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Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad

138.207.151.18

My buddies wife placed an order for a mmgc today based on my advice. I know the Magnepan product in general is great, but Magnepan needs to modernize.

1. Could not order via the website. Magnepan does not do ecommerce.
2. Could not order Saturday morning, or Sunday when she was thinking about it.
3. At least 3 calls to actually get through to someone at Magnepan to place an order on Monday.
4. Order placed Monday. Magnepan states 10-15 days for shipping. "Maybe less" this is for a product that seems to me should be ready to ship immediately.

Understood Magnepan relies on dealers, and there is no bigger indirect sales advocate than me. But in this case, when you want to order a simple product you should be able to do it easily.

This is just crazy for 2016.

Follow Ups:

RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - nicoff 15:39:27 01/30/17 (0)
It is difficult to track this thread. It started about Magnepan customer service issues and it wandered into Telarc Organ Symphony and other stuff.

Back to the OP. Yes, Magnepan needs to adapt. Individuals are supposed to adapt and change and so do companies. As much as I like to reminisce about how things used to be (I have owned Magnepan speakers for over 30 years now), time does not stand still and people and companies must change to survive.

I have experienced customer service issues at Magnepan in the past. Wendell has come to the rescue and saved the day. And as nice as that sounds, I feel that Wendell's time is too valuable to have to repeatedly come to the rescue of customer service folks. That means that Magnepan needs to bring in the right folks to do that job and that will allow Wendell more time to look to the future. Wendell can do more good for us (the owners of Magnepan speakers) and for the company, if he did NOT have to deal with those issues. Just my two cents.
RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - paul3 18:16:57 12/28/16 (0)
Oh, the tragic horror of it all.
RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - JBen 08:17:34 12/28/16 (0)
This is a good thread and welcome feedback for all. On one hand it reminds us that there is always room for improvement on even things that are great and worth having. On the other, we are also reminded of the great value that we enjoy. Keeping it all good while still improving things will remain a balancing act for Magnepan, as it has always been.
Be careful for what you wish - neolith 16:27:19 12/23/16 (2)
From the amp forum:
"I have contact ARC tech support regarding my problems. Waiting for an answer. Since their buyout, all contact is by VM and email. Techs will not talk to customers anymore."

I married the perfect woman. The downside is everything that goes wrong is my fault.
- RE: Be careful for what you wish - josh358 05:16:13 12/24/16 (0)
  This is precisely what Magenpan is trying to avoid. I fear it's a losing battle, given that there's now an entire generation that equates "customer service" with "Chinese water torture."
- RE: Be careful for what you wish - Norman M 21:20:52 12/23/16 (0)
  Neolith, I'm not sure but is this supposed to imply that two wrongs make one right?
RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - PeterZ 04:30:32 12/23/16 (60)
100% agree.

Sometimes it is an attitude of the manufacturer or seller that makes it that way and likely Magnepan is almost the only game in town, they can work this way. A good website and return calls is a great idea though.

Yes being old school or waiting a certain amount of time is nice but this isn't 40 yrs ago. People have much more hectic schedules.

I know I would have a hard time doing purchasing during the week, let alone 8AM-4PM and would likely go elsewhere, if there was another game in town. I couldn't deal with those hours if I needed service on them.

Shoot and I was going to contact them about some speakers.
PeterZ
- RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - Norman M 08:01:05 12/24/16 (0)
  It goes without saying that all you write is commendable on Magnepan's part, and they are free to run their business however they feel best (both for their customers and themselves).
  
  Their repair department was very helpful to me in the past performing work free of charge, including the cost of my item's return shipping. I ended up feeling guilty about not being able to pay for any of it.
  This experience made it all the more difficult to understand why two emails to them weren't even acknowledged, after their phone message specifically asked that I email them. (I thought I had heard this message because I reached them at an inopportune time, all of them attending a meeting, or a similar matter.) Magnepan had been so reliable and conscientious that I faulted my ISP's mail server.
- RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - josh358 05:42:56 12/24/16 (58)
  But then, there's a flip side. I just ordered some parts for my Tympani IVA's -- felt strips for the tweeters and adhesive to repair the voice coil.
  
  These speakers were built 30 years ago and they still offer complete parts and support. They have cheap DIY repair kits, or they will rebuild them from scratch, an operation that requires its own mini factory that can reproduce any old model or its parts. Compare that to your $700 cell phone with its non-interchangeable battery!
  
  And they don't make a profit off of this, their parts and repair operation is at cost, whereas most companies make spare parts into a profit center and sell them at exorbitant rates.
  
  As to ordering, I raised this point with Wendell. His reply was that he's gone to the opposite extreme -- all calls now go through him, because he can better advise customers on the best products to buy and they're happier with the results. So when you order a product, even a $600 speaker like the MMG, you are talking to their director of sales and getting the advice of someone who knows more about choosing and setting up Maggies than just about anyone living. He has found that customers have been more satisfied and less likely to return products since he started doing this.
  
  I think they may be losing some customers like you who just want to click and order, and I've expressed that concern to Wendell. But I suspect that he would rather lose the occasional sale and make sure that the sales he does make are to customers who ordered the right thing and are happy, since their sales depend on word of mouth. I mean, I just ordered a UPS from Amazon that wasn't quite what I wanted. Decided to keep it because it was close enough and it's a pain to pack it up and return it. Maggies are even harder to return, and because they interact with the room they aren't as easy to buy.
  
  I don't know if this kind of approach can survive in an era when people are used to clicking to order and then waiting 45 minutes for a customer support experience that has intentionally been made to be miserable, but it's the way they've chosen to do business and it does have benefits, in particularly the expertise you can draw on when you place the order or have a technical problem. I've sometimes thought while listening to ghastly hold music that companies should be rated by the ratio between the time it takes to reach sales and the time it takes to reach tech support. :-)
  - RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - PeterZ 07:02:59 12/25/16 (52)
    I'd be a bit happier with a wider window and some weekend support. A little like the reason TX has to close their car dealerships one day a week. Well most close Sundays. The ones that are opened Sundays are hit by the people who don't have time to deal with the "normal business hours" stuff. Commendable for their workers but if 5 or 6 days a week is the norm, give a wider window to folks that have to work all day or overlap non-traditional hours to pick up new clients. Doesn't hurt and could help since you can still work the same number of hours a week and cover 80% of the traditional "business days".
    
