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

I've owned Maggies on and off for about thirty years, and as others have said they have a sound like no other. I think all the standard advice applies: more power helps, work with the room, consider a couple subs (I use a pair of small RELs), find the sweet spot. They DO take some time to find the right placement; I ended up with more toe-in in my current room than I would have thought. I have the 1.7i and they're lovely. It's not hard in the Northeast to find used Maggies since lots of people bring them home and realize they're not a good fit in their living room. 

Maggies are noted for acoustic, voice/choral, folk, jazz, etc, but they can sound fine with bigger sounds. One thing people don't talk about enough: if you have more than a few drams of whisky or glasses of wine, and you crank up something that's got a big groove, it's enormous fun to turn off the lights, stand between the speakers, and dance around that space. It's like you're in the middle of a cosmic nebula of sound, a cocoon of sonic pleasure. Maybe "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley" or "I Wish" or "Hey Pocky Way" or some Little Feat. I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow...

 

 

+1 @bigtwin on the Sound Lab speakers. After electrostats you’ll never go back. You can find them used (I did) but not all that often. My wife, after hearing our 80 inch M1s thanked me for getting them. Bring lots of power…

+1 @jjss49 

The level of enthusiasm by Magnepan owners is commendable for sure. You can just sense how passionate they are about their speakers and how it connects them with the music first and foremost. Love it!

I have thought about the 3.7s but I think 1.7 is a good introduction to the world of Maggies. I don't know how the wife will react if she walks in and sees the massive 3.7s in the same spot as my Joseph Audios. I think 1.7s can act as the canary in the coal mine so to speak, lol!

This discussion is good for me too as I am considering the same thing. I am thinking about getting a pair of .7 or 1.7 and then using a PS Audio BHK 250 hybrid power amp to drive them. I am wondering if anyone here has this same combo, or a BHK 250 driving any Magnepan speaker. I think the wife will be OK with these smaller panels in our room.

I would love hear input on whether the BHK amp is good sounding and can supply enough juice for the speakers. I have been really impressed watching the Youtube vids on the amp and the designer Baskom King who evidently also has recently passed away. Still the reviews on the BHK250 seem to be really good.

I will also mention here that I posted the same question in the amplifier/preamp section, hope that is OK.

I've owned the Magnepan 1.7i's for a year. I highly recommend them. Upgrading the fuses and tweeter attenuator to .999 silver parts had a dramatic improvement on sound quality. Tearing the entire crossover and magnetic steel binding post out and putting in the GR-Research crossover upgrade would be the ultimate quality you could possibly get out of a Magnepan speaker.