As a new owner of Magnepan 3.7i I've discovered quite a few things about these much loved and storied planar magnetic speakers. Hearing them at shows and showrooms is one thing, but listening to them create their magic in your own home is where the rubber truly meets the road. I'm happy to report that they definitely do not disappoint. These dipole speakers live up to every bit of their reputation for incredible transparency, clarity, detail, midrange refinement, and in the case of the 3.7i 3-way design, a surprising amount of low end authority. To be clear, it's not the same kind of bass produced by dynamic drivers, nor should that be the expectation. By design their mylar bass drivers simply don't move air in the same way that a cone driver does. Therefore they do not have the same hit-you-in-the-chest, gut-punch-slam that a dynamic cone driver does. That said, while I'm not a bass head by definition, I do love bass and in their stock configuration the 3.7i do a really good job handling the low end, again for a planar.
Like must of us considering a new component or pair of speakers, I dug in deep and did a considerable amount of research. What I found is Magnepan is all about economy. They focus on building the best speakers they can for the money. On this count they are highly successful. Each of their speakers perform well above their price category, delivering exceptional value.
However, this also means Magnepan puts the lion's share of their speaker building budget into the speaker, not necessarily the more ancillary parts.
This has spawned a very passionate community of DIY inclined Magnepan owners seeking to improve these already great speakers by adding, swapping, and/or upgrading various stock Magnepan parts and components. In fact, a small cottage industry of aftermarket products has grown up around them to support their efforts. Whether it's replacement stands, upgraded resistors, new jumpers, the addition of one or more subs, etc., it's all fair game with Magnepans. That's cool with me, I'm game, I'm part of the club now, and hey it's fun, so why not! I enthusiastically dove in with both feet so be on the lookout for my forthcoming "Top 5 Magnepan Tweaks" article coming soon to Positive Feedback.
For now let's focus on my first upgrade, replacing what can only be described as the 3.7i's utilitarian speaker stands. The stock oval particle board bases, clad in a black pebble surfaced vinyl, look as though they came directly from K-Mart. In other words, F-ugly. A definite mismatch for the handsome dark cherrywood stiles and black fabric finished 3.7i now gracing my listening room. In addition to being aesthetically uninspiring, these fairly small 13" x 23" inch oval bases along with the light duty 4.5" inch tall brackets used to attach them to each panel hardly seem up to the task of providing the support and rigidity necessary for the 3.7i's honkin' 6' foot tall 85 lb MDF panels. Don't get me wrong I don't fault Magnepan for this. They're doing the best they can to keep costs down and provide the biggest bang for the buck. Again on this count, they succeed mightily, and the stock stands do function as intended supporting the speakers. "But they can be even better!" said the crazed audiophile with credit card in hand.
Research and outreach to other Magnepan owners revealed that the two most popular aftermarket stands for Magnepan are Mye Sound's Mye Stands and Magna Risers. Both take different approaches toward the same end goal of improving the performance of Magnepan speakers. Magna Risers favor a mass based, resonance tuning, decoupling approach utilizing a heavier, lower profile base. Mye Stands, on the hard hand, opts for increased stability and rigidity via a base with two supporting struts that attach midway up the rear side of each speaker panel. Mass vs rigidity, both valid approaches with their respective proponents. Full disclosure, I have no hands on experience with Magna Risers. That said, based on trusted recommendations from several Magnepan owners, and what seemed to me a structurally sound design concept with respect to adding rigidity, I choose Mye Stands.
Mye Stands' approach appealed to me for several reasons. Whether traditional or planar drivers their movement, also known as excursion, results in vibration. This is something box speaker designers go to great lengths to reduce, if not eliminate. Just because there is no box doesn't mean the drivers in Magnepan's dipole open frame design aren't subject to the same laws of physics. Driver movement creates energy, this energy has to go somewhere. In the case of Maggies that would be the frame. At 6' tall and essentially all driver from top to bottom, it doesn't take a big leap of faith to understand that given the right amount of energy, i.e. decibels, these towering MDF panels would be easily subject to sway as their drivers fire. It makes sense then that this sway creates inefficiency which ends up dissipating driver energy and accuracy as this movement occurs. Mye Stands are specifically designed to eliminate panel movement. Essentially Mye Stands lock down and isolate each panel's drivers, allowing them to work more efficiently and accurately. This way the drivers are able to deliver the majority of their energy into the room rather than forfeiting a portion of it to panel vibration.
Mye Stands arrived expertly packed, shipped in two parcels. One box for the bases, and a heavy duty tube for their 48" inch long supporting struts. Included are two heavy duty steel frame bases, one for each speaker panel, and 4 square steel supporting struts, two for each speaker panel. Bases are 20" x 20," three sided, and open on the front end. Eight height adjustable brass spikes, four for each base, are also included. Third party footers can also be used as desired, custom threaded taps are available upon request. The standard threaded tap is 5/16th. Assembly is quick, straight forward, and aside from the screwdriver you'll need, all necessary hardware is included. For the easiest install, I'd recommend two people. Not necessarily for assembling the Mye Stands, but more due the weight, size, and height of each speaker panel. Keep in mind speaker panels need to be lifted onto the Mye Stands, and secured at their bases and individual strut members before they are stable. While I'm certain this can all be done solo, it's a much easier process with two people, which is what I did.
Once assembled and secure Mye Stands provide a rock solid foundation with handsome and unobtrusive looks. The stands raise each Magnepan panel an additional 3.5" inches from the floor, for a cool kind of platform shoe effect that not only keeps things open and airy looking visually, but also does the same sonically, think added air and transparency. Left and right square steel support struts attach to panels 4' feet high on the rear of each panel, more than half their height, using the existing threaded holes and screws used for their fabric wrap. The struts are there to add maximum rigidity and stability to the speaker's MDF panels, and man do they ever!
The hollow support struts can be filled with sand to eliminate any possible resonance interaction. I did so at the insistence of more than one Mye Stand owner. I didn't really notice any appreciable difference after doing so, but I'm glad I did just to be on the safe side. Mye Stands are available in a variety of standard and custom color powder coat finishes. I opted for matte black, the perfect match for my 3.7i's black fabric and cherry wood stiles. Understated, elegant, and a significant improvement... I'll take it!
At the end of the day the ultimate litmus test with any upgrade is determining whether real world performance lives up to manufacturer promises. What, if any, changes does the upgrade make, are those changes an improvement, and if so are those improvements consistent with the cost of the upgrade? In other words, is the juice worth the squeeze? Happily, Mye Stands deliver everything they promise, and more. With Mye Stands installed music reproduction is tighter, cleaner, more accurate, transparent, impactful, and energetic across the frequency spectrum. The difference is far from subtle, Mye Stands dramatically optimize performance giving you more of everything you love about Maggies. Bass has palpably increased accuracy and heightened wallop, imaging and soundstage are more crystallized and realistic via reduced smearing, and the midrange and top end are more liquid and transparent. Let there be no doubt, Mye Stands work wonders, are worth every penny, and I highly recommend them.
Mye Stands
Retail: from $275-$1200 depending on Magnepan model and region.
Myesound
