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Why Magnepan's Mad Science Will Always Resonate in Our Listening Room
- Andrew Munnik
- Jul 8
- 7 min read
For any serious audiophile or even those just starting their journey into high-fidelity sound, the name Magnepan inevitably surfaces. Synonymous with innovation in loudspeaker design, Magnepan has carved a unique niche by offering premium technology made available to every audiophile. Quite simply, they’re a guaranteed performer, which is a godsend to the audiophiles just starting to ascend into the higher echelons of audio integrity.
and in those years, we’ve seen the impact they can have on a listening room. Magnepans have an uncanny habit of elevating the systems they’re put into, crafting experiences the listener can rarely predict.
In fact, it was this strange mix of unpredictability and dependability that first earned Magnepan its reputation, and it’s this wonderful mix that makes us proud to represent them today.
Magnepan's Story: The Genesis of Mad Science
The Magnepan story began in 1969 with Jim Winey, a man driven by a singular, radical idea: to create a loudspeaker that would reproduce sound with unparalleled clarity and realism.
Of course, looking at the rest of the audio engineering world at the time, he was pretty much par for the course on general thinking, but his thought process differed in one crucial way: magnets.
His vision eschewed traditional cone and dome drivers, instead embracing a revolutionary technology that relied on the quickly developing and highly innovative field of magnetism.
This dedication to flat-panel, planar-magnetic design, a truly radical concept at the time, propelled Magnepan to the forefront of high-end audio.
What has held them there for over five decades, however, is their unwavering commitment to the science of sound reproduction, consistently pushing boundaries and refining their craft. They're not afraid to be different, and that's precisely why we admire them.
Magnepan’s Magnetic Innovation
Magnepan’s resistance to traditional design formed a core part of their identity, propelling them through the ages as they further innovated past the fundamentals. Traditional loudspeaker design, for example, can be thought of as a small cone attached to a wire. When the electrical signal of your audio passes through this cone, the resultant magnetic field interacts with a fixed magnet, causing the attached cone to move, producing sound waves. With Magnepan, things function differently.
Instead of a cone, planar magnetic speakers feature an incredibly thin, flat sheet or diaphragm covered in fine, conductive wires, which is suspended between a series of powerful, fixed magnets.
When your amplifier sends an electrical signal through the wires on that flat diaphragm, it creates a magnetic field, just like in the traditional speaker coil. But, because the entire diaphragm is positioned within the magnetic field, the magnetic forces cause the entire flat diaphragm to move back and forth uniformly, like a very precise, large metronome.
The result is a speaker that radiates sound from both the front and the back of the speaker. This creates a more open, expansive soundstage that interacts with your listening room in a remarkably natural way, minimising room distortion that can occur within traditional enclosures. It's a key reason why their speakers ‘disappear into the sound,’ leaving only the raw, authentic heart of the music.
The evolution didn't stop there.
Magnepan further refined their technology with the development of "quasi-ribbon" tweeters. These offered incredible speed and detail retrieval to the already formidable force that was the Magnepan name.
Then, with the innovation of “true ribbon” tweeters, came an even greater transient response and an airy, extended high-frequency performance. This constant desire for and delivery of innovation led us to really, really want them for our store, and we’re honoured to have them as a cornerstone of our offerings.
Magnepan: Incredible Sound, Accessible to All
At The Listening Room, we pride ourselves on curating a selection that isn’t just about big names; it’s about performance and finding the best of the best. That’s why we are so excited to be able to provide Magnepan products. Magnepan’s diverse range ensures that whether you're taking your first steps into high-end audio or are a seasoned enthusiast seeking an upgrade, there's a speaker that will resonate with your needs. So, without any further ado, here’s a look at some of our Magnepan products, from options that offer incredible performance for their accessibility to those that truly push the boundaries of what's possible.
The LRS Floorstanding Loudspeakers
The LRS series embodies Magnepan's commitment to bringing their revolutionary sound to a wider audience. They feature all of the mad science the company is known for, while bringing that to a wider audience. The LRS is the product that kicked it all off, and as the range progresses, the features only get more enticing.
