Magnepan LRS plus & Atma-Sphere digital amps

@markmuse: The LRS+ with a sub may be the amongst the very best values in hi-fi today. Too bad not everyone can accommodate dipole planar loudspeakers. But then not everyone likes them.

So....high and and $$$ amps for an entry level speaker. Silly. At least move to the 1.7.

LRS is a great speaker for smaller rooms than the 1.7 and you don't need high priced amps to drive them. You can easily go Class D or get used AB amps. 

The MG1.7i, like the LRS+, needs a sub (imo). @secretguy doesn’t like to hear it, but for about the same price as the 1.7i you can get the superior (imo) Eminent Technology LFT-8b. And it doesn't require a high current power amp.

The LRS+ is really good and needs high current. The limitation of the LRS+ is the details that it reproduces. The detail retrieval is not up to the level of my Yamaha NS5000 speakers and the RAAL 1995 Immanis headphones. However, those two are competitive against any priced speaker or headphone. The Immanis is maybe the best headphone ever made.

The LRS+ works great in my small room and even better now that I removed the acoustic panels that absorbed the first reflection on my side wall. I have panels behind the speaker and behind my seating position. I tried the following speakers in this room,

• Audience 1+1 V3
• KEF LS50 original and META with KEF KC62 sub
• Theil CS3.7
• LRS+ and KEF KC62 sub

The LRS+ and KEF KC62 sub combo is the very best I had in this room, The LS50 META + KC62 sub was the second best and maybe more detailed. However, it lacked the wall of sound and the depth of the LRS+.

I am not going to replace the LRS+ anytime soon, but the following 2 would be what I would look at if I did.

High End Audio Speakers - Clarisys Audio USA (PICCOLO)

Diptyque audio - Hauts-parleurs plans Haute-Fidélité - DP 115

These 2 are likely better than the LRS+ and would work similarly as the LRS+ in my small room. Though they are much more expensive.