Magnepan 1.6

Last month my review of the E.T. LFT-8B was published on Dagogo.com where I discuss the upgraded tweeter on the speaker. It's now much more smooth and less irritating on the high end than the older version LFT-8A. It has a global effect on the speaker's sound, and it makes the bass seem better integrated between the planar and dynamic drivers. It is another good option for a planar under $2k.

"The Magnepan 1.6 is a bit overrated".... I couldn't disagree more. They are anything but overrated. An incredible speaker at a silly price. My previous dynamic speakers retailed for $12000 and were wonderful. I don't miss them, at all, when I listen to my 1.6s.

hi doug:

i was told by the designer that the original lft 8 was softer sounding. that is, the treble was less prominent. did you compare the two ?

The mistake that most people make is UNDERPOWERING the Maggie 1.6's. With 100 wpc [into their 4 ohms impedance, which is more like a resistive load] I was very impressed.

After switching to a Spectron 1 [class D] with 500 wpc, the speakers came alive...punchy dynamics and a marked increase in lower bass. Also, the 1.6's take quite awhile to burn-in.

Further improvements can be obtained with a speaker stand [I forgot who makes it] as well as securing the top frame to the wall with metal studs and clamps [no too WAF friendly].

Huge sound for a ridiculously cheap price...but you do need mondo amp power!

the problem with magnepan's is definitely not the amplifier used to drive it. the speaker has problems regardless of what amplifier you use. its bass response is lacking and it has too much treble energy. if you use a powerful amplifier, you might find the presentation fatiguing.

speaker design is the issue not power. this is true of other speakers as well.

i have heard my magnepan's driven with mike sanders 300 watt solid state amp. it did not solve the magnepan's problem. it exacerbated them. the only amp that has tamed magnepans that i am aware of is the conrad johnson mv 125.