2. speakers
  3. 183671-6055

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
pkatsuleas
256 posts
 

@arafiq 

Lots of great info here already.  I'll just chime on to say go for it.  I just put my LRS back into the mix.  Whenever I do this, at first I am not really impressed.  Going from a box speaker (in this case Snell type D) my first thought is - where is the bass and fullness?  But that goes away fairly quickly as the Maggies open up and do their thing.  After a few hours I forget all about the box coloration and just become immersed in the music!  And yes, I agree that the more quality power you can give them, the better off you'll be.  They sound great with my McCormack .5 and tube pre and my Rogue tube amp.  But, my Hegel H360 gives them another added something that really satisfies.

Best of luck!

campoly's avatar
campoly
64 posts
 

RE: Magnepan’s amp recommendations 

The good folks at Magnepan, God bless’em, need to listen to some good modern class D amps with their speakers and then update that FAQ on amps. Then there is this quote from that FAQ “WE DON’T KNOW. It is too much work to keep up with changing models and the vast number of products.” 

That FAQ has been there for a very long time (outdated?). At some point, they’ll need to update it even though most of it still stands true.

I’m not recommending anyone run out and buy a class D amp or an A/B amp (personal choice). Just saying that class A/B amps may not be the end-all/be-all for Maggies and certainly not the only choice these days.

mesch
3,490 posts
 

@jjss49  Thanks for the FAQ.

When I read it I also wondered when it might have been updated as I have read that many Maggie owners have driven them with a modern class D amplifier.  At least the Magnepan people admitted that they have no experience with more modern class D units and did not rule them out. 

I recently purchased a pair of LRS+. My 1st pair of Maggies. I am go'ing to try them out with two amplifiers I now have in possession. The Rogue Audio Sphinx V3 and a Pass XA-25 ( with tube preamp). My room has volume of a 11x17x8.5' however somewhat irregular shaped. Also highly treated with sound panels. 

Given that I take heed for the need for current over watts with Maggies, I suspect that the XA-25 may not be the best match even in my room. It does have the current, however still a low watt amp. I intend to be cautious.

It is likely that I will be looking for another amplifier for the LRS+ as I have need of the Rogue in a secondary system.

mesch
3,490 posts
 

Forgot to add that I will get back regarding my findings once I have the experience.

arafiq's avatar
arafiq OP
1,679 posts
 

Yeah that 'official' class D guidance from Magnepan gave me pause as well. Either they have not kept up with the advancements in class D or maybe their viewpoint is still valid for all that we know. As I've mentioned before, I was very skeptical of class D until I got my new Aavik integrated amp. That was a revelation, especially for a tube guy :)

My amp doubles from 300 watts at 8 ohms to 600 at 4. It drives my not-so-efficient speakers like a boss. But I don't know if class D uses the same level/type of current compared to class A/B. If there's a difference in that aspect, I would love to be enlightened. However, if Magnepan's official stand is that only high current class A/B are good enough to play ball in their backyard than I don't mind taking mine elsewhere. Not going to give up my class D amp for Maggies, that's for sure :)

More to discover