Magnepan, Best midrange?


Other than Horns of course.
A few days ago on another audio forum, someone mentioned *why don't you ck out Magnepan??**
I wrote back, seems magnepan is OOB.
He was a  bit upset at my lack on reserach.
SEems Magnepan is still alive and well.
In fact there may bea  back log for the LRS 
Like months back order
Man , not sure why NO ONE here mentioned magnepan's???
Could this be the speaker I've been searching for some 20 years now??
Sure sensitivity is wayyy off my 92db sens limit. 
@ a  miserable 86db sens
However, conisdering the panel is 10x's the size of dual W18's + a  6.5 DavidLouis Full Range + a    Seas Cresendo, all added up, still is less voicing surafce area vs a the Manepan.

I'll run the W18's as bass, If I need extended highs, I'll add a  pair of Cresendos.
WOW and under 
$1G
Alott less, like $650!!!!!!!
Good thing here is, I have a  Defy7, power to spare for magnepan's demanding current draw.
Here is a  YT vid showing how you can modify the magnepan,, I;'ve not watched it yet, will do so today.
This Hifi Guy is the best hifi geek on Youtube.
He knows his stuff and has experiemented in countless speaker designs.
He's da man.
I can 't wait to get my LRS.

And gets even better, Made in the USA,, UNREAL.
If the LRS performs as hoped.
I will make a  long series of Youtube  videos, putting this speaker on the map,  promoting the Maggie as The Worlds Finest speaker.

Ck out all YT reviews of the Magnepan.
Every review gives 2 big thumbs up, 
Try to   that on any speaker on the market. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KzmktPjk5o&t=535s
mozartfan
I owned pretty much everything out there 
I  am leaning on the exceptional Marten Loudspeakers 
they now have models that most can afford and top quality throughout. The Oscars are their entry level  they have SB acoustics make the ceramic drivers to their exacting specs 
the upper level get Accuton ceramic drivers or a mix. Ceramic very 
fast and detailed they use 
good Mundorf silver gold oil capacitors,all Mundorf Xover 
And top Norma wiring, WBT copper gold connectors  even in their entry level speakers they are electrostatic like fast but with excellent precision and dynamics ,and 10 x better parts quality then Maggie I have rebuilt mags them several times ,you would think they would improve quality cheap huge bottleneck connectors and Chinese Xover parts in 20 years Nope, not good and frame flexes like a sail  when cranked up ,and they need a Ton of current for the larger panels 
no more for  me ,Martens much better in every way !!
mijostyn : I don't use subs for music, very content with how low my 20.1's go. Panel bass is so much faster and articulate than cone subs. I have subs for my dedicated home theater and that's where they will stay, just my preference. You state that ALL ESL's require subs, even the BIG SoundLabs? I always wanted a set of Diva's , 10 years ago you could get a good set for around $10K, now $22K, way out of my price range. I've also considered the Tympani IV'a and the Carver Amazing Platinum's.
I’ve wanted a pair of Magnepans for quite some time so when a pair of LRS’s came up for sale near me, with only 10 hours on them, I jumped on them, and Im glad I did!
teatv  spice money login
gumbedamit, the Spectra 33s were not a great example of what Acoustats were capable of. All ESLs require subwoofers to be set free in terms of dynamics. With subwoofers ESLs are significantly more dynamic than Maggies with subwoofers. When you factor in an 8 or 9 foot ESL you are in an entirely different ball park.
Just like ESLs,  Maggies are really bad at low bass. This is a problem all open baffle loudspeakers have. Their midbass is wonderful and the Maggie ribbon tweeter is IMHO the best tweeter made even if it is on the fragile side. ESLs however do not have tweeters. It sounds like you are firmly in the dipole camp. I would not waste more money on the Acoustats. I think the 20.1's are a better speaker. The 20.7's are better but not obviously so. If you want to get to the next level then shoot for large Sound Labs and I promise you will never look back. I am intimately familiar with Acoustat, Magnepan and Sound Labs. I own or have owned all of them along with Apogee Diva's. 
@b_limo, if you think the LRS's sound good move up to 3.7i's. They should really blow your doors off. From there it is on to ESLs and a supreme state of audio bliss:-)
I’ve had a ton of different entry level speakers and a few that were higher up than entry level.  I mean I’ve had a ton of speakers!

I’ve wanted a pair of Magnepans for quite some time so when a pair of LRS’s came up for sale near me, with only 10 hours on them, I jumped on them, and Im glad I did!

