Magnepan 2.5 anyone?

I had a pair many years ago. At the time I had Audio research VT150se driving them. They sounded great at the time with very nice midrange and natural presentation.

If it had a weakness it was a little murky and defuse. Much of that could be overcome.

The speaker itself benefited vastly from addressing the crossover components and wiring. This made a new speaker out of it.

Try a plinus amp on them too. That voicing was close to the ARC but with more grip in the bass and would squeeze that last bit of volume out of those reticent 2 way planars. Today you would have to careful as the glues that held the bass panal wires on the diaphram will be very weak due to UV and age.

thanks, chadeffect - they were refurb'd a couple of years ago. ARC was mentioned a few times, will keep looking for an opportunity to audition. - but what I see in your system page aren't the maggies anymore... wow, you went for it there! I'm going to stick with my 2.5Rs for now, just looking for better ways to feed them.

Hi melomaniac,

You should be in good shape then.

I doubt you would go wrong with the bel cantos as amps on them either. Anything with good current will help. ARC was a match made in heaven in the tube department though.

The main problem with every magnepan I have had is its limited dynamic abilities and defuse nature. This IMHO this is their only major floor. They were hard to beat in other areas like naturalness, musicality, soundstage and timbre especially for the price.

To get around the dynamics and SPL issues try powerful ss amps and a absorbent rear wall, say a curtain or something more elaborate.

Tube gear while sounding lovely will not get you quite as far in the dynamic swing and control department. I think you need to move to Apogee for that dynamic advantage.

Ultimately I moved from Magnepan to Apogee, but for me the Avantgarde is the only place for total dynamic freedom and transparency... hence my system now. You are right I did go a bit mad in the end, but the Trios sound amazing in every way. As a planar user for the best of 20 years I feel I have all the best planar attributes but in a horn and unconstricted.

Good luck with the Maggies. Hours of fun with those...