The Magnepan 20.7x loudspeaker is a flagship, full-range planar magnetic speaker that is designed to deliver exceptional sound quality with uncompromising detail, transparency, and imaging. The speaker features a 1.5-inch thick panel that measures 29.5 inches wide by 77 inches tall, which is the largest panel of any Magnepan model.
The 20.7x boasts several unique features including a quasi-ribbon design that covers the full height of the panel, a built-in passive crossover, and parallel woofers that extend the bass response down to 20 Hz. Its dipole design creates a spacious, natural sound that is free from cabinet resonances and colorations often associated with traditional box speakers.
The speaker requires a spacious room and a substantial amplifier to perform at its best. It is recommended to be placed at least 2-3 feet from the back wall and several feet from the side walls for optimal sound quality. Overall, the Magnepan 20.7 loudspeaker is a world-class product that offers exceptional sound quality, a unique listening experience, and is known for being one of the best loudspeakers available on the market to date.
What is unique to the Magnepan 20.7x vs 20.7i
The gneral idea of the Magnepan X program is to take the existing design of a given speaker (a Magnepan i series speaker), and simply, almost one-fo-one, replace all of the components leading up to the driver, with superior ones. This yields a noticeable, graphable, and awing improvement. There are certain model-specific features, but the X upgrade at its core is characterized by the following:
Better Capacitors: All capacitors that aren't already, are replaced with high quality, copper-rich, polyproylene 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 tighter 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, are replaced with high-guage, copper wire, air-core, bobbin wound coils [arrays]. Each coil [array] used is individually tested to the tenth such that left and right crossovers' inductances are within five hundredths. Model dependent: with the above capacitance changes in mind, some values are minorly adjusted for smoother response overeall.
Better Wiring: All wiring (asside from the green(+) and yellow (-) wires for True Ribbon Tweeters) is replaced with 15gn or higher solid copper wire. Excess wire (for ease of assembly, for instance) is completely removed. Careful attention is paid to design, layout, and pathing of the crossover components such that wire lengths are short and the overeall wire-mass is significantly reduced. Left and right crossover and nameplate impedances are ensured to be equivalent for ideal balance.
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 back 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.
Appearance: The appearance of an X Upgrade is not intended to be visually really any difference from that of its non-X counterpart (aside from teh gold nameplate components in situations wher ethat wouldn't already be gold). The crossover of some models may be visible, such as with the MG 1.7x, and as such that will be noticeably different in a side-by-side test, from the back of the speaker. The nameplate will also have a small X after the model to denote that it is part of the X Upgrade program.
$30,000