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Maggie LRS so ridiculously good

I ordered a set of the LRS just to be able to say I have lived with Maggies at least once.  I've had a lot of speakers and some big dog expensive ones like Kef Blade and Revel Salon 2 to name a couple.  These 650 dollar LRS bring as much enjoyment as anything I've ever heard in so many ways.  They don't love hard driving music for sure but for quiet listening or mellow type music they will give you transcendent moments.  I swear they are breaking in or something and becoming a little more dynamic than when brand new.  These have to be one of the greatest hifi bargains of all time.  My 30 watt Pass 30.8 drives them well.  I had 3.6 maggies many years ago and I snubbed them, thought they were so compressed sounding but maybe I was wrong or not using the right amp.  These are just wow and so impressive what you can get for the money.  I have a feeling a killer amp is a big part of the equation with these but even with a Naim Uniti Atom in a smaller space these are still awesome.  This has to be the ultimate apartment speaker for someone who can't turn it up very loud and likes to listen late and night, you can really enjoy these at very low levels.  Anyway I just wanted to put my enthusiasm on public record, if you are thinking of pulling the trigger do it and also give them some time don't write them off to quickly.  I wish I had a separate space so I could always have a set of maggies ready to listen to when the mood and music was just right.  
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richopp
760 posts
 
I keep posting that Magnepan has the most accurate speakers. NOW, YOUR ROOM may not be right for them. I have set up over 75 pair in my time and there are rooms that just do not work with them.

However, a good dealer with knowledge can pretty much get them right for you ALMOST all the time. Nothing is "always" in this life.

Obviously, since they reveal whatever you put into them, you do need excellent source material and hardware. What you have will be revealed when you hook it up to a pair--good or bad! Also, I do not know this model, but I have never seen too much amp on a pair, either, but that may no longer be true. I speak from the days when they were all very large and required as much as you could give them and more.

The real fun is playing them next to whatever box you have and seeing the look on your face when you finally realize that ALL boxes add negative elements to the music.

Anyway, pleased you love them. I challenge everyone to try a pair IN YOUR ROOM and see what I mean.

Cheers!
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bouncehit
73 posts
 
I've owned many, many Magnepan speakers and find them among the most consistently musical and appealing offers out there, no matter the price.  :)

Among those found along the way on my journey have been MGI's, MGIIa's, MGIIIa's, Tympani 4a's, and MG 20.1's.  ALL of them NEED a subwoofer for deep bass extension and "slam" (if you like rock) but the bigger issue is amplification.  MORE POWER is better.  I've heard them sound good with NAD, ADCOM, Bryston, etc. but THE BEST HANDS DOWN was with a pair of Mark Levinson No. 23's bridged into mono.  Glorious.  ;)
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mijostyn
8,156 posts
 
They are not the most accurate loudspeakers but the do beat out most dynamic enclosure speakers. The LRS is a good sounding speaker. It is a bit limited in range and volume. The 3.7i will go louder and if it is jazz, country and classical you listen to they are probably enough. They get a little louder with subwoofers and their distortion lowers but not as much as a full range ESL where the addition of subwoofer produces extraordinary results. I like the concept of Emerald Physics speaker. Limiting dispersion is a very important concept as if done right it will decrease room interaction but if you limit it too much you get a very selfish system like the Acoustat 2+2's I once owned or the Sanders Model 10. But, that one listener gets an incredible experience. 
If Magnepan had made the 20.7 7 feet 10 inches tall they would have had the best speaker they have ever made. That was the intension but the marketing department cut it short. Very sad about that.
scchengmus
93 posts
 
Per Magnepan’s website and many user recommendations, the LRS (Maggies in general) require high current amplification. Using more power is the key to driving them, so in other words Maggies are not efficient speakers. Also precise L/R/wall distance positioning using a tape ruler is a must to obtain the best of near-field low-level vs. sweet spot higher-level listening experiences. Experimenting with stand upgrades such as MyeStand or Magna Risers is another tweet you can try, though stands also depend on your room’s floor material. I have tried all of the above for classical, jazz, electronic genres with success. 
scchengmus
93 posts
 
(Sorry for typo: “tweak” not “tweet”)

Experimenting with stand upgrades such as MyeStand or Magna Risers is another tweet

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