First, came the 3.7

The 3.7 is a 3-way design, like the 3.6, but, it is a full-range ribbon design, like the highly acclaimed 1.7. We are calling it "trickle-up" technology. The concepts that worked so well in the 1.7 were incorporated in the 3.7.

The 3.7 was subjected to "blind testing" by a panel of audiophiles and casual listeners. In addition to better sound, there is one more important improvement that you can test for yourself. If you have the opportunity to hear the 3.7s at your local dealer, try this experiment---Ask the dealer to place the speakers with the tweeters on the outside. Note how the imaging remains remarkably stable when seated far off-axis. With some speakers it is necessary to sit in the "sweet spot" for good imaging. If you are too far out of the sweet spot, you will hear predominately one speaker. With the tweeters on the outside, the 3.7 has the widest sweet spot of any of any previous Maggies. If you prefer to sit only in the "sweet spot", try the tweeters on the inside. Be sure the speakers are toed-in. In all cases, the tweeter should not be closer to the listener than the bass section.

The introduction of the 3.7 during CES 2011 was very similar to the introduction of the 1.7 during CES 2010. In their show coverage, www.theaudiobeat.com summed up the reaction of many who heard the 3.7 at the Audio Research and Magnepan rooms — "In terms of high-end audio in early 2011, we don't know of a more important and impressive debut than that of the 3.7."

Then, the 3.7 became the 3.7i

In past model improvements, driver changes and factory retooling were extensive. It is rare when improvements can be made that are audible in a blind test and do not require a major investment. So, in view of this good fortune, we chose to pass on these small improvements rather than save them for a 3.8.

Will you be able to hear the difference between the 3.7 and 3.7i? Yes, in a careful A-B test, but we don't do sales hype. It is not a 3.8. And for those that have a 3.7, we have some good news.

For the first time in our history, we are able to upgrade your 3.7s at the factory for a modest $500. (That is what you have come to expect from Magnepan—good value.)

The 3.7i is not big.

What? You say.

The 3.7i is not big from anacousticalstandpoint. However, the bass driver is big. If we sold the portion of the speaker from 200 Hz up, you could put it in the average apartment. Yes, it is tall, but very narrow. The ideal speaker would be a massless line-source that would look like a pole--from the floor to the ceiling. The 3.7i comes as close to that ideal as is possible with real-world devices.

The 3.7i bass driver is the reason it is big. Sorry, but that is what it takes to have high definition bass (We are not fans of hybrid speakers).

Need more bass?

Put a big speaker in a small room, too much bass. Put a small speaker in big room, too little bass. In general, it is true. There is no one-size-fits-all. In an ideal world, the bass diaphragm would be like an accordion which could be expanded to exactly fit the needs of your acoustical environment.

Magnepan now provides more options for getting the bass and frequency balance just right for your particular room. The relative levels of the bass and tweeter/super-tweeter can be adjusted. If that does not achieve a smooth balance in your room, bass diaphragm area can be added with one or more Maggie Bass Panels.

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