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Thinking of Magnepan ... finally!

Until recently, most of my amps have been tube-based with the exception of a few great SS integrateds thrown into the mix for fun. That's probably the main reason I have stayed away from Magnepans (or other speakers of its ilk) thus far. Now that I have an Aavik U-280 integrated amp that can do 300 watts @ 8 ohms and doubles to 600 @ 4, I would love to scratch that itch finally. Keep in mind that I do not intend to get rid of my other speakers (Joseph Audio Perspective2 Graphene, Harbeth SHL5+, Fritz Carrera BE) since I love them all for different reasons. The Magnepans will be rotated in the main listening room with Joseph Audio Perspectives. One thing I like about Maggies is that they are relatively lightweight so I can move them to the closet without breaking my back when not in rotation.

Since I've never owned Magnepans before, I have a ton of questions and doubts. So here we go ...

Bass (or the lack thereof) -- I've been told that the Magnepans are very light on bass and definitely require at least on subwoofer. Is this true in all cases? Anyone using them without subs and happy with the performance? TBH, I really would prefer that I don't use subs but not set in stone for sure.

Breathing Room -- my room is 20' x 15' with 12 foot ceilings. The speakers will be placed along the short wall (15'). I can pull them out by about 4.5 feet from the front wall and 3 feet from the side walls. Seating distance will be approximately 8 - 9 feet. Is this good enough or do you think more distance, especially from the front wall, is required to truly enjoy the speakers?

Mods -- I've also heard that the stock components (crossovers, fuses, etc.) and stands are suboptimal. Is this true? If so, what are the minimum requirements to bring the speaker to a higher standard and at what cost? 

Value -- For someone who is just starting out with Maggies, which model is a good entry point? I know that LRS+ is a good value, but my other speakers are very very good, so I want to do justice to the Maggies as well. But at the same time I don't want to spend more than I need to. Where do you think the sweet spot lies, i.e. which model(s)? I will be looking for used only since I've already spent way too much on other speakers.

Imaging -- I've also been told that imaging on Maggies is not that great. I have never heard Maggies before so I have no idea if this assertion is true or not. Your thoughts?

And finally, I want to hear from folks who love their Maggies. What is that you love most about the speakers? What qualities do they bring to the table that no other speaker does? Are there magnetic planar speakers from other brands that I should also be considering? Keep in mind they have to be readily available in the used market. So please don't suggest something that doesn't meet this requirement.

However, to bring some balance to the feedback, I would also love to hear from those who tried Magnepans and moved on to something else. Why? What was it that you didn't like about them? What did you move on to?

Thanks in advance and a sincere request: Please keep it civil ... no need for haters of Magnepan to use this as an opportunity to diss the brand.

128x128arafiq
rankaudio
119 posts
 

arafiq’s avatar

arafiq OP

1,468 posts

@yyzsantabarbara How are the LRS+ doing after you’ve probably put few more hours on them? How would you compare them to more traditional/box speakers?

 

Incredibly well. I’ve put a few hundred hours on them. My Forte 1’s and Heresy II’s have a thicker sound which is typically the case with box speakers but the LRS Plus produce a wall of intricate, 3 dimensional detail. I just got the new REL T Zero MkIII two days ago and it’s a stunning match! I’m working on a part 2 LRS Plus review which will have sound demos with and without the T zero. I also have DAC shootout coming out.

yyzsantabarbara
4,468 posts
 

@arafiq I am now somewhere around 300-400 hours on the LRS+. I listen to it from 9AM to about 9PM, later headphones, I am busy with work so a lot of music these days.

I have noticed that the speakers have really opened up and sound very clean. It has more bass than expected. However, I finally got my KEF KC62 sub positioned properly with longer Benchmark RCA interconnects.  I crossed over at 50Hz on the sub. Wow, that made the system go up several notches. The KEF sub is very fast as is the LRS+.

I was using the PeachTree GAN400 amp with the LRS+ and Holo Serene preamp. It was OK for the longest time, and I was considering returning the GAN400 because I wanted great. However, adding the sub and maybe more hours on the LRS+ just blew those plans out of the water. The GAN400 is staying. It is a fast-sounding amp and I think mates well with the fast LRS+ and KC62 sub. A lot of toe-tapping listening.

I have a better speaker in the Yamaha NS5000 downstairs but listening to the LRS+ does not make me feel I am losing out. It is a different presentation from the NS5000. The LRS+ has a more wall-of-sound presentation in my small room and I like that. The NS5000 has a more traditional cone speaker presentation but those drivers are incredible.

The LRS+ sounds a lot like the RAAL SR1a phones with my VM-1a tube amp. The RAAL sounds a bit better but maybe moving up the Magenpan lineup evens things out.

I like the NS5000 setup a bit more than the RAAL setup.

 

aamiransari
11 posts
 

I've gone to my local dealer in SoCal a couple times now to listen to the Magnepan 1.7i speakers. I've heard them with both the Hegel integrated amplifier as well as the Rogue Pharoah. While the sound is nice, I'm not sure I see what the hype is about. Even in a controlled setting with optimally placed speakers and listener, they didn't draw me in. Maybe I need an even more powerful amplifier to draw out their magic? I don't know. For now I'm sticking with my box speakers. 

arafiq's avatar
arafiq OP
1,595 posts
 

@yyzsantabarbara Thanks for sharing your impressions of LRS+. Looks like you're really enjoying the speakers. I almost bought 1.7s from a local seller but we're building an outdoor kitchen so all my audio funds were diverted towards it :(

I heard so much about the LRS+ punching way above their price bracket, provided you supply ample power to them, and perhaps a pair of subs. Your impressions are in line with what I've been reading.

How do you compare the NS5000 to your Thiels btw?

 

yyzsantabarbara
4,468 posts
 

I am back to listening to the LRS+ with the modded PeachTree GAN1, which is a heck of an amp. It would be perfect if I did not listen to FM over the airwaves. FM is a big part of my day, so I need to use an amp | preamp | tuner and so cannot just use the GAN1.

I returned the PeachTree GAN400 which is pretty good but not as amazing as the modded GAN1. The GAN1 has shown me that 200 watts is good enough for the LRS+ in my small room. I am thinking of getting a Benchmark AHB2 again to rotate the CODA #16 and the AHB2 with both speakers. The 100 watts on the AHB2 and almost 200 watts at 4 Ohm could be good enough.

The NS5000 is sounding great. I moved things around in the Livingroom/son’s playroom and I have a good placement now. Essentially nothing of consequence in-between the speakers. The sound of the NS5000 takes me away into the music, it is even better than the RAAL SR1a phones and VM-1a tube amp. I never thought would say that.

I think the Zylon drivers on the NS5000 are more advanced than the almost 15-year-old Thiel CS3.7 drivers. The soundstage on the Thiel CS3.7 may have been a bit bigger. Though the NS5000 is good at that too. Looking at the old fashioned NS5000 you would not think it sounds as good as it does, but Yamaha seems to know what they are doing. It is a very beautiful speaker. My wife was happy that I sold the 2 pen_s’s, which she called the CS3.7.

A shame I am not really able to listen too much. That will happen on Jan 1, 2024.

 

 

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