Magnepan LRS+ Series Floorstanding Speakers. These entry-level planar-magnetic speakers deliver Magnepan's signature open and detailed sound in a more compact model, forgoing the extraneous weight and focusing on the sound. This makes them an excellent gateway into the world of dipole loudspeakers.
Magnepan’s ‘i’ Series Floorstanding Loudspeakers
These ‘i’ series speakers represent Magnepan's core models. They take all the ideals we’ve discussed, which make up their design ethic, and put them on full display, showcasing their planar magnetic capabilities. The ‘i’ series is what first drew our ear, and looking at the diversity and genuinely impressive sound they’re capable of achieving, it’s not tough to see why.
Magnepan 3.7i Planar Magnetic Speakers
These speakers are renowned for their incredible full-range performance, featuring a true ribbon tweeter that delivers open and meticulously detailed highs, making them a reference point for many audiophiles.
Magnepan 2.7i Planar Magnetic Speakers
Offering a significant step up in scale and dynamic capability, the 2.7i provides a deeper and more impactful bass response while maintaining Magnepan's characteristic transparency and nuanced soundstage.
Magnepan 1.7i Planar Magnetic Speakers
These three-way, quasi-ribbon speakers extend Magnepan's planar-magnetic technology to a more manageable size, while still delivering an impressive frequency response and spatial resolution. A must-have for the audiophile who finds themself pressed for shelf space.
Magnepan .7 Planar Magnetic Speakers
Despite their relatively compact size for a Magnepan, the .7 speakers deliver a remarkably full and natural sound, with both the tweeter and midrange/bass sections using Magnepan's quasi-ribbon technology for impressive coherence. While they do sacrifice some of the 1.7’s clarity, the .7 still stands as a ridiculously high performer.
Magnepan’s Golden Children
While the minds at Magnepan don’t tend to bother themselves with glitz and glam, opting instead to focus on performance, there are those products that genuinely just feel like Magnepan is showing off. These models represent the absolute pinnacle of their design principles, bringing the cutting edge of musical science to the music lover’s home or studio.
These are the top of the top, acting as upgraded versions of the standard floorstanding Magnepan speakers. The ‘X’ series incorporates advancements in driver technology, design methodology and construction into their repertoire, making for even higher performance.
Magnepan CCR (Centre Channel Reference) Speaker
This is a dedicated, high-performance centre channel speaker designed to perfectly complement Magnepan's larger floorstanding models, ensuring easy vocal integration and a cohesive, nuanced soundstage in a home theatre setup.
Magnepan CC5
Designed specifically for multi-channel audio and home theatre systems, the CC5 provides clear and articulate dialogue, ensuring an immersive listening experience that doesn’t require you to change the volume every five minutes.
Support Models and Accessories
Beyond their core product range of loudspeakers, Magnepan offers accessories and compact systems for various needs. It’s the result of these mad scientists realising what the average audiophile requires to elevate their system, providing accessible boosts to any setup.
Magnepan Mini Maggie System
A unique system combining compact planar-magnetic speakers with a separate DWM bass panel. They offer a surprisingly full-range and detailed sound with a smaller footprint- ideal for tighter spaces.
Magnepan DWM Bass Panel. This standalone bass panel is designed to augment the low-frequency response of any Magnepan speaker, allowing for greater bass extension and impact without compromising the speed and articulation Magnepans are known for.
Magnepan MC1 Speakers. These compact planar-magnetic speakers are versatile, often used as rear or surround speakers in a home theatre setup, or as a high-quality stereo pair in smaller rooms where space is at a premium.
Magnepan Maggie Stands MK2. These custom-designed stands are crucial for optimising the performance of Magnepan speakers, providing stable support and the ideal tilt for proper acoustic dispersion and noise elimination.
The beauty of Magnepan lies not just in their innovative technology but in the accessible achievement they bring to the world of high-fidelity audio. They challenge the norms of speaker design and consistently deliver a sound that is both transparent and utterly engaging.
We've seen countless listeners discover new layers in their favourite music through Magnepan speakers. They bring a weird and wonderful mix of unpredictability and dependability, but it’s for exactly this reason that we hold Magnepan near and dear.
With a little bit of luck and a lot of dedication, we’ve brought Magnepan not just to our store, but back to South Africa, and we are looking forward to growing alongside them.
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