgrade! 

• Click here to view the X version.

The general idea of the ‘X’ program is to take the existing design of a given speaker and simply, almost one-for-one, replace all of the components leading up to the driver with superior ones. This yields a noticeable, graphable, and awe-inspiring improvement. There are certain model-specific features, but the MG___X Upgrade Program is at its core characterized by the following factors:

• Better Capacitors - All capacitors that aren’t already replaced with high-quality, copper-rich, polypropylene capacitors [banks]. Each capacitor [and bank] used is individually tested to the hundredth, such that left and right crossovers’ capacitances are within five thousandths. With the increased level of testing and decrease in tolerance, minor value tweaks are employed in some models, resulting in fewer capacitors used and a smoother response overall.
• Better Coils (Inductors) - All coils that aren’t already replaced are replaced with high-gauge, air-core, bobbin-wound, copper-wire coils [arrays]. Each coil [array] used is individually tested to the tenth, such that left and right crossovers’ inductances are within five hundredths
• Better Wiring - All wiring (except the green (+) and yellow (-) wires for True Ribbon Tweeters) is replaced with 15-gauge or higher solid-copper wire. Excess wire (for ease of assembly, for instance) is completely removed. C
• Better Connections - All connections within the circuit, from the solder lug attached to the terminal screw on the nameplate, to the crossover board, to the driver terminal block, and bac,k are soldered connections. Besides the terminal screw,
  solder lug, and jam nut connection on the nameplate, there are no mechanical connections used
• Better Inputs - All nameplate components are gold rather than nickel

If you have any questions about the X Upgrade, our Hi-Fi Guides are here to help!

Specifications for the Magnepan 1.7:

TMR Recommendations*: 

Want deeper insight into Magnepan speakers? Read our latest reviews and technical breakdowns:

• The Magnepan X Upgrade Explained: What It Is, How It Works, and Whether It’s Worth It
• Magnepan Speakers: The Story Behind Planar Magnetic Innovation
• Magnepan 3.7 Review: Why These Planars Need Space to Shine
• Why We Listen: Behind the Scenes of TMR’s Quality Control (Featuring Magnepan 3.6R)

*Please note that these are recommendations only for reference. These figures and amplifier recommendations are by no means the only good options.