John Zurek has posted a review of the Magnepan 1.7 loudspeakers ($1999/pair) at Positive Feedback Online. His conclusions:
Is the Magneplanar 1.7 a worthy successor to the hallowed 1.6? Properly amplified it will provide you with a balanced, focused sound that has that incredible "you are there" feeling. The big change in these planars is Magenpan's integration of a uniform quasi-ribbon technology across all the drivers that, in concert with crossover upgrades, provides the 1.7 with a compelling, emotional presentation that is further enhanced by its superior dynamics. Bottom line, the 1.6 morphed from an excellent speaker to a world-class offering at a price that is really hard to fathom. OK, so it took a while for Magenpan to get the new line in production. The wait was worth it - from 40 Hz up the 1.7 is very hard to beat. No matter the price.
Though not in the top tier of Magnepan's offerings, the 1.7 delivers stellar performance, is an incredible value, and could very well be your favorite in the line, no matter the price. It is handcrafted in the USA and made with virtually all American-made parts. Be sure you pair it with a high-quality amplifier such as the Bryston 4BSST2. A speaker for audiophiles and music lovers, it excels at what is most important to me—communicating the very fundamental nature of the music.
You can read the full review here.