    If I was retired, I guess it wouldn't matter.
    PeterZ
    - RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - josh358 09:00:49 12/25/16 (51)
      I can see that that would be an issue for those who can't make a call during the working day. OTOH, Magenpan is a manufacturer rather than a retailer -- most of their products are sold through high end audio dealers -- so they don't have a big sales operation with phone banks and such. And the kind of support they want to offer can't be offered by outsourcing to India or just hiring a part-time employee to take orders on weekends.
      - RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - PeterZ 04:44:23 12/28/16 (50)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by josh358 on December 25, 2016 at 09:00:49
        
        Saturday 8-12AM for at least support.
        
        Still would be nice.
        PeterZ
        
        RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - josh358 08:02:42 12/28/16 (49)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by PeterZ on December 28, 2016 at 04:44:23
        
        It would be nice, wouldn't it? The problem is that they just don't have the staff -- Wendell says that since they've increased the level of support to include all MMG sales, he's been falling further behind in sales and working with dealers and distributors.
        
        RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - zulugone 13:26:46 12/28/16 (48)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by josh358 on December 28, 2016 at 08:02:42
        
        If you get a heads up from the overloaded but persevering Mr. Diller regarding the addition of a new parts person please pass the good news along.
        
        RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - josh358 19:38:03 12/28/16 (47)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by zulugone on December 28, 2016 at 13:26:46
        
        Sure, will do. Meanwhile, I've told my tweeters that under no circumstances are they to blow!
        
        RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - zulugone 16:54:41 01/17/17 (3)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by josh358 on December 28, 2016 at 19:38:03
        
        There is now a new friendly voice at button #2 taking parts orders.
        
        RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - josh358 17:57:27 01/17/17 (2)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by zulugone on January 17, 2017 at 16:54:41
        
        Good news! Wendell said they had someone new lined up, guess this is it.
        
        My speakers can now officially break again . . .
        
        RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - JBen 09:35:43 01/18/17 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by josh358 on January 17, 2017 at 17:57:27
        
        Break? Oh, yeah! Not that they would remember how, or even care, to fix them anymore but that's reassuring for my ancient MMG's also.
        
        Hmmm, time to reinforce some gluing this evening and let it all cure well for a day or so. After I received it a few days ago, I've been itching to run the Telarc 1812 SACD that was made from the Soundstream source used for the original LP. I've always recalled it as having "beefier" cannons than the 1812 SACD that they recorded much later again. Ahhh, what LP grooves those were!
        
        RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - josh358 12:54:06 01/18/17 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by JBen on January 18, 2017 at 09:35:43
        
        I really have to get a copy of that myself. :-) But only after I fix the delam -- I'm sure the wires would fall off the diaphragm completely if I played it now!
        
        RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - JBen 17:19:30 12/29/16 (42)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by josh358 on December 28, 2016 at 19:38:03
        
        Rats! You're right, Josh. One lousy Christmas day (glorious) playback of the 1812 cannons...and now it's too late to send them these old MMG's for a quick reglue. I never learn! Though most of it is still holding on fine, this original glue in last-century MMG's don't much like the workout.
        
        It's just a 1" wire segment. Darn, the DAP glue dried up and so did the tube of E-6000! Now where did I leave that Elmer's glue...
        
        RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - josh358 18:25:17 12/29/16 (39)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by JBen on December 29, 2016 at 17:19:30
        
        Damn, I blew more 1-D fuses with those 1812 cannons! Drove the poor amp into hard clipping, too. Good thing that the 1-D's were pretty nigh indestructible . . .
        
        RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - Norman M 19:11:09 12/30/16 (36)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by josh358 on December 29, 2016 at 18:25:17
        
        I confess, however the devil made me do it. The Telarc 1812 cannons made a Adcom 555 amp go up in flame and smoke. I recall my greatest concern at the time was that some nearby drapes would ignite ultimately causing us to become homeless. My speaker was a Tympani 1C, which could withstand nearly anything (and without the need for fuses). Many listeners (obviously myself included) really abused those speakers. I didn't reveal my dirty little secret to Adcom and the amp still being under warranty was replaced free of charge, even with an apology for my inconvenience. Needless to add, I no longer engaged in such foolishness. IAE my wife probably looked upon it all as being more 'innocent' than other possible vices.
        
        RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - josh358 19:25:16 12/30/16 (35)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by Norman M on December 30, 2016 at 19:11:09
        
        Taht record probably caused more damaged than any ever made! I miss the Telarc Organ Symphony too -- have to find a copy of it.
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - JBen 19:47:48 12/30/16 (34)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by josh358 on December 30, 2016 at 19:25:16
        
        Hmmm, right you are. I never owned it but did hear the impressive organ recording at a friend's long ago. That gent makes us sound like wimps. In a room no larger that 7x10, he had megawatts of top-notch power amps. AND, to put things in perspective, among other things, he had 4 (FOUR) 18" woofers in the cramped space. Full sitting accommodations was 2 directors chairs, surrounded on both sides by equipment. Just clean raw power. Fabulously loud and totally undistorted sound...marred by a total lack of imaging.
        
        Tomorrow I may be going for a walk at the local flea market. I guess I now have a good reason to get on my knees and search the many boxes of old moldy LP's that some vendors bring.
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - josh358 05:15:22 12/31/16 (33)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by JBen on December 30, 2016 at 19:47:48
        
        "Fabulously loud and totally undistorted sound...marred by a total lack of imaging."
        
        Heh, reminds me of horns. If you add in a few annoying resonances, that is.
        
        Speaking of bass, someone posted this on the Planar Circle yesterday -- check out these dipole tower subs -- I think they use the GR Research 12" servo drivers:
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - JBen 16:56:59 01/02/17 (29)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by josh358 on December 31, 2016 at 05:15:22
        
        First, Happy New Year to all!
        
        Wow, what a little system you show there! Satie must be salivating for a demo of those little puppies!
        
