Magnepan LRS+ which amps do you use ? * 100 watts or less **


I have a pair coming in this week and wondering if any folks are having good results with 100watt or less amps 

i have a Rogue  Cronos mag that's about 100 watts , also an Exsposure 2510 that's about 110 into 4 ohms 

do you really need hundreds of watts to enjoy these speakers ?

mfm22

Sorry not what you want to hear but yes the LRS sound great but need lots of power.  I have bi-amped Audiosource Amp Three amps putting out 200 watts into 4 ohms and they still get hot. I have thermoregulated fan units for them.  I blew up an old cheap 80 watt Yamaha amp trying to drive an old pair of MMGs and the LRS are even less efficient.  The Amp Threes can be found cheap used and I think they sound fine.  

They need time to break in and power to make them sing, but they sing.  Being able to easily move them around is cool also.  

You can't have too much power, but you can sure have too little.

Current, current, current.

Clipping is bad, headroom is good.

I have my LRS+ paired with my Simaudio Moon 340i D3PX and it is an excellent sounding and performing match.

I think the LRS+ needs power. I have a modded Peachtree GAN1, Peachtree GAN400, and a CODA #16 that I used on the LRS+.

The 200-watt modded GAN1, while maybe the best sounding, is weaker on the bass with the LRS+.

The Peachtree GAN400 is what i plan on using long-term since I want to keep the costs down on this system. It is pretty good.

The CODA #16 is incredible on the LRS+ though it is even better on my Yamaha NS5000 so that is where it resides.

My experience with these amps made me decide NOT to buy the Benchmark AHB2 (100 watts @ 8Ohm) for the LRS+. It would have been underpowered. The AHB2 monos likely are not as good as a single stereo AHB2 on the LRS+ due to under 4 Ohm load.

The other amps I considered for the LRS+ were substantially more than 100 watts and over 300 watts at 4 Ohm.

- SPL s1200

- a used KRELL Duo 300XD (would be as good as the CODA #16)

- Parasound JC5

- Bryston 4BSST3

All these amps could be better than the Peachtree GAN400, the KRELL substantially better to my ears, but the GAN400 has the right amount of power for the LRS+ and the right price.