Magnepan LRS

Yoda said something profound about......trying.... and DOING....

run the Carver first

Thanks all. Especially appreciate the advice on the Crown amp. Will head over to Magnolia this week and audition some speakers.  Will also give consider the Maggie’s. For $650 I don’t know if I can go wrong. I’m real old school.  Don’t laugh, but have been using a pair of home built speakers for many years - transmission lines (4” radio shack driver mounted in a pvc pipe........when did radio shack go out of business??.....). Finally time to try something else. Actually, recently heard some KEF Q350’s and realized that I’m missing a lot. So I think I’m on a mission.........

@m3apx 

I would recommend don't upgrade your Amp for the LRS unless you are able to hear them first.  IF you first listen to the LRS and love them, then go for it.

per a long and thorough review by Audio Excellence Canada on Youtube, the LRS is NOT an audiophile speaker.  it has good soundstage but does NOT have good imaging.  they say "what it does well is beautiful" but i am not sure what that is yet.  These guys are SALESMEN for the LRS - they would not talk bad about them, so when they explain some of the good points and bad points i tend to believe them.

From my own experience, they do have a nice sound stage that is not as boxy, but the sound image is kind of nebulous - less precise detail.  And they certainly can not handle loud rock music as well as more traditional box speakers.  Who knows, maybe i don't have them spaced out correctly.

Good luck to you!

I just auditioned a pair of LRS’s today. The dealer powered them with a Moon Audio amplifier. I didn’t like them and I mentioned that the amp might be the reason for the underwhelming sound but the dealer assured me that it was the Maggie’s.

The impetus for me driving up to my local dealer to hear them is that I’ve been finding myself without a speaker due to a regular need for electrostatic panel replacements. So I’m looking for a backup pair of speakers or a hifi pair of headphones.

The dealer told me that the 0.7’s is where the Magnepan magic starts to happen. I’ll take his word on it but I’m convinced at this point that Magnepan’s are not for me.

i have to admit that i PLOPPED them down where i thought they should go and have not moved them much.  Everyone says they are finicky about where they are, what amp is attached, etc,etc,...   i am being critical, but i would also enjoy praising them too, if i can find what they deserved to be praised for.  let me offer one example: Playing the song "Chocolate Chip Trip" by Tool (thank you Cheapaudioman) shows that the LRS present a very interesting sound stage, especially the Width of it..  The tones are dancing from left to right and back again like i have rarely heard.  If someone wants to offer a test for the LRS that he knows the LRS can pass with flying colors, i would enjoy trying to replicate said test.

Cheers