Im using a Kinki Studio EX-M1 to power them and 1 Velodyne HGS-10 subwoofer.  For some reason, I am able to integrate the sub much better with the Magnepans than my Salks.  The sound is just awesome.  I swapped the stock fuses with some SR Blue fuses that I already had and theres an easily noticeable difference.  Smoother and more refined sounding.

Anyhow, the Maggies are unique to me in their sound quality.  As was mentioned, upright bass, piano, stringed instruments and cymbals / high hats are super sweet.  The imaging isn’t pinpoint, or precise like my Salks, but I much prefer the image size on the maggies.  I am really enjoying how the maggies fill the room with sound.  And wow, they are really fast.  Tiny fluctuations or changes in rhythm are easily heard.  
Its pretty incredible that I am comparing $800 LRS’s to $5000 Salks, and as of now, I may actually prefer the magnepan sound (final consenus is out still as I am in the honeymoon phase).  
For $750, everyone here with a little extra cash should pick up a pair of LRS’s just to have as a second set of speakers thats going to sound different than conventional box design speakers.
I have the speakers a few feet off the front wall, tweeters on the outside, and eyeballed their aiming..."
 and up with the proper amplification?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When any speaker
~~Requires~~~ 
correct amplification for best  performance,, you know we have problems. 
Like AER/Voxativ requiring SET amps, fpr best bang.
Panels  for best bang, big ss amplification.

I just do not see any justification in either design as superior to regular old xover cone designs.  Which need no specific amps to sound their best.
The only wide band I know of that is friendly to any amp are the DavidLouis. 
MADE IN CHINA.
Perfect?
No, but certainly best bang  in a  shootout with  panels and high sens wide band.
Thats  for sure.

twodolphins  I think you may have that backwards, Maggies are much more dynamic and organic than electrostats. I've owned many Maggies, my latest pair are 20.1's driven by Classe CAM350's. I also currently own Acoustat Spectra 33's driven by 2 - Acoustat TNT 200's which were just rebuilt and MonoBlocked by Roy E. I love the way the Stats sound, very precise and analytical ,but no way as musical as the Maggies. The Acoustats are the first and only pair of electrostats I've owned, but I've listened to the big SoundLab Panels, and they sound just as precise and analytical as the Specta 33's just more.
hshifi, you've mentioned that Maggies don't do well on heavy Bass, have you heard Maggies from the IIIa's and up with the proper amplification? My first amp that powered my 2.5r's, IIIa's, was a Harman Kardon Signature 1.5 Power Amp and my 20.1's are powered by Classe CAM350's Monoblocks, low bass, not a problem and Plenty of it. My house shakes and my lights dim when I push those puppies, even with a dedicates 20amp circuit. Just before I read this post, I got an email from Roy E. stating that I'm next on his list to get my Spectra Interfaces rebuilt and upgraded, maybe they will sound more musical after the rebuild, Time will tell.
 

hshifi
347 posts
07-24-2021 7:53pm
Hello,
Maggies don’t do well on the heavy bass


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Magnepan's have issues.

It surprises me how popular these speakers , have been and still are in demand.
~~VERY~ amazed

Here isa  speaker that will out shoot any magnepan in a  NY second

Bass YES
Mid YES
Highs YES
Easy load for any tube amp. 
Magnepan is blown out the water in all departments.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/224515675545?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D2016...
" only the best will do ... must have the best, not second best, not third best, the BEST"
and for some reasons you think the best is the Seas drivers or whatever you think today, via youtube listening sessions, decide which is best.

fact is, there’s many many just as good midrange drivers.

passlabs tested dozens of midrange drivers and he ended up with audax pr170mo. why? cause its one of the only midrange that are 97db efficient. these are the best for his high efficiency system. does he claim its the best driver in the world, nope.

yet you, who havent tested more then 3 drivers, claim all sort of ridiculous stuff.

leaving aside the click bait thread title and @douglas_schroeder ’s commentary (which i agree with in substance, if not in tone), i would venture to say that there are speakers available at modest cost (used) that certainly compare well to, if not exceed, the midrange transparency of little maggies

spendor bc1
spendor sp1 or sp1/2
proac super tablette

are just some examples... overall different presentations of course, but if we are just talking midrange purity, bbc heritage monitors take a back seat to none (and i would say, are substantially easier to drive too)...


