Thinking of Magnepan ... finally!


Until recently, most of my amps have been tube-based with the exception of a few great SS integrateds thrown into the mix for fun. That's probably the main reason I have stayed away from Magnepans (or other speakers of its ilk) thus far. Now that I have an Aavik U-280 integrated amp that can do 300 watts @ 8 ohms and doubles to 600 @ 4, I would love to scratch that itch finally. Keep in mind that I do not intend to get rid of my other speakers (Joseph Audio Perspective2 Graphene, Harbeth SHL5+, Fritz Carrera BE) since I love them all for different reasons. The Magnepans will be rotated in the main listening room with Joseph Audio Perspectives. One thing I like about Maggies is that they are relatively lightweight so I can move them to the closet without breaking my back when not in rotation.

Since I've never owned Magnepans before, I have a ton of questions and doubts. So here we go ...

Bass (or the lack thereof) -- I've been told that the Magnepans are very light on bass and definitely require at least on subwoofer. Is this true in all cases? Anyone using them without subs and happy with the performance? TBH, I really would prefer that I don't use subs but not set in stone for sure.

Breathing Room -- my room is 20' x 15' with 12 foot ceilings. The speakers will be placed along the short wall (15'). I can pull them out by about 4.5 feet from the front wall and 3 feet from the side walls. Seating distance will be approximately 8 - 9 feet. Is this good enough or do you think more distance, especially from the front wall, is required to truly enjoy the speakers?

Mods -- I've also heard that the stock components (crossovers, fuses, etc.) and stands are suboptimal. Is this true? If so, what are the minimum requirements to bring the speaker to a higher standard and at what cost? 

Value -- For someone who is just starting out with Maggies, which model is a good entry point? I know that LRS+ is a good value, but my other speakers are very very good, so I want to do justice to the Maggies as well. But at the same time I don't want to spend more than I need to. Where do you think the sweet spot lies, i.e. which model(s)? I will be looking for used only since I've already spent way too much on other speakers.

Imaging -- I've also been told that imaging on Maggies is not that great. I have never heard Maggies before so I have no idea if this assertion is true or not. Your thoughts?

And finally, I want to hear from folks who love their Maggies. What is that you love most about the speakers? What qualities do they bring to the table that no other speaker does? Are there magnetic planar speakers from other brands that I should also be considering? Keep in mind they have to be readily available in the used market. So please don't suggest something that doesn't meet this requirement.

However, to bring some balance to the feedback, I would also love to hear from those who tried Magnepans and moved on to something else. Why? What was it that you didn't like about them? What did you move on to?

Thanks in advance and a sincere request: Please keep it civil ... no need for haters of Magnepan to use this as an opportunity to diss the brand.

128x128arafiq

@mijostyn I appreciate the offer. I will contact you once I get the speakers -- most likely around June of this year. Thank you!

@yesiam_a_pirate 

Don't be a dick and wring him out then shop for used ones. That's manifestly selfish and unfair.

Thank you for chiming in. My room is quite well treated so I'm hoping that will not be an issue with the Magnepans. But I'm open to add more if needed.

I totally agree with your comment regarding supporting retailers and dealers. I practice this myself as much as possible. Having said that, this is an audio form and we're all adults here. We should let people decide what's best for them and leave any moral posturing at the door. Just my 2 cents. Hope you don't mind.

+1 @jjss49

I have no doubt that Dannie Richie is very good at what he does. But at the end of the day it’s not that difficult to play monday morning quarterback. I have a lot more respect for folks who design, build, and sell their own speakers -- quirks, warts and all. I understand that it’s part of his business model but I have to admit that it leaves a bad taste in my mouth when he talks trash about other manufacturers. There has to be a better and more classy way to run his business without denigrating others’ creations. Oh well ...

Every day, Paul McGowan answers questions from people via video. Then every day a bunch of internet "engineers" proceed to tell him why he's wrong. 

This thread reminds me of that.

How did Magnepan ever survive?

My old 1.7s were well driven by Canary Tube monoblock amps putting out about 140 wpc ultralinear and 95 in pentode, I think. The crossovers are cheap Chinese junk.  They sound infinitely better after being rebuilt.  They did not sound at their best till I added a pair of subwoofers. 

Maggie's like current but they sing well with the right tube amp.