        Anyway, I walked the Swap Shop on Saturday and searched for the Telarc LP; no luck but I'll keep my eyes open. I did see an LP album by Kenny G, new, unopened. For some reason I thought of Neolith. There must be an old thread somewhere here where KG was discussed? I thought I recalled the gist of the discussion and left the record undisturbed lest he lets the little ladies loose on me, LOL.
        
        Celebrating the new year, I finally switched the system for class A end-to-end (at low to moderate levels) yesterday. This only happens from the PC, where the class A DAC goes straight to the Parasound HCA amps. After 10 continuous hours of listening today I could have gone on forever but my wife demanded her time minutes ago. Still, not a bad day at all.
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - josh358 16:19:23 01/03/17 (26)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by JBen on January 02, 2017 at 16:56:59
        
        I can't say I'd mind a tower of dipole servo woofers myself. :-)
        
        Still thinking of going to Pass amps in the by and by, but meanwhile, the A-21 is doing a nice job without breaking the bank or turning my room into a sauna . . .
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - JBen 22:57:18 01/10/17 (25)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by josh358 on January 03, 2017 at 16:19:23
        
        Well, Josh I know the feeling. With the right gear, it is so hard to pull away from that Pass sound. LOL, it would actually be downright impossible to do so if one lived in Antarctica -- tunefully trimming ice shelves along the way.
        
        OTOH, an A-21 visits home every now and then. I also visit its home often. The beautiful sound via that unpretentious-looking smooth operator is what convinced me to go for its MOSFET HCA siblings.
        
        Then, I did a bit of tap dancing with bias settings for more class A watts, primarily on the HCA 2003a amp that drives just the tweeters. Yup, it sure warmed up the room, but not as much as it sweetened the music. Oh man, get another A-21 and biamp at line level. That should be something!
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - josh358 15:11:38 01/11/17 (24)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by JBen on January 10, 2017 at 22:57:18
        
        I've been thinking of an A-51, because ultimately I want to triamp and also do some experiments with splitting the woofer panels. Not sure how it compares sonically to the A-21 -- I think the A-21 is the only one that John Curl recommends for high end use out of the box. And then there's that mod he has for the HCA-3500 -- apparently spectacular results, but I have os much to do right now that I don't think it's practical (still haven't even fixed my delam -- it's been cold up there since the radiator isn't working).
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - JBen 00:10:29 01/12/17 (23)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by josh358 on January 11, 2017 at 15:11:38
        
        Sonically identical, like most of the JC MOSFET designs are (after the late 90's?) compared to the A-21, most of them cannot match its power supply budget per channel. That is a relative shortcoming in the A-51. To be sure, I was not able to tell so when I heard it, probably because it was not being driven hard...nor anywhere as low as to stay in class A, either. Yet, at usual volumes it is an A-21 sonic twin.
        Then you have the HCA-3500. I actually wanted one very badly at first. However, the real mods for it were the ones JC and his partner fooled around with and offered to do long ago. Along the way, I the realized that I would not have space for neither it nor the A-21 in my place. In an apartment, 3 power amps plus the rest of the audio gear can lead to a divorce.
        In the end, finding the 2003A instead of the additional 1500A that I was looking for was a major blessing in disguise. With a beefy PS made for 3 channels, I use only two channels -- just for the tweeters -- and re-biased for a little more class A. Works like charm (though more by accident than skill :).
        Which makes me think that if you "wasted" 3 of the A-51 channels...you'd still get great stereo class A for the tweeters...at probably a very decent price. Well, that's just a rough idea that you could polish.
        
        Edits: 01/12/17
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - josh358 09:51:37 01/12/17 (22)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by JBen on January 12, 2017 at 00:10:29
        
        Good point -- I have to look up the power supply specs, and also the bias spec, for the A-51. I'd only be using four channels (annoying to leave one unused!) so I'd have more reserve. I'd also be driving the Neo-8's, which are incredibly efficient (and should never leave Class A) and the ribbon tweeter, which uses little power, so the A-51's power would really be overkill. But putting the little Passes on them would be expensive and run up my electric bill something fierce. :-)
        
        Another thing to consider is that since I'd be tri-amping, I'd have the power supply budget of both amps.
        
        Actually I'd really like six more channels since I want to experiment with splitting the woofers. But I guess I can perform those experiments before I do the Neo 8 mod, which isn't going to happen until I fix the delam anyway. One possibility would be A-21 for midbass, A-51 for low bass and tweeter, and tubes for the critical mids. Or the little Pass. But I figure I can cross that bridge when I come to it.
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - JBen 00:31:38 01/14/17 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by josh358 on January 12, 2017 at 09:51:37
        
        Awright, Josh! That's what I meant with "that you could polish". And I had forgotten the Neo's.
        
        A couple of items for you to remember or simply evaluate:
        
        -- One is this. If my blastedly cheap old MMG's insist in telling power amps apart, I bet the IVA's will do so much more.
        
        Until the MOSFET-driven 2003A arrived, I had used a HCA-1000A for the tweeters. It has NO mosfies output but did well enough with class A at low volume, due to a re-tune into high bias.
        
        Yet, in the few visits by the A-21 to my place, it was tried as tweeter amp, in place of the 1000a, with the HCA-1500A in its usual bass duty. The A-21 was also tried with the 1500A driving tweeters, as well as the A-21 doing bass. (The remaining possible combinations, by including the 1000 and a few other power amps, were also tried.)
        
        Consistently, the MMG's were always "clear" that any combo of the A-21 and the 1500A was great. The same is the now case with the 2003A and the 1500A. I expect that the A-21 will get along grandly with the 2003A the day they get together. (That shared fundamental design PLUS the MOSFET output may explain it.)
        
        Not so when others were in the combinations. Which surprised me at first because the 1000A has a very similar design, minus the MOSFETs.
        
        -- Another point, however, is that all of the above may lose some relevancy if the Neo's decide to impose new rules.
        