@ douglas_schroeder
I am very flattered to have elicited such a reaction.
But a little over the top, right?
For my part, I have found the loudspeakers (Maggies) that live up to my expectations (especially in the midrange frequencies that are most important to me - the title of this thread) and at a price that my bank account can afford. And now I listen to the music I love in peace.
This is what matters in the end.
Bye now!
@douglas_schroeder, You can look at a bus and know right away that it won't fly even though it is a mode of transportation. You have enough experience to know this. I can look at some speakers and know were their worst flaws are and what they are going to do. Some speakers have fatal flaws, flaws that I can not personally live with or maneuver around.
Many people like their TVs set with over saturated colors. Looks cool but is not realistic. Same with HiFi. The problem is that you know right away you are listening to a reproduction. 
As for dynamics you are 1/2 right and 1/2 wrong. Panel speakers like large ESLs can make bass but they suck at it and fall flat when it comes to low end dynamics. I always thought I could maneuver around that problem with subwoofers. It took 20 years of farting around and digital electronics to lick that problem. As for the rest of the range large ESLs are every bit as dynamic as horns just much less efficient. The snap of a Sonor snare drum is something special to hear on ESLs. They can do this because of the very large size of the panel and their acoustic impedance is close to that of air. Planar magnetics and ribbons are a compromise especially when you start adding crossovers in the midrange. Dynamic driver haven't got a prayer in hell. Distortion is magnitudes higher, they are an impedance mismatch to air, they spray sound all over the place usually indiscriminately and they are severely range limited requiring crossovers not to mention the problems you get into with enclosures. The only advantage they have is size, a huge advantage. The only place they excel over other types is in the deep bass at very long wavelengths. 
The little Maggies do have great midrange considering the price. Given the right amplifier and a decent subwoofer system I can imagine performance exceeding that of most dynamic speaker, certainly anything near their price. 
I like panel loudspeakers for well defined reasons. Modern 8 foot ESLs are handily the best panel loudspeakers. You have to be able to live with the size. As the previous owner of Tympany's, my current speakers are tiny:-)
btw my speakers are the best and about to get even better..

Arriving this week, DavidLouis 6.5 yellow cone wide band paired witha   a  THor, soon to be upgraded with a  Crescendo tweeter. Have 1 already,  The tweet is a beast, far superior to Seas Millennium. 
Oddly enough fits right in perfectly to the Millennium slot in the front panel, yet alomost 2x's the magnet weign and total weight. 

Sure it is going to be one strange speaker, Thos witha   added wide band, but it is the most perfect combo for my  symphonic cd  collection. 
Richly detailed, full with super wide soundstage. Every nuance in the orchestra can be heard. 
Going to get even better with the new upgrades. 
with going dirt cheap, most other good speakers (magnepan, vandersteen, Wilson, and hundreds of others)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
None us here are interested in **the good speakers***
either we have the best or nothing.
Magnepan has too many isssues to deal with. 
Which is why my tech geek had to cancel my fantasy on owning a  pair of Magnepan's. 
These speakers are not tube amplification friendly. 
This is old news, but should be emphasized when discussing anything panel design. 

Sorry to offend Doug. Just pointing out that, regarding the OPs original post on the Maggie LRS, I am in agreement with him that there are not many, if any, that will do as well in the mids and overall performance at that price range.

While I do like the Maggies (ribbons and electrostatics in general) I also have a particular liking for open baffle speakers and over the years have owned and enjoyed many different speakers. Just keeping it straight - I am a member of no ones "fanboy" club......Jim
Oh, I see, this is supposed to be the Maggie Fanboy Club Thread!  "At this price...No better speakers on the market..." What nonsense! That's only IF you think the character of the sound is perfect with a panel. We're supposed to fawn over the little Maggie and pretend it's all that, as though nothing else comes close in midrange. Please, give me a break. A fine bookshelf dynamic speaker can be every bit as enthralling. Magnetic planar is one expression of speaker, with plenty of shortcomings. And that from a guy who owned the 1.6QR and the MMG, and uses the MGMW o the walls of the listening room for HT purposes.

Of course this thread was about midrange; I didn't realize it was to promote cheap Maggies as though they're the end all, be all in inexpensive speakers. Forgive me for mentioning midrange in better speakers - and better technologies/genres such as the DLT of the Aspen Acoustics Lagrange L1. 

