Newbie Maggie question: Best bang for buck?

If you’re a Maggie newbie(and looking for best bang for the buck), then the elephant in the room for some of us in discussions like this is take a hard look at the Eminent Technology LFT-8b or LFT-8c and any reviews comparing any Maggie to the LFTs. With both models, but particularly the 8c, you won’t need a sub. I have the 8b model and find the off-axis response to be excellent...not at all finicky. I have a somewhat exotic speaker set that I built to give a hard listen to. If they don’t beat the LFT, then I’ll be upgrading the my 8b model to the 8c..easy to do, and inexpensive. 

I started with the LRS+ in my office to replace the KEF LS50 Meta. The room was small 12x11x9. I used the KEF KC62 sub with both. I was very surprised to find that the Maggie was EASIER to place than the LS50 Meta. The LRS+ was not as clean sounding as the LS50 Meta, but the overall wall of sound Maggie presentation was a more fun listen for me.

I lost that room and went to an even smaller space (my virtual systems has photos). I sold the LSR+ and got the Maggie Mini Panels. This was better sounding than the LRS+ on top. Though not the ultimate in resolution. Still a very fun listen.The Mini panel uses the same panel as the 3.7. I would spring for the upgraded "i" variant if the Maggie was my main speaker.

I have owned amps from $1k to $16k that I have used with the Maggies. I posted such a list on A’gon in the past.

The amp I am using today, the $2k Schiit Wotan is the second-best amp on the Maggies. The best is my CODA #16 but it cost 8x more. The Wotan needs a lot of burn-in to sound optimal. 

3.7i But don’t skimp on the amp. Need lots of current.

A quick postscript - the 2.7i and 2.7x also have ribbon tweeters (48” vs 60” on the 3.7i). Stunning!

I don’t need huge bass sound, and the 2.7x delivers all I need - Michael Jackson, Steely Dan, etc all sound fantastic! 
 

Yes, placement is finicky. But it’s also fun. I finally settled on the ‘right’ spot after about 15-20 little tweaks. And put a small piece of tape on the floor to mark exactly where each one should be (in case moved by mistake by someone).

Fair warning - maybe it’s just me, but after 4 decades of Maggies I can’t listen to most cone speakers without getting listener fatigue after 30 minutes - I’ve heard many but they sound too bright/harsh. My ears are spoiled. 
 

Happy hunting!
 

I got my first taste of Maggies when I listened to the venerable LRS at a friend's home. That motivated me to purchase a used 1.7i which was excellent. I moved up the chain further and bought a brand new pair of 3.7i's. Here are my thoughts regarding the sweet spot in their lineup ...

3.7i's are more effortless and give you a massive soundstage which is quite addictive. However, they need substantially more current to drive them properly. I also found out that you must sit at least 10-12 feet away from them, otherwise they might not sound coherent. When I was sitting 8-9 feet away, I could hear the drivers doing their own thing which was not something I wanted in my system. Danny Richie of GR Research offers a crossover for 3.7i's which supposedly address a few of these issues.

For medium sized room, my recommendation is 1.7i/x. I found the midrange and mid bass punch to be better than the 3.7i's. They are less demanding when it comes to power and room placement. I found them to be more coherent than 3.7i's but that was most likely because they are not as tall or wide which allows you to sit a bit closer. If you can integrate a subwoofer or two, the 1.7i's might even be a better performer in a midsized room. Just my two cents.