        -- Lastly, even when at moderate levels, "part-time" class A is sweetly worth it IF the whole signal chain can stay in it. (I mean, from the source to the power amps...and at a useful power envelope.) Starting the chain in class B always, for example, won't get this "fixed" by subsequent class A stages. Doing class A all throughout does not need to break the bank nor do space-heating.
        
        The thing the MOSFET HCA's are doing here is to provide a very delightful class A delivery right at levels where mechanical distortions have not yet imposed a drowning effect. I suspect that the A-21/31/51 could deliver more sweetness still.
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - Satie 22:01:03 01/12/17 (20)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by josh358 on January 12, 2017 at 09:51:37
        
        i can only say that the a51, however attractive is way overkill at the 200w x 5 8 ohm rating and near $5k mark. You would be better off trading for lower power rating and higher class A operation with better passive parts. There are ksa 50 clones you can have made to order and the classic "small" coda, Classe, threshold, plinius etc high bias class A/ab amps. the smaller theta multichannel amp (Intrepid) is a better choice as it is not designed with bass extending feedback but is focused instead on the best time domain performance for top notch mid and treble.
        Alternately a pair of hybrid stereo amps would be perfect.
        
        http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/625/#hTS25PSufebVI0Qs.97
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - josh358 12:12:35 01/14/17 (19)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by Satie on January 12, 2017 at 22:01:03
        
        Yeah, agree an A-51 is overkill, but I prefer to think of it as a 25 watt Class A amp! The question is can I do better on a per channel basis. IIRC last I checked A-51's were going or about $3500, so that's $1750 per stereo pair -- a bit more actually than the A-21. (But three A-21's, yikes . . . my back isn't what it used to be!)
        
        So there's price per channel and then there's sound quality, which is hard to ascertain since I'm no longer somewhere where I can go to the dealer and swap out amps. Which is to say there are a lot of variables here, and given the importance of listening and the fact that I'm no longer near a major dealer it's hard to sort through them . . .
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - Satie 13:35:24 01/14/17 (18)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by josh358 on January 14, 2017 at 12:12:35
        
        The Theta Intrepid goes for about $1-1.3k giving you 5 channels for 1/3rd the cost, Effectively $600 or so per channel pair. The downside is that because it is a non feedback design it has weak bass and midbass performance. Because of this, and because of the particular attention Reich puts into midrange and treble performance it should do the tweeters and mids a better service than any of the JC designs. My only caveat is that being a DC servo it might have a slight low level resolution problem as the TIVa mids have and the Neo8 do but to a much lesser extent. I have not found any review to mention that it is an actual performance limitation.
        
        Of course, the Theta Intrepid is not going to drive the bass panels. It also needs a real ground so requires that you have 3 phase wiring in order to avoid hum..
        
        The other issue and downside of a non feedback balanced design is that the THD is rather high in the presence of bass and IMD on adjacent freq tests would be higher. But it is 3rd order so rather innocuous. This is not far from my old DR-9 design (from which Reich derived the Theta line) in general behavior and I can assure you it works fabulously on both mids and tweeters. Class A operation is 8-10W as tuned at the factory, you can bias it up further but the amp does well in the class B portion of its output so it is not as critical as it is in the JC and Emotiva designs..
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - josh358 17:29:51 01/14/17 (17)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by Satie on January 14, 2017 at 13:35:24
        
        I read the review last night. The price is certainly great, but there are a couple of issues -- it won't drive the woofers, as you point out, so I couldn't use it for my split woofer experiment.
        
        And then there's the ground loop issue. I'm about to try an experiment with my computer, I got a fanless power supply, low noise video card, and liquid cooler for my computer, and I'm going to see if it's quiet enough to use in my living room. But I have to disassemble it to install the components. Once I've done that, I can try reconnecting the ground on the A-21. I fear, though, that I'm right and truly screwed, even though I swapped breakers so that everything driving my audio gear is now on the same phase. Even an isoground system probably wouldn't fix the hum fields in this house (my tech power is isolated ground but I had to repurpose some existing circuits for my audio and the contractor didn't put in the access hatch I asked for so I'd have to rip open the walls to run new ones).
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - Satie 22:20:14 01/15/17 (16)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by josh358 on January 14, 2017 at 17:29:51
        
        Without a real well grounded 3 phase supply I don't think the linear Theta amps are a practical reality. So unless you manage to sort that one out I think those are out.
        
        On the other hand, there is more flexibility in having high feedback and much cheaper high power amps for the bass panels rather than using the much more refined and expensive JC multichannel. Think linear Crown mactrotech 2402 which you can buy by the dozen at the price of the A51. Or 3X 3600 or 3602. Though some surgery to replace the fans is necessary.
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - Satie 14:22:44 01/18/17 (14)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by Satie on January 15, 2017 at 22:20:14
        
        I don't have that kind of heads on comparison to rely on. The closest I did on comparison was with the mg20.1 + big Chords vs. Big Boulder. and on the Apogee Diva - Big Krell KSA vs. Classe monos VTL Wotan or Siegfried tubes and a couple of others.
        
        The comparables are just that class A high power gives you a more tuneful tighter bass with subjectively deeper extension. It also heats the room very quickly. Even a large room. Tubes don't damp the membranes well enough and lose on tightness, making the bass sound a bit bulbous or elephantine. The class A/AB like the Classe was nearly as tight as the class A Krells but apparently started sagging. Some say the KSA bass is not natural. Compared to the rest of the things put on the Diva bass - or whole speaker, the Krell bass was most convincing.
        
        What I get at home with the Crown is tight deep bass and extension similar to the Krell (and boulder)- but it is not quite as tuneful as the Krell with the caveat that the Krell can sound single note on occasion when playing hard. I think it is the high damping power - I am thinking that the back emf is about the same scale as the driving voltage since the diaphragm is so stiff. So 1000 damping factor is more useful for the bass panels than it would normally be. The Crown 5000 are about 70 lb and have little bias current. Trying to equate class A to an equivalent effective power on an AB amp driving a panel I think you have roughly a 2:1 ratio so at 8 ohms a 500W class A would be equivalent to a 1kw AB in bass panel performance. Which is roughly where the Crown 5002 stands. And the Apogee/Krell bass is close to what I get with the Tympani/Crown.
        
