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

@jjss49 I don't have subs. Maybe give that a try in the future. I own Tannoy Sterlings which are used in our living room system. I also own two pairs of stand mounts, Esoteric MG10s which were my main speakers over the last 10 years, and Fritz Carbon 7 se MKIIs which I purchased last fall to compliment my Aric Audio Transcend tube amplifier. Both pairs mate well with the XA-25. Good to hear from you again!

@mesch

ahh yes tannoys, not klipsches...😁

please try a rel sub (or better, a pair) when you have a chance with the lil maggies -- i think you will love it

for little maggies (or even large ones) it is in my experience quite transformative of the listening experience!

 

@jjss49

as you know i have a set of agd audions, after trying many other class d amps i did not enjoy, and the agd’s do very well with my 1.7i’s as well as 3.7i’s...

It was, in fact, your glowing review of the AGD’s that made me re-consider class D to begin with :)

I was quite skeptical based on prior experience with class D stuff (Peachtree and NAD) which simply did not work for me. But I have to admit, things have come a long way. I’m looking forward to trying it with my Aavik amp. Having said that, this is a strange hobby. If I really love the Maggie sound, I’m not opposed to going back to a high current class A/B amp if it works better. One thing I’ve learned in this hobby is that there are no absolutes. You never say never, and never proclaim something as your ’endgame’ component (Steve Huff, are you listening?)

@mesch Congrats on your new LRS+ speakers. From what I read, they punch above their weight and scale with better components far beyond one would expect. Please share further impressions as you put on more miles on the speakers. 

Question for you: Is there a specific reason you went with LRS+ and not a bigger model like 1.7i? Thanks. 

@arafiq  Thanks for the congrats and this post. I went with the LRS+ due to room size and placement of system that dictated a more near field situation than Magnepan  recommends. Currently I am close to a 7' equilateral situation.  I have only a single listening session with them being busy and having storms. I will surly keep in touch regarding future experiences. I will also try my best to better describe the presentation I am experiencing once i have had more time with them.