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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
jimf421
44 posts
 

I have had Magnepan MGIIIa speaker for years. I biamp them with a pair of bryston 3Bs.  They are light on bass, but I really do not car about strong bass.  The bass they have is very clear and not muddy. You need patience in moving them around..I measured carefully to get them the same distance from the back walls and they work great

ozymandias_
4 posts
 

I don't know if I'm missing something or am acoustically challenged, however, I'm very successfully driving a pair of LRS speakers with a 47 watt amp. It's Linear Tube Audio's Z40 Integrated ZOTL tube amp.

The amp speaker combination works just, absolutely beautifully. Sound stage as wide as I want it by just subtly altering the speaker's toe-in or toe-out.

As the LTA amp is the quietest I've heard, you can hear everything. Nothing is muffled as the LRS keeps up with rapidly changing notes. So many times with studio recordings I've had for years, you can hear voices in the background on the run out grooves that I've never noticed before.

BTW: I'm talking vinyl only here.

Zero distortion as I turn up the volume. The LTA's volume goes to 100. My system is in a very large room and I can totally fill the room with sound by going no louder that 50 to 55 on the volume control.

What am I missing that a 300W+ amp is supposed to deliver, or is it just because I have the smaller LRS's ... ??

thomastrouble
239 posts
 

Just out of curiosity I’m listing a pair of Maggie’s that I used for maybe three weeks then put into original boxes as I moved overseas. Selling for $850.

pickindoug
58 posts
 

As with all speakers, the room matters, so I convey my experience in that light. My room is 22 x 28 x 9 with a few departures from its otherwise rectangular shape. I started with SMGa. They were inexpensive and I followed all of the recommendations for placement and power, using no solid state amp below 100 wpc. They sounded great, but the sweet spot was very small, both laterally and vertically. Still, they sounded amazing with the right alignments. Then, just for fun, I connected an old tube amp, about 60 wpc. It blew me away. The sweet spot wasn’t larger, but the listening enjoyment increased. I had to find bigger Maggies. Along came 1.6QR, and with them everything that size brings, extended highs and lows, much bigger sweet spot, and the soundstage grew tremendously. I used a mix of tube amps from 50 wpc up to Classe 500 wpc, and enjoyed every one of them. Had not tried using a sub, and as a longtime bass player, didn’t feel that I was missing low end. REW measurements did confirm a hard falloff below 40 Hz. But bigger is better, and I picked up a pair of 3.6R from one of the best Maggie dealers in the USA. I’d hesitate to say this is the end of the line, as 20.somethings would appeal at the right price, but aside from continuing to play with amplifier variations, these speakers delight me every time I listen. I use either a Convergent SL-1 or ARC SP3a1 preamp into vintage Lux or Sony solid state power amps, or any of my higher powered tube amps from Eico, VTL, or Dynaco. And I’ve added a tiny Totem Storm sub to supplement bass below 40 Hz.

The comments made by others regarding soundstage, weakness in bass, power hungry, etc, have not been my experience at all. Placement dictates the soundstage and natural bass, and the volume you wish to play dictates the power needs. I’m good in the mid 80 db range with peaks touching 90. If you want to play Maggies at 100 db, then you need lots of power.

My alternate system in the same room is Altec 604-8G and low powered tube amps. The Altecs are fun with a remarkable ability to make lesser quality recordings sound decent, much like a soft focus filter does for aging actors.

I haven’t heard LRS yet, but based on the experience of others, you may want the larger Maggies for your room. 1.7 at the very least. And they will shine with your Aavik.

gumbedamit
109 posts
 

There are a few things I could tell you. See if you can find a place to audition before you purchase.  I've owned several models,  2.5R's up to 20.1's, one thing I would say is none of them were lacking in bass. Maggie's have a different take on bass, fast and natural.  I've never used a sub, the natural sound is part of what makes them what they are. You didn't mention a budget,  $2500 should get you a good deal on a pair of used 3.6's....

Enjoy the Music

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