Any Present Magnepan 3.7i owner using them in a smaller listening space...

@yyzsantabarbara

Could you please give your impressions of the LRS+ vs the LS50 Metas?  Do you use the sub(s) with both?

@petaluman That's what Google is for

LRS VS LRS+ VS LS50 Meta

@petaluman I had my CODA #16 with the LRS+ and KC62 sub and my mind was blown with that sound. A very musical full range sound in the small room. It was much better than the Thiel CS3.7 in the same space without the sub. Now I do think the Thiel CS3.7 is a better speaker than the LRS+, but in the small room it was no contest. The LRS+ is a perfect speaker for my office room size.

I have put the LS50 Meta back into the office recently to see how it compared. I did not use the CODA #16 this time because it is doing a good job in my Livingroom system. The only "amp" I have was the modded PeachTree GAN1. The mods on it as amazing and this amp is almost as good as my CODA #16 in the same room, minus the huge bass.

Unfortunately, I cannot use the sub-woofer with the GAN1 "amp" or analog sources, so my comparison with the LRS+ is a little skewed in the bass department and limited to streaming.

The LS50 Meta was not as large in the soundstage width and height. I never found it a problem in the past but in comparison to the LRS+ it is smaller. The LS50 Meta does sound clearer to me. A sharper sound, not fatiguing in any way, just a bit cleaner sounding. I have been reading that the Maggies up the chain from the LRS+ are more detailed sounding.

In the past, I was using the LS50 Meta + KC62 sub with various amps. So, I am familiar with the that combo. Overall, the bass on the LRS+ and sub is a bit more than the LS50 Meta + sub. I am rather shocked at the bass on the LRS+. I set the KC62 sub at 80 Hz with the LS50 and 50 Hz with the LRS+.

I think both of these combos are great for my office sized room. The LS50 Meta is also a little more amp friendly.

Edit: I just rewatched the Guttenberg video and the only difference in opinion between he and I is that I think the LS50 Meta is a bit cleaner sounding. I can also take that clean sound to the hilt buy using a Benchmark AHB2 amp with the LS50 Meta. In fact, I was not planning on giving away my LS50 Meta, so I have re-bought an AHB2 amp, hopefully arriving this week. It will not be as good with the LRS+ at loud volume. I am hoping it works well at low to medium volume. I think it will, especially with the KC62 sub,

I’ve owned 1.6, 1.7, 3.7 and 20.7 Magnepans but have never listened to them in a small room so these comments draw on the research I have done over the years rather than first hand experience.

1) the most critical factor is distance from the front wall. 3’ is an absolute minimum and in no sense ideal. Around 5 feet works really well. At 3’ I suspect the speakers will still sound good but sub-optimal. Adding diffusion or absorption behind the speakers might improve the sound if you can only manage 3’ but more distance is definitely better.

2) Distance from the back wall will be no different with Maggies than any other speaker. It sounds like you are open on the back so that shouldn’t be an issue.

3) My listening position is about 9’ from the plane of the speakers. Your room should be fine for that. And I have read that some people like 3.7s in a near field distance but that seems a little crazy to me.

4) Everything I have read suggests Maggies are less sensitive to side wall reflections than some speakers so you room should be more than wide enough. Plan on either an equilateral triangle or one where the distance between the speakers is about 85% of the distance from your ear to the panel. Tune according to your preference. I like a little less than an equilateral triangle and with my 3.7’s I preferred tweeters out.

5) Plan on spending a fair amount of time and effort optimizing the placement of the speakers. Small changes can make a big difference.

7) Amplification matters a lot to Maggies. I didn’t absolutely love my 3.7’s until I got the PS Audio BHK 300 monoblocks.

6) People are over enthusiastic about the LRS+. It is very good FOR THE PRICE. It is not a very good speaker compared to the other Maggies or full range floor standing speakers.

Bottom line, your room is fine except for not squeezing out a little more space from the front wall. Maybe put the 3.7’s on sliders and pull them out for a listening session and push them back when not in use? Just make sure you mark your preferred position so you get them back in the right place.

Hi, I live in the Netherlands so.. small houses, small rooms.

I have had magnepan 3.7i’s in my room which is 11x17ft.

Long story short. They were truely amazing. The bass and the imaging was of the charts. The depth of the image, the natural sound of instruments and the voices. Oh my the voices were just so beautiful. That ribbon is truely something special.

I was also worried about my space being too small but after a long research and asking alot of questions I made the move and bought them. Couldn’t be happier.

That is before the virus struck again and now my current set up is Analysis Audio the Epsilons. Oh my.. everything the 3.7i does but then better, in all but one aspect. The bass on the 3.7i’s is just a tad cleaner but.. Much and I mean much less more in balance with the rest of the frequency spectrum. The bass on the Analysis is exceptional. Just a tad less clinical. Which is more a question of taste I believe. The Epsilons are just (sorry for the cliché part) in every way much more musical and involving sounding.

I think regarding speaker vs room size there is not always a clear answer. Sometimes it just works and sometimes not.

Best,

Joost