Posted by Wendell Narrod (A) on October 30, 2004 at 08:47:35

I bought a pair of 1.4s off ebay for $62. The seller advised bidders that one of the speakers, at least, would have to be repaired. I arranged for him to ship them directly to Magnepan. The
full rebuild, including new socks, was $459. One of the speakers was damaged while being shipped from the factory to me. UPS insurance requirements required that both speakers be sent back to Magnepan. A few weeks later the speakers were returned to me in as new condition. During that time I had talked with Grant VanderMye about a pair of his stands. It turns out he had never made a pair for the 1.4s. He agreed to do so if I provided the measurements. Delivery took a few more weeks because I wanted them powdercoated in almond to complement the offwhite socks and natural oak rails. While
waiting for the stands I became familiar with the sound of the speakers and was pleased. Bass was a little disappointing but the mid-range was quite good. Overall, I was pleased with the speakers. Then Grant's stands arrived. Wow!! It's as if the 1.4s are on steroids. Deeper, tighter bass. More precise imaging. A overall better top to bottom presentation. Clearly, anyone who is listening to Magnepans without high quality stands is missing much of what they are capable of delivering. They are magnitudes better than stock. Highly recommended.

This project ended up taking three months with a total outlay of $1000.00 for everything. As with most projects, it took longer and cost more than had been expected. I'm happy that I did it. I'm convinced that, for $1000, I have a pair of world class speakers. They won't supplant my Audio Physic Avanti IIIs ($12,000) but I sure do like them.

Thanks for letting me ramble.

Wendell