Note well, community, the panels have problems of their own, and the character of the midrange is typically, shall we say, flat? Yeah, flat, along with the rest of the presentation. Dynamically flaccid. You will NOT get away from that; anyone who actually does comparisons to horn and better dynamic speakers hear it. We have defenders like mijostyn who are so beholden to panel sound that they will try to tell owners such as myself what the Lagrange L1 speaker sounds like when they have never heard it. He heard one hack system with an add on ribbon that seemingly was not integrated well, and he thinks he knows the genre. Wrong. 

Great, wonderful, the little Maggies have inordinately good midrange in the mind of some for the money. I can concur with that. There are also speakers that have midrange that makes the little Maggies sound pathetic in all respects, midrange, too. Let's see, the title of the thread was, Magnepan, Best Midrange? I addressed that, and the answer is a resounding NO, we can't discuss that! Magnetic planar and ESL is one type of midrange/presentation with its own issues. Horror, we can't have that conclusion, can we! Summon the dipole die hard fans! Rally the troops to do battle to preserve the notion that Maggies and Sound Lab speakers are unassailable! 

It's a situation like the old Quad speakers. We're talking a seriously compromised sound quality compared to contemporary speakers. Really poor. The focus on them is the midrange pretty much because that's all they can do. That they fail at many other things is disregarded; they are given the same kind of pass as the magnetic planar technology in small builds. They are simply not all that when put on the spectrum of all speaker performance. If that offends some, so be it. 

The irony of all this is that the OP has a track record of inordinate obsession with his favored genre of speaker. He also obsesses about FR. He remembered panel speakers, then in a pirouette decided that was the Great Solution to his disdain of bass, where midrange is the only big deal. He was going to inform the world about Maggies! He was going to put the speaker brand, "on the map". The inexpensive dipole became THE great expression of sound - all of this unheard, except for his method of assessment of speakers by watching youtube vids. Yeah, so this thread topic was written during his Magnepan phase. Of course, now that he has under $1K because he had no idea what he was doing and didn't realize the combo of gear he bought wouldn't be ideal for a Maggie, he has soured on the speaker and is back to FR! 

It's a circus, but I wanted to add general info about the DLT genre represented as far as I know only by the Aspen Acoustics speakers. So, we have our Sound Lab defenders and our Maggie saviors come running to try to preserve the integrity of the perception that the dipole is the end all, be all. All because a poster with ignorance and under $1K to spend flips opinion nearly as fast as you can flip a coin. 

Jim, you have no idea what you could get out of those speakers. 100wpc is insipid and while you may like it tonally, you're hearing a compromised sound quality from your 1.7i speakers. Listening level has no bearing on that; you're fundamentally under powering them for what the genre of speaker needs to sound good. Now, if you can't accept that input from someone who has owned Maggies, reviewed the .7, reviewed the Sound Lab Ultimate 545 (at the time U4iA), and owns the King III electrostatic, then I'm not going to argue with you about it. 100wpc is cheap, but not nearly what it takes to make any Maggie sound as good as it can.   :) 
I think a lot of the point was lost throughout most of this thread. The OP was originally referring to the quality of midrange in the little, less than $1K, Maggie LRS and we end up talking about $8K - $25K speakers. In my opinion, for less than a thousand dollars, when it comes to incredible midrange, a large realistic stage, great imaging and impeccable detail there isn't anything under 2K that comes anywhere close.

As far as bass and the perceived amount of power that it takes to drive the LRS - Hogwash. They will do mid base down to 100 Hz very well, with a moderate amount of power, unless you're trying to drive them to 110db. For bass below 100 Hz, when set up properly, any decent sub will integrate very well. As frequencies fall below 100 Hz they become non directional and are anything but quick and punchy - more like deep and throby and integration is way less of a problem than made out.

I have the Maggie 1.7s and drive them very nicely with a 100W Rogue integrated tube amp. Most of my listening is at less than 80db so lack of power is no problem. Augmented with an ADS sub with the filter set at 60Hz and they sound incredible........Jim
@bdp24 , you were humming with the Tympanies but lost it with the ET LFT 8B. It has the same problem as Doug's Aspen Acoustic's speakers just lower down. Have you listened to the 20.7's ? IMHO I think they are Maggi's best speaker ever. I just wish they had made them 8 feet tall. As an aside the pipe for a 16 Hz tone would be around 30 feet long.
At this price and whatever the model you consider (1.7i, 3.7i or 20.7...), there are no better loudspeakers on the market in each category for reproducing Vocals and acoustic instruments such as guitars.
Timbres and soundstage are just incredible.
You need an amp with current to provide dynamic... but the Maggies will  take it all.
A few tubes in the chain of components to add warmth.
Two good subwoofers to take care of the bass if you go for the 1.7i and the 3.7i (though these ones will also do the job with no subs).
No special need of sub with the 20.7s... but it could help.
You can play them loud during hours without feeling any fatigue.
Music and emotion will surround you.
Listen to Joe Cocker's "You are so beautiful" or George Michael's "As" or Stacey Kent's "What a wonderful world" with the Maggies and you'll get right away what I am trying to say.