        If you remember the JGH review of the KLH9 then his response to having the mids and bass come off the panel rather than go to a box woofer describes well what the panels sound like when driven by an ample amp vs. one that sags.
        
        I would suggest that you should expect to match the power supply rating of the A51 to that of the particular Crown model you are considering and remember that you can bridge the crown for 4 ohms and that on the 3600 you can do a regular bridge and there is a parallel bridge option for 1 ohm if you ever need that.
        
        You are probably ok with the 2400/2402, if not in stereo then bridged mono, and if you want to have extra power then the 3600/3602.
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - josh358 09:10:44 01/20/17 (13)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by Satie on January 18, 2017 at 14:22:44
        
        I looked at some on Ebay -- they all looked pretty beat up, as if they'd been on the road . . .
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - Satie 11:55:08 01/20/17 (12)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by josh358 on January 20, 2017 at 09:10:44
        
        That is because that is where most of them went/are. The 2400 are common small venue amps. So have the highest likelihood of having been lugged around the country in vans with less than professional care.
        
        Finding them in presentable condition is more difficult. I got my 5002 essentially new from a cancelled concert tour.
        
        They have been out of production for a few years now so the search will get you many a beat up but working piece. But what I stumbled upon is not possible because they are not new any longer. Do any of the new Macrotech i series amps show up?
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - josh358 16:01:55 01/20/17 (11)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by Satie on January 20, 2017 at 11:55:08
        
        I see a 5000i but it's $1600. And much more amp than I need! Other larger Maorotech i's for even more money. OTOH, I just found a refurbished 2402 for $550 that looks to be in reasonable shape:
        
        http://www.ebay.com/itm/CROWN-MACRO-TECH-2402-MA-2402-GMA-2402-2-CH-1050WPC-PRO-POWER-AMPLIFIER-AMP-/361850324652#viTabs_0
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - zulugone 18:13:48 01/20/17 (10)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by josh358 on January 20, 2017 at 16:01:55
        
        FWIW as a price reference I followed eBay Macro-Tech prices for a few months.
        
        Used not under warranty 5000i lows ran from $1,600 to $2,700.
        The lowest used 9000i was $1,850 and still under warranty.
        
        I bought one new 5000i from PlanetDJ for $2,236.76 on a Black Friday sale and another new 5000i on eBay for $2,100.00 (came with plug for South Africa :|). The normal best new online pro store prices I found run from $4,300 to $4,600.
        
        You can email crown support a serial number and they will give you the year of manufacture and tell you if it's still under warranty.
        
        The dsp versions, I-Tech 5000HD, record hours used. Forum wonks advise not to get earlier models not ending in 'HD'.
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - josh358 06:36:34 01/21/17 (9)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by zulugone on January 20, 2017 at 18:13:48
        
        Thanks, useful information. I think the 5000i is overkill for my application -- I don't need all that power -- but I found a refurbished 2402 for $550:
        
        http://www.ebay.com/itm/CROWN-MACRO-TECH-2402-MA-2402-GMA-2402-2-CH-1050WPC-PRO-POWER-AMPLIFIER-AMP-/361850324652#viTabs_0
        
        Think that's reasonable?
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - Satie 12:03:53 01/21/17 (4)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by josh358 on January 21, 2017 at 06:36:34
        
        That isn't a bad price but it isn't a "deal" either.
        
        Didn't realize you could get a 5000i for that kind of money. I heard good things about their performance at the mids and top end but have not tried them myself. The 5002 I have are not that great on top.
        
        Zulugone, do you have a comment on midrange and treble and imaging performance of the 5000i amps?
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - josh358 18:27:23 01/22/17 (2)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by Satie on January 21, 2017 at 12:03:53
        
        Still scratching my head. Both the Neo-8's and tweeters can get by with a smaller amp, which means the A-21 really makes sense for the woofers. But then, I want to try separating the woofers, so need another reasonably-sized amp to play with (although I can just wire them together for initial experiments and keep the woofer and mid-woofers equidistant). The only reason for the second woofer amp would be to adjust timing -- I'm not sure a crossover would be a good idea since the panels aren't quite tuned as LF/HF, there's a lower bass segment in the midbass panel.
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - Satie 11:34:20 01/24/17 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by josh358 on January 22, 2017 at 18:27:23
        
        If you are dropping the idea of crossing over between the bass and midbass panels because of their complementary tuning to perform together as a single driver then you really don't need another high power amp. Your room is small enough so that it can be fully loaded with the power on hand via the A21 and there is little to be gained by powering the bass panels separately. .
        
        In which case you don't need a high power amp but a good quality 4 channels of high bias class A/AB amps rated around the 50-100W range at 8 ohms.
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - josh358 13:09:24 01/26/17 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by Satie on January 24, 2017 at 11:34:20
        
        Damn, could have sworn I replied to this when I saw it a few days ago.
        
        OK, so my senility notwithstanding, the reason I need to biamp the midbass and bass is that they probably won't be equidistant.
        
        Of course I could use a 100 watt amp to experiment with and then get a bigger one for the second bass panel if I do decide to split them. Which will depend on whether the split arrangement sounds better than my current one, which is starting to sound pretty good. I'd been eying the little Pass for the Neos . . . not sure what I'd put on the tweeter (or if it really matters, now that my ears are only good to 12 kHz).
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - zulugone 12:51:04 01/21/17 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by Satie on January 21, 2017 at 12:03:53
        
        Not really as I have little experience listening to different amps and so don't have much of a reference. I would say the Macro-Tech tends to add more detail over the XLS-2500 across the spectrum but I would guess that's just due to the power (relative to Maggie 4 ohms) which is stable to 1 ohm. It's a soft call (subjective perhaps :) ) but I notice this detail more in symphonies and less in say solo violin.
        
        Over time I've heard more variation between recordings than anything else. I notice less 'choral-soprano-screech' with the Macro-Techs on some old favorite CDs but I also hear more bass in the background so that's hard to sort out.
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - zulugone 08:08:38 01/21/17 (3)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by josh358 on January 21, 2017 at 06:36:34
        
        I didn't investigate any of the older Crown amps. Among the discontinued series I recall the K's mentioned often for durability and home theater use partly because they have no fans.
        
