Newbie Maggie question: Best bang for buck?

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.

I love you guys. Thanks again for your experience with your own Magnepan systems.

It looks like the 3.7 may be the sweet spot - with the BIG caveat that your room must be able to accommodate their physicality. If your room is less accommodating, a well-integrated 2.7 may leave you with more money to buy music (and isn't that what this addiction is all about?).

As with any planar, room acoustics and speaker’s interactions with them become a part of your audio system more so than with dynamic cone drivers.

I’ve written in other posts that, to some extent, your amp is an extension of the electrical characteristics of your speaker - almost a part of their crossover/drivers. In similar ways, Maggies seem to adhere themselves to your room’s dimensions and your listening position more than most speakers, and even most planars, do. Like life, every benefit has a drawback.

One of the takeaways here, IMO, is that simply throwing money at bigger Magnepans - while seductive - may not create better sonic results if your listening room can’t digest them. Like blue jeans, a bit more room may be needed to accommodate that expensive deep dish pizza. That’s why I go for Detroit style - smaller, but if done properly like we do it in the D, there’s more flavor in the crust.  ;-)