 
I am currently running three systems in a 35x25x10 room. One is a Magnepan 3.7i, musical fidelity M6PRX amp and M6PRE. The second is 
Martin Logan Summit-X with a Nakamichi PA-7 and CA7. The third is an Altec A-5 with a Sonic Frontiers Line 2 preamp and a couple of homebuilt tube mono blocks. I can tell you that in my opinion and 95% of those that have been here that the midrange on the Logans is better than the Magnepans, not by much but noticeably better. As far as the Altecs it seems to be highly dependent on the type of music I play. My sources for all three systems are streaming  Qobuz through a Roon Nuc with a Mytek  Brooklyn Dac Plus or vinyl. Vinyl is through a PS Audio phono stage, Nottingham TT, Denon DP-80, TT-101. I have played both digital and analog in all the systems and the midrange results are the same.
I have had a couple of different Maggies over the years...I really like them.  I currently biamp them with two Bryston 3Bs...best midrange and high end anywhere near their price point.  I dont care much about strong bass; I have the home theater speakers for that.
I have had 3.6 Maggie’s as my primary speaker for about 15 years.  Two things stand out, get Mye stands for the as the sound improves dramatically with them.

Second, have enough power to drive them easily.  After a couple of name amps, my journey ended up with McIntosh MC501 mono blocks.  They truly bloom with current.   Yes, the cost is high, but after 15 years I certainly have my money’s worth.

Good thing we downsized our home substantially or I would really be wanting 30.7s.
I've moved away from stat/panel designs,,
back into the cones,
~No sweet spots
~Any amplification friendly (minus SETs, obviously)25watts doable 6-8 ohms 
~Any placement will work just fine
~all around sound bass/mids/highs all represented.
~Not expensive(under $3G's
~cabinets can be built DIY  from $100 Home Depot Sanded Plywood. (Horns not needed)
~Subs not needed
~added tweets not needed
~Do not break down, no upgrades needed(as long as you buy the right drivers , the latest offerings), if upgrade, easy, pop one woofer out , add another. Same with tweet, Just dumped the Millennium, adding a  Crescendo. 



@douglas_schroeder , The best you can do is get the tonal balance right at one position. Move closer and they get bass/midrange heavy. Move further away and they get treble heavy depending on the cross over point. That is just the tonality of the speaker. Because of the disparate radiation pattern and energy you will never get them to image correctly. It does not matter where you put the tweeter ribbon. But, they are your speakers and all that matters is how you like them. The only speakers I have ever heard image correctly remained true to form throughout the audio band. They are a three way ribbon loudspeaker, a three way dynamic loudspeaker and an almost full range ESL. 

mijostyn, did you bother to read the article about the Aspen Acoustics speaker? The ribbon has an attenuator so that its output can be perfectly dialed in. The separate tower allows for both toe in and baffle slope adjustments as well as positioning relative to the main cabinet. Imo, your concerns about integration are addressed quite well in this design. In fact, the DLT (disproportionately large tweeter) allows for this hybrid to have characteristics that simply are not available to most hybrid ribbon speakers. Without even hearing the speaker, you have discounted it, but I'm not that surprised. 

I have conversed with enough designers, manufacturers, and hobbyists in this community to know that skepticism based on what they think is their default setting. However, when the speaker is before me, performing as well as ESL/dipole and dynamic speakers holistically, and better than them in a few parameters of performance, then the accepted wisdom doesn't mean much.     :)
 

You write like a 10yr old, your post is barely comprehensible and so full of grammatical errors that it's hard to take you seriously
hartf36, it is and it is not. Subs are easy to integrate if you have the tools and know what you are doing. Otherwise, it is virtually impossible. For most a matter of luck more than anything. Most are not even trying. They are using a low pass filter only on the subs and not a two way crossover which is mandatory if you want to get it right.
Like so many things Maggie, the "difficulty" of sub integration is WAY overblown.