        My Macro-Tech i's are noisy running full speed on any power draw...another DIY project to fix that. I notice them when listening to quieter classical like solo guitar.
        
        I found some useful info on a Crown forum: http://www.crownaudio.com/forums/index.php?/search/.
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - josh358 17:53:53 01/22/17 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by zulugone on January 21, 2017 at 08:08:38
        
        Thanks. I think I'd probably do what Satie is thinkingof doing -- put the amp in another room. Still, the fans are a drawback . . .
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - Norman M 12:18:00 01/21/17 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by zulugone on January 21, 2017 at 08:08:38
        
        The fan within the 'audiophile' Crown Macro Reference (~ 24 years ago) was described as "its noise distracting when listening at low levels".
        
        Read more at http://www.stereophile.com/content/crown-macro-reference-power-amplifier-lewis-lipnick#87XGZaruTj3sRYUC.99
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - Satie 12:47:31 01/21/17 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by Norman M on January 21, 2017 at 12:18:00
        
        Yes, the fan noise can be distracting. I have some tricks to take it down and got a spool of new low gauge wiring to allow me to move it to another room eventually.
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - josh358 17:25:37 01/17/17 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by Satie on January 15, 2017 at 22:20:14
        
        How do you think the bass amps compare, though? I was easily able to hear the difference between the three I compared while feeding only the woofer -- which rather surprised me.
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - russ69 18:08:14 01/02/17 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by JBen on January 02, 2017 at 16:56:59
        
        "I walked the Swap Shop on Saturday and searched for the Telarc LP'
        
        I just found a copy in a thrift shop for 2 bucks.
        
        RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony - JBen 22:30:39 01/10/17 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by russ69 on January 02, 2017 at 18:08:14
        
        Sweet, Russ, may you enjoy it grandly! I kept looking for the LP actively until this past weekend.
        
        Then I learned that Telarc had actually taken the trouble to make careful SACD versions of it (Saint-Sa�ns: Symphony No. 3 for organ, Eugene Ormandy/PO) and the original Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture / Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue...Kunzel. Not the LPs but I was VERY glad to get them. They are not the greatest performances but that Soundstream digital system captured some mighty sounds.
        
        So, no LP's for me. LOL, my current vinyl gear may not even track those 1812 cannon shot grooves like the old set did so well in the 80's.
        
        symmetrical skylights? - watts 06:15:36 01/01/17 (2)
        
        In Reply to: RE: miss the Telarc Organ Symphony posted by josh358 on December 31, 2016 at 05:15:22
        
        I don't think I've ever seen that before. I wonder if the room was designed as such?
        
        RE: symmetrical skylights? - Satie 21:58:19 01/01/17 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: symmetrical skylights? posted by watts on January 01, 2017 at 06:15:36
        
        They just came out this year. No reviews yet.
        
        RE: symmetrical skylights? - josh358 10:46:59 01/01/17 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: symmetrical skylights? posted by watts on January 01, 2017 at 06:15:36
        
        Heh, hadn't noticed that. It's a hotel room, so maybe it was?
        
        RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - JBen 14:01:26 12/30/16 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by josh358 on December 29, 2016 at 18:25:17
        
        In more recent years, the Telarc 1812 SACD has punished my MMG's. Yet, back in the 80's it was the original Telarc LP of 1812 who sent several pairs of woofers to heaven. I actually kept buying them in advance, 4 pairs at a time. All in all, 9 pairs died within 2 years.
        
        Once the factory ran out of the woofers, I replaced them with a higher power-rated set of woofers but (unknowingly) of half the original impedance. It was a 3-way bi-amped box system and the woofers had a stereo power amp all to themselves. So, they worked fine for a while, even playing 1812 "loudishly".
        
        Then came one evening fully reserved for my audio pleasure. It actually turned into an audiovisual spectacle. The deafening tune of the cannons yielded the scene to the fireworks. The woofers power amp blew in glorious sparks.
        
        BTW, if I remember this right, I think it was Norman who also launched some serious fireworks from his power amp while playing 1812 at one time.
        
        Then you go blow sparks in them Maggie fuses!
        
        Not audiophiles...pyromaniacs is what we are!
        
        RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - josh358 19:03:28 12/30/16 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by JBen on December 30, 2016 at 14:01:26
        
        LOL
        
        And I thought I was pushing things.
        
        That's what those $70 audiophile fuses are for you -- they scare you into keeping the levels low!
        
        RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - Norman M 17:49:05 12/29/16 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by JBen on December 29, 2016 at 17:19:30
        
        Elmer's schmelmer's, just buy a new pair of MMGs.
        
        RE: ... just buy a new pair of MMGs. - JBen 00:10:00 12/30/16 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by Norman M on December 29, 2016 at 17:49:05
        
        LOL, I wish I could. They don't make them like these original 90's model ones anymore. Fast (thinner) tweeter and more bass area...biamped and otherwise tweaked they need no woofers for most music. From these I'll just have to go to 3.x but there's no rush. I'll just DAP this up in an couple of days and we'll be good for another run at 1812.
  - RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - Utley1 16:22:32 12/24/16 (4)
    Well said Josh and pertinent in a world of huckster business models starting from the President Elect and processed by almost every major corporation with shortening list of exceptions.Let the company breath they do no harm to their customers. Audiophiles should watch their manias and stop inflating their quasi rational expatiation's reserve your anger to a car company or a bank.
    - RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - josh358 16:48:39 12/26/16 (3)
      "Reserve your anger to a car company or a bank."
      
      Well said!
      - RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - Utley1 18:01:23 12/26/16 (2)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by josh358 on December 26, 2016 at 16:48:39
        
        There is still a wonderful fellowship on this site:a rarity in this world. I am grateful for more than the occasional moments of brilliance(quite often really) that I encounter with the actors here. Remarkable and extraordinary indeed.
        
        RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - macmagman 10:05:57 12/27/16 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by Utley1 on December 26, 2016 at 18:01:23
        
        I've been in customer service for over 30 years and Magnepan is at the very top of my list. I have had several occasions where I have dealt with them, mostly replacement ribbons, and to talk directly with someone there I believe is huge, so you have to call during the day, that's what lunch hours are for. I have had a situation with my mid-range failure and talked to Wendell directly, I'm not happy that I now need to repeat the procedure with the other speaker but I have called them, talked to Karen and as soon as funds allow me to I will second the second panel to them for repair.
        
        Late last week I had a buzz in my speakers and I placed a call to Sanders, talked to Roger personally and he led me to the problem within minutes. So Wednell - Roger and the other companies that operate this way. please don't change a thing you are a dying breed......
        
        RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - josh358 16:30:03 12/27/16 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by macmagman on December 27, 2016 at 10:05:57
        
        +1
RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - contrapuntal 21:10:25 12/21/16 (0)
Guess I am old school as well. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." So by the time they get there, you friends might be a little fonder.

Actually. I am always having people at places other than fast food joints (which I do not even eat anyway)apologize to me for waiting too long, i.e. at a doctor or dentist office. Or at a hardware store. Or even at the supermarket. Every time I get "I'm so sorry this is taking so long." my standard reply is "Hey, this ain't fast food is it?" About always get a smile. These people put up with people all day.

And after seeing every widget in the world with "China" stamped on it, I'm just grateful such American made loudspeakers are still made in the USA. Don't have them, but I can remember the first time I listened to them, and I swore David Crosby was standing about 6-8 feet further behind the speakers, which meant I heard him singing through a solid wall.
A note from Wendell - josh358 17:04:11 12/20/16 (8)
Wendell called this evening to say that he'd seen the thread, and wanted to respond. Here's his statement:
"Instead of online ordering, Magnepan has made a change in a different direction. All orders, no matter how small, require that Wendell first consult with the customer to be sure that it is a good fit and will meet the customer's expectations. Magnepan's business relies on customer satisfaction and referrals. This new policy is more labor-intensive, but as a result, the level of customer satisfaction has increased and returns have decreased.
"Magnepan has a crisis in our service department. Our new service manager has been in the hospital with a serious illness. Employees in other departments are trying their best to take up the slack, but it is a struggle. Magnepan asks for your patience while we fill this position.
"If you get voice mail in other departments, you will get a return phone call. In an ideal world, you would never get voice mail at Magnepan. But, we have a small staff and sometimes we are all on the phone."

Edits: 12/20/16 12/20/16
- RE: A note from Wendell - Norman M 09:13:03 12/22/16 (1)
  "Magnepan has a crisis in our service department. Our new service manager has been in the hospital with a serious illness. Employees in other departments are trying their best to take up the slack, but it is a struggle. Magnepan asks for your patience while we fill this position.
  
  "If you get voice mail in other departments, you will get a return phone call. In an ideal world, you would never get voice mail at Magnepan. But, we have a small staff and sometimes we are all on the phone."
  
  Unfortunately that reads like double-talk to me.
  I got a recorded message from the Repairs Dept instructing me to contact them by sending an email to "service@magnepan.com". I then sent two messages to that address, starting November 17, and never received a reply. The Chinese (many, but not all of whose products are poor) might have been able to better handle this situation. Why couldn't I be sent some type of an auto reply informing me as to their unfortunate situation? I really can't comprehend why I didn't. The fact of the matter is that without your post, I would still be in the dark.
  
  IMHO, not good either of a Chinese or an American outfit.
  - RE: A note from Wendell - josh358 10:59:21 12/22/16 (0)
    I think you make a good point -- that when something like this happens, the customer should be informed by a message or auto-reply so that he doesn't feel he's just being ignored. I know how frustrating that can be.
- He might reconsider - E-Stat 08:27:09 12/21/16 (3)
  the question of ecommerce if Magnepan wants to woo Millennials.
  
  They don't like using their phones to call anyone - even their mothers!
  - That's a very interesting conundrum! ... - andyr 22:06:17 12/23/16 (1)
    My gut feel is that any company has to move with the times ... so it's tempting to think they need to "get with" the Millenials. But are Millenials their target audience?
    
    Andy
    - RE: That's a very interesting conundrum! ... - E-Stat 04:39:37 12/24/16 (0)
      If there is to be a future audience, I would say yes.
      
      Millennials now represent the largest segment of working adults.
  - RE: He might reconsider - josh358 16:16:06 12/21/16 (0)
    Heh, I've heard that. It is an issue.
- RE: A note from Wendell - Les Anderson 07:20:57 12/21/16 (1)
  I appreciate the follow up. I don't mean to bash the brand and I understand there can be constraints and challenges but this model of doing business is becoming extremely old fashioned and antiquated. In the transaction I described, Magnepan achieved the exact opposite of what the strive to provide. Adding modern conveniences, like even a queue to hold in if a customer chooses should be a viable option and does nothing to prevent them from providing 1:1 consultation.
  
  Thanks again
  - RE: A note from Wendell - josh358 16:18:39 12/21/16 (0)
    I'm no expert, but I don't think a queue would work in this situation, where the orders all go through one person.
    
    Part of the problem some people may be having is that they're used to leaving messages and not getting a response half the time -- that seems to be the way customer service works at most places these days. But Wendell assures me that if someone leaves a message, he'll get back to them before he leaves for the day.
RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - zulugone 11:34:32 12/20/16 (0)
About two weeks ago I called a few times to order a part and only got a recording from the parts and service number so I called back and talked to the friendly lady at 0 who transferred me to the perspicacious Mr. Diller who informed me that the service person had been out sick for a while and hopefully would return soon.

I live in Amazonia and see many who have worked for Lord Bezos. They were run hard and put away wet.

