Magnepan .7 Alternatives


Looking for suggestions…Currently I have Magnepan .7’s and am generally happy but at times they just don’t do it.

I find these speakers to be schizophrenic, sounding great on some tracks and other tracks leaving me wondering what the hey !… I’d say probably 30-40% of the time I’m feeling this way. Either too much treble, not clear or not tonally balanced. I’m no expert but just my opinion, it often comes off as the midrange being pushed to it’s limit trying to be treble. I assume I feel that way being the speaker’s lack of accuracy, although what Maggi’s do they do well, just not an accurate speaker.

I experience this pretty much no matter what source or style of music I play, certainly a non forgiving speaker. Yes, I’ve played around with Toe-In, tried various resistors & jumpers…sounds great on everything I adjust, just not a consistent sounds great.

Lets get it straight, I’m not a “Magnepan Hater”, there’s certain qualities I truly love about my Maggi .7’s, the open sound, the transparency but hoping I may be able to find a speaker that’s not as finicky and can give me the open feel, transparency and clarity that I seek.

My set up consists of:

Odyssey Khartago Extreme Amp

Tubes4hif SP-13 Preamp

Bluesound Node

EAT B Sharp TT w/Sumiko Moonstone Cart

Pro-Ject Tube Box S Phono Pre

(2) REL - T5x Subs

 

Room dimensions: 11.5’ W x 12’ L

10’ Ceilings -

Listening Distance from Speakers

8.5’ - 9’

Carpet, Curtins, (4) 48” x 12”Acoustic panels on wall behind sofa facing my set up.

Not a fan of bookshelf’s and rather would prefer recommendations on

Floorstanders but will listen and research any suggestions you feel would work.

Note: I’m just starting my search, so don’t beat me up if I don’t go right out and purchase your suggestion as others have done in the past.

My Budget is around the $3k mark.

Thanks

🔊

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on paper, regarding the equipment it all looks like it should sound great

so for my money it has got to be the room, the setup, or listener tastes

not an easy room, basically square

suggest as @yogiboy said, smaller box monitors with sub support listen nearfield or semi nearfield

btw, good subs like rels do exceptionally well with maggies, no problemo

I think at least some of your issues are related to your listening position. The centerlines of your speakers are probably 6’ apart. You’re seated 8.5-9’ away. That’s far from ideal. What happens if you put a chair six feet from each speaker?

LFT-8b or LFT-8c. This will get you up to Maggie 3.7 level for not many bucks. I gave up on my .7 Maggies, I thought my MMGs sounded better. 

I compared the Magnepan MG1.7 to the Eminent Technology LFT-8b. Close in price, not in sound. Why the LFT-8 is not more well known and widely owned remains a mystery to me.

Everyone acts like Magnepan is the only maker of planar-magnetic loudspeakers in the world. Will the op even bother to go to the Eminent Technology website? I predict not.

VPI’s Harry Weisfeld on the LFT-8b (I paraphrase): This loudspeaker provides the best midrange reproduction I have ever heard, regardless of price.

The quality of the recording is going to show when you’re listening to a high resolution system. I’m not sure if you’re using the Bluesound Node’s internal DAC but seriously consider purchasing a separate DAC to improve overall sound quality. I’m running SMSL SD-9 media player into a Musician Pegasus DAC into a Wyred4Sound STI-500 integrated amp into Magnepan LRS speakers, and I’m well satisfied with how the music I listen to sounds.