Agreed.
@douglas_schroeder , When you listen to speakers "in your own room" you are in effect listening to "your room."  The Aspen Acoustics speakers are overwhelmed by their tweeters. The tweeter is line source but everything else is point source. They radiate differently line sources projecting much better. As you move away from the speakers they get brighter. This creates a sound signature that many audiophiles love. I had a friend way back in Miami who stuck these huge RTR electrostatic tweeters on top of a box speaker (can't remember which one) and he kept them turned way up. He thought it sounded great. I couldn't keep my eyes from crossing. 
I have not listened to the Kings, do not know them at all. But I do know ESLs intimately otherwise having lived and worked on them for decades.
They can be so neutral they become boring for people who have not been able to take advantage of them to the fullest. It is always a bad idea to change horses in the middle of the stream. Line sources and point sources have such disparate radiation patterns and projection that it is always a bad idea to go from one to the other, particularly in the middle of the audio range. If the Little Sound Labs have one big problem this is it. They switch from line source to point source behavior at about 350 Hz. 
Listening to classical choral music with Maggies is unbelievably beautiful and that music is all about midrange. 
Magnepan’s are a very well known loudspeaker. Perhaps the OP is on the young side (his vocabulary suggests that such is the case ;-) .

I'm 65 years old
Just some learning disability thats all.
anyway, Just heard some bites of your recommended

LFT-8b

Sorry I do not like the mids,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHtqBBn_VLA
Magnepan’s are a very well known loudspeaker. Perhaps the OP is on the young side (his vocabulary suggests that such is the case ;-) .

I got my first pair in 1973, the original 3-panel Tympani T-I. Looking for more transparency (the T-I was somewhat veiled), and a more extended top and bottom end, I sold them the following year, replacing them with the Fulton Musical Industries (FMI) Model J, which featured six of the wonderful RTR ESL tweeters and a dynamic woofer in a transmission-line enclosure.

I got the transparency and extended high and low end I desired, but paid dearly for it. The tall, wide, and deep soundstage, the lifesize images of musical instruments and height of voices---all "hanging" in space---created by the T-I evaporated, replaced in the Model J by the same old problem of many "box" loudspeakers: the music appeared to be being squeezed through two holes in a wall at the plane of the front of the loudspeakers, all instruments miniaturized in size, voices lowered to waist height. The Maggies---even with their failings---provided a suspension-of-disbelief listening experience, the Model J did not. I now own a pair of the very much improved Tympani, the T-IVa.

And while the Fulton produced a greater quantity of bass than did the Tympani, that bass was not of the same quality. Maggie bass---particularly mid-bass---is extremely "taut", lean and clean. In musical terms, staccato. Very percussive (transient impact), with no overhang, no fat. It reproduces the upright bass like no other loudspeaker, as well as the bottom registers of the piano, and low-pitched (tympani, kick) drums. And while the very lowest notes produced by the pipe organ are missing (the 16’ pipe produces a 16Hz tone!), the "shuddery" quality of the pipe organ sound is reproduced to a degree unmatched by any dynamic loudspeaker I’ve heard. Well, with one close exception: the low frequencies produced by a superior OB/Dipole sub, a topic for another time.

Listeners who are gobsmacked by their first exposure to a Maggie may be forgiven for being unaware of the fact that Magnepan is not the only company producing magnetic-planar loudspeakers. I am mentioning the Eminent Technology LFT-8b because of the main thrust of this thread---the reproduction of the midrange of music. VPI’s Harry Weisfeld declared that the LFT-8b produces the best midrange reproduction he has ever heard, regardless of price. I encourage the OP to attempt to hear the best value in all of hi-fi---the Eminent Technolgy LFT-8b, a steal at $2499/pr. Reviews available on the ET website.