When my family in WI tell me they see the first signs of Spring I will wait a couple of weeks and call MN. The part will come.
RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - grantv 09:39:16 12/20/16 (0)
1. Agreed they could/should offer ordering online at their size.
2. If you try to call most anybody in manufacturing on the weekend you'll get nobody, this is pretty standard. If 1 was fixed however, this wouldn't be an issue.
3. See 2; Monday's are crazy for me at my day job (manufacturing). Chances are Monday's are for them, particularly just before Christmas.
4. In busy periods, such as right before Christmas, I think this is a pretty fair delivery schedule.
RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - russ69 08:48:34 12/20/16 (0)
I feel your pain but I think this happened by circumstance. Magnepans are not plug and play. Often people need help setting up Magnepans correctly and they also need help picking the right components. So in the past Magnepan was a dealer only option. That way they could serve the needs of the customer better. Later, because of the diminishing number of brick and mortar stores it was decided that the smaller speakers could be sold directly to the customer(MMG). Magnepans were never intended to be a mass market product. They are totally hand made (as far as I know).
If the market was different, there would be multiple middleman wholesalers and you could order them on Amazon. Magnepan is a niche product from a small company, you can't compare their business to the mega conglomerates.
RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - Davey 07:40:50 12/20/16 (7)
I like the old-school business model and customer support. Do you need a Magnepan app for your phone for crying out loud?
I've only called back there about a half a dozen times over twenty years, but each time I always got a person on the phone who was pleasant to talk with and handled said situation perfectly fine.

Regardless, you're perfectly free to not purchase their products.

Dave.
- RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - rwiley 22:13:25 12/23/16 (0)
  Ditto!!!
- RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - Les Anderson 08:06:12 12/20/16 (5)
  I want to reccomend and purchase their products. I have owned several pairs over the years and would be the first to agree that they represent an unprecedented value. It would simply be nice if they would make it easy for a customer to transact. The old school business model is charming, until it takes over your Monday like it did for my friend. To place 3 calls and then be told 10-15 days for $300 speaker seems crazy.
  
  To run an ecommerce site in this day and age requires a tiny investment. To answer the phone when called is not too much to ask.
  - RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - josh358 11:28:26 12/20/16 (4)
    Remember, though, they aren't an e commerce company or even a retailer, but a manufacturer. They don't have banks of operators standing by in Bangalore.
    
    I do agree that they should allow direct web ordering since it's now customary and expected, but I know how they feel on this -- would you rather order from someone at the factory who knows something about the product and can offer technical support and advice, or to someone in Bangalore who doesn't know the first thing about what he's selling?
    - RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - kentaja 05:47:31 12/21/16 (3)
      "would you rather order from someone at the factory who knows something about the product and can offer technical support and advice, or to someone in Bangalore who doesn't know the first thing about what he's selling?"
      
      For some the answer is someone in Bangalore as long as I can get it now......and cheap. The two driving forces for many consumer transactions.
      
      Patience and a sense of value are not high on the priority list for many consumers. I want as much cheap junk as I can possibly get my hands on and I want it NOW.
      - RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - josh358 16:14:38 12/21/16 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by kentaja on December 21, 2016 at 05:47:31
        
        it's true. However, I don't think high end audio is that kind of business -- that was always the province of the mid fi people. I get the impression from what Wendell wrote that he's more concerned with reputation and word of mouth than he is with that kind of sale.
      - RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - Les Anderson 07:14:50 12/21/16 (1)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by kentaja on December 21, 2016 at 05:47:31
        
        Your dreaming if you don't think there is middle ground.
        
        RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - kentaja 08:50:19 12/21/16 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad posted by Les Anderson on December 21, 2016 at 07:14:50
        
        Certainly there is middle ground.
Harmon-Kardon in talks to buy the patents - farfetched 21:45:30 12/19/16 (3)
Got ya
/ optimally proportioned triangles are our friends
- RE: Harmon-Kardon in talks to buy the patents - RickeyM 15:18:15 12/21/16 (0)
  Don't even play like that! :)
- RE: Harmon-Kardon in talks to buy the patents - Roger Gustavsson 22:19:27 12/19/16 (1)
  "Harmon-Kardon in talks to buy the patents"
  
  Joking? Samsung own Harman. Magnepan patents have expired.
  
  How large is the staff at Magnepan? Is it not a small Company? Planar speakers will never sell in large quantities.
  - ya was a joke ) - farfetched 15:52:37 12/22/16 (0)
    And a bad one!
    
    I heart small companies. Discovering Maggies was the absolute high point of my audiophile life.
    
    And boy, is it sad planars wouldn't mass sell. Wonder why that is?
    
    f
    / optimally proportioned triangles are our friends
RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - neolith 20:27:43 12/19/16 (4)
I guess it would be nice if they moved into the 1990's. However, as an old fart, I kind of like it. It is rare to see a business model that relies on human contact and personality in a world of Amazon and others. Sure it isn't as convenient but considering the value of the product and the support, all is forgiven. How would you feel if a Chinese company bought them out and moved the operation overseas and the way you could communicate was by a iPad?

I married the perfect woman. The downside is everything that goes wrong is my fault.
- RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - Les Anderson 06:18:10 12/20/16 (0)
  I appreciate your sentiment, but they should be able to answer the phone. And their products more geared towards the mass market should be available to ship within a reasonable time during the holidays.
- RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - Norman M 20:57:41 12/19/16 (2)
  Are you implying this is an either or situation (and there's no middle ground)?
  
  I myself am rather unhappy with Magnepan's customer service. Over a month ago I reached their repair department via telephone for a trivial job which I can't perform and which I don't trust locals to do even if I could find someone willing to do it. Surprisingly their recorded message gave an email address for me to contact. I sent them two emails during this interval and have received zero response. If they choose not to do it, I'd sooner be told the equivalent of drop dead and go to hell, rather than no response.
  - RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - neolith 08:46:51 12/20/16 (1)
    I certainly won't offer apologies or explanations for poor customer service whether it is by snail mail and telephone or by cyber communications. I have never had a problem contacting Magnepan (during normal business hours) and have always found the people (Margaret in the old days, Karen, or Wendell) easily accessible. Maybe there is some type of karma involved -- have you been a good boy :).
    
    I married the perfect woman. The downside is everything that goes wrong is my fault.
    - RE: Ordering from Magnepan, lol if it wasn't sad - Norman M 09:50:47 12/20/16 (0)
      The problem I had is my first and only with Magnepan.
      Could they possibly be going downhill?
      
      While I'm sure of being on Santa's nice list, I'm placing Magnepan on his other list.

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