Opinion on a trade

[r_deming]

Have an offer to get a pair of JBL L7 in trade for my magnepan 2.5r. What do you guys think?
Good trade bad trade? Looks like it is a fair trade value wise.
Thanks for the help!

 

[swechsler]

In my area L7s don't sell for much, so it seems like a reasonable deal. Have you heard the Maggies? Keep in mind that you'll be giving up low bass and the ability to play them super loud. Also, this review says the tweeters are only good for a couple of years; however, I'm not sure how true that is. I had a pair of MGIIIs, much older than these, with, I believe, the original tweeter, which was still working fine, although it was physically sagging slightly. Assuming the tweeters are similar (the ribbon in the MGIII is almost 6' long), the ribbons in the 2.5Rs may also still be fine.

 

[r_deming]

The Maggie’s are mine. And they sound great, just time to move them along. Just curious about the L7 .

 

[swechsler]

Ah, I misread, which I've been doing a lot of lately here on AK. Haven't heard the L7s but it's my understanding that they're generally forgotten and/or underrated. But as far as trading a planar for a standard dynamic speaker, that I can't answer.

 

[RossW]

I had a pair of L7 and I did not like them. I tried them in multiple rooms, multiple placements, I messed around with port plugs, you name it. They were always boomy; so bad that my wife even commented on it. Bottom line, make sure you listen to them before you agree to anything!

In terms of value, they're probably close ($6-700 seems to be about what they both go for).

 

[SoCal Sam]

L7's look like AV towers that fell off a white van which is why they are not loved. However, they have the right stuff and are a good listen. You will find them to be a lot more dynamic and louder than Maggies.