Help needed with new integrated amp.

@audioman58 

+1… while I would have expressed differently I agree with the observation.

audio Science Review are bafoons, Never listen to these  guys they base 90% of their results on measurements ,not the 👂 Ear, if this were true. Vacuum tube measure horribly vs a Decent Solid state amp ,  but it’s the even harmonics of a Vacuum Tube that invite you in and mesmerize the soul !!

Not  everything in life is That cut and dry !!

Glad that worked!

I an not familiar with the sound of Pontus but can you try bluesound direct to amp without the dac? See if that sounds any different. Start ruling things out. 

I am definitely going to look at Coda and Magtech. I moved the speakers to almost 90” a part and tweeters are now on the inside and yes I can hear an improvement. Definitely depending on the recording as it was mentioned in one of the reply. I am not sure I can keep the speakers 90”apart all the time though. Thankfully they are light enough to move them around.

CODA CSiB or Krell K-300i.

GR Research has a youtube video explaining what they found testing the LRSplus and the upgrade they made to it.  I would start with that before investing in new hardware.  If u still want hardware recs - a used NAD class a/b amp are fantastic sounding with Maggie's (not the class D crap they are selling today).  For new re commendation I would need to know a price range.

6.5ft (78”) apart is somewhat close. Try 90” apart. Listen for a while then swap them so the tweeters are on the inside. 

@blisshifi thank you for the reply. I will definitely look at that amp as well as the coda mentioned by @yyzsantabarbara.

@willywonka   I goofed, but it was only my 3rd mistake this year.  HAHA.  It is worth it to get Maggies with the true ribbon tweeter.  I have the 3.7's.  Maybe more important to get one that is right for the size room you have.

It’s also possible you’ve become slightly more sensitive to certain frequencies. I find that happens to me. Some recordings really bring it out. 

The LRS is a badly flawed speaker. A change of amps will not improve its sound. Go to Audio Science Review and read the test report. Yes, ASR is anathema to folks here but speaker measurements don't lie! 

those folks likely measured it incorrectly. It has a forward and back radiating pattern. I just sold my LRS+ since I lost my small room and the LRS+ was the BEST speaker in this space. It may lack a bit of the clarity of the KEF LS50 META (which measures well) but the overall listening experience with the KC62 sub and both speakers led me to favor the LRS+ by a lot.

Amps make a massive difference on the LRS+. The best amp I tried on it was the CODA #16. The second best (now selling) was the Sanders Magtech. The Benchmark AHB2 was too weak even though it has 100 watts. I am talking even at low to moderate volumes. The amp matters a great deal on the LRS+.

I must temper my comment as someone who has owned the LRS+ and various amps that I mentioned. I would go with the infinite wisdom of ASR over anyone who has owned the gear.

@analoguefan To support my first post, it’s actually rarely better that an amp doubles its power with impedance reductions. Most high voltage amplifiers will hold their power rating regardless of impedance and focus on delivering the appropriate current to control your speakers.

Maybe it’s the amps you’ve been using. Maybe it’s your cables. Maybe it’s the room. Who knowns? My suggestion to you would be for you to find a way to get to your nearest Maggie dealer where you can hear the speakers in a totally different environment and with totally different amplification and cabling. At the dealers, if the midrange still sounds too forward for you, then you now know that the speakers are the problem and that you should probably move on the a different pair of speakers.  Happy listening.

I am going try to put them 7.5ft a part and see if that help. It’s definitely noticeable more with vocal( Jazz vocal).

The Belles is very crisp and detailed amp. The virtuoso is 400 watts into 4 ohms and 32 amps peak power. The speakers come alive at around 9:00 position. Great sound stage like you say. But try the different positions of the tweeters like I said. Have you also put your Maggie’s on the aftermarket magnerisers?

I have the LRS+ in my bedroom system and never felt the midrange was forward and is quite similar to the midrange on my 1.7i in my main system.

The LRS+ is being driven by my old Adcom 545II.

I’ve noticed that the speakers being further apart and less towed in seems to reduce the midrange.

I would also try tweeters on the inside and moving them closer to the wall behind them.  Mine actually sound best 2-3 feet from that wall.

Thank you all for the responses. As for the speaker setup I have them 4ft from the back wall and about 6.5ft apart. Tweeter are on the outside( didn’t try tweeters on the inside yet) My listening chair is about 8.5ft from the speakers (triangle setup). I am assuming both the Anthem STR and the Atoll double Watts at 4Ohm ( not sure of current though).

Where are your tweeter’s placed, inside or outside? I have 1.7s and always found the tweeters are better on the inside and toe in a lot 32” on one side and 42” on the other side of speaker. Also I use a Belles integrated which has a lot of current which is what those speakers like

@boxcarman modern maggies have true ribbons starting with the new 2.7i. The 1.7i is a Quasi ribbon.

Any Maggie 1.7 or larger have true ribbon tweeters that are hard to beat . 

You need the 2.7 or above for the ribbon tweeter models.

I think that is what you get from the smaller Maggies.  Any Maggie 1.7 or larger have true ribbon tweeters that are hard to beat .  Which will improve midrange as well by freeing up the rest of the panel.

Have you tried spreading the speakers further apart? That usually relaxes the mids. Adjust the toe-in to get the imaging you like after.
What’s the distance between the speakers now?

"Any amp with flat FR will sound much the same." -- Really?

Blisshifi's explanation of speaker impedance and amplifier damping factor -- both intertwined functions of frequency -- agrees with analysis and my experience.

Any amp with flat FR will sound much the same.  The answer is to add equalization.  Either DSP or analog, but you’ll need a processor loop in the preamp.

The LRS is a badly flawed speaker. A change of amps will not improve its sound. Go to Audio Science Review and read the test report. Yes, ASR is anathema to folks here but speaker measurements don't lie! 

The challenge with the LRS+ is that it is not just a 4 Ohm nominal speaker, but it does not really ever go above 4 Ohm, and it dips to less than 3 Ohm in the midrange. You’re using high power amps, but what you should really try are high voltage amps, mainly Class A tube or solid state.

I am a Margules dealer and suggest that you look at the I-240 integrated. They would be an excellent match for those speakers in the room size you state, as long as you’re not rocking at stadium levels, which the LRS+ likely cannot do anyway. I don’t recommend that amp very often, but I’m certain they will pair incredibly well. They are 25wpc of pure Class A with a proprietary servo circuit design that is a great combination of muscularity and finesse. Especially with aftermarket tubes like the Psvane EL34PH and Radiotechnique 6189, they can make hard to drive speakers rise and shine in medium sized rooms.