Ck out all YT reviews of the Magnepan.
Every review gives 2 big thumbs up,
Try to  that on any speaker on the market.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KzmktPjk5o&t=535s

mozartfan07-23-2021 8:19a~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please keep in Mind, 
These speakers, although may be  ideally the best midrange for your classical music, your Defy7 may not be the **match made in heaven**
So please be aware , ck 1st with your geek guy to make sure your Defy7  is  a happy camper paired with the LRS.
,,~~~~
 Be right back,,,,
OK just cked with Tech Geek.
**Defy7 may nt like the LRS ohm load, and so why take the risk?/**
I told him, I agree, why take the risk.
86 db/4 ohms...
hummm, 
Nah, I'll stay with what is now making some really nice fatigure free musical sounds.
Just ordered another DavidLouis today.
Yet once again, the big trade off. 
Have to give up Magnepan beautiful midrange, and keep the Defy in good working order.
Tech feels best amplifier for this load is a  ss amplifier.





jjss493,224 posts07-27-2021 9:58am@murphythecat

best
I want the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

only the best will do ... must have the best, not second best, not third best, the BEST

The mids in the Seas W18's, DavidLouis 6.5 , Seas Crescendo, perhaps not near the best,,,but certainly are not prone to crappy midrange. 
faults and weaknesses which  many famously expensive commercial big name  speakers  suffer from this fatigue syndrone. 
(Vandersteen, Thiel)

Here  in this video is exactly what I am refering to.
WOW what peaks of distortion,, Fatigue in less than 1 hour.
I could not stay in this showroom longer than a few minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4w8BavaC_0

Expensive, famous, popular. yet prove Murphy's Law.
2 of 3, never  3 of 3. 
Last week, spoke some time on the horn with Josh over at Madisound about speakers , performance, and fidelity
He  summed up Seas Excel Magnesium line quite well with the word **Neutral* = Non colored.
The only  weakness with the Excel line is their rather low sensitivity.
Josh also brought up  one of Murphys Law,, the one that say, 
**You can 2 of the 3, but never 3 of 3*
Translate ~~You can have rock solid accurate bass,(Scanspeak) + most glorious sweet crystal clear highs (Magnepan ribbon tweeters) ,,,,the caveat will be the sacrifice of something in the midrange fq zone...
= The fly in the old soup.
For my musical preferences  entire midrange section is everything. 
jjss493,224 posts07-27-2021 9:58am@murphythecat

best
I want the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

only the best will do ... must have the best, not second best, not third best, the BEST

~~~~
WEll I am back
My tech geek has blocked my Magnepan Speaker Project, It is officially ~~CANCELED~~~
Yeah i know, i mouthed off how special the mids are. 
I have a  jadis Defy7, which has a  reputation for beinga  bit touchy with certain speakers.
And so taking his strng urging advice,,I had to cancel The LRS Project,..

I just bought a  pair of DavidLouis 6.5 , bigger brother to my DL 4 inch.

My new Speaker Project will be adding a Crescendo tweeter xossing at say 4khz and running wide open wide band DavidLouis 6.5 the yellow cone style , Which he recommends over his other 2 , for superior female vocals.
This set up will be much more Defy friendly.
maybe not the best mids, but certainly superior to many big brand  name speakers.
500hz-3k hz is the critical hz's in any speaker.
WE need to  forget rock solid , tight accurate  drums/ bass and also  highs when reviewing any speaker. 
What happens in any demo at a dealership, is , we get carried away with deep powerful bass on a  nice test cd and glorious super sweet dynamic, sparkely crystal clear highs,, 
Meanwhile we over look (Not tuned in ) to muddy, fluffy, colored , distorted lower mids - upper mids. 
Happens every single time.  Dealer test quality cds , can  get you to sign the dotted line every time. 
Buyer beware. 

Some short attention span members seem to think this is me. This is not me. This is another guy. https://youtu.be/7RxRTFx6Cd0?t=348

Reading comprehension. Get some.

So somehow you missed it, even after I cued it up? The Tekton "have the qualities of EVERYTHING I like about the Maggies, AND the Snells, AND the Vandersteens..."         Is it possible to read any post without this clown posting his shill Tekton crap...Please moderator,pull the plug on MC!
I should be more specific and say they are best/most special well away from rear wall.  Maybe 1/3 or more of the way into the room.  Not so much side walls. 
The 12" concentric driver with 1" polyester tweeter in my Emerald Physics 3.4s is better than my recollection of my Maggie 3.5Rs
@murphythecat

best
I want the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

only the best will do ... must have the best, not second best, not third best, the BEST

😆😆😆😆
Best is subjective.
Maggie’s midrange is fine. With Magnepans it’s not about that. Others have good midrange as well. More about overall dynamics and type of music listened to and subjective determinations by each person regarding what they want to listen to.  Also Magnepan setup for best results can be a challenge. They are best well away from walls. 
Post removed 
"Best" midrange? If you have experienced few speakers/systems in direct comparison in your room and can afford only one expression, then that would likely be your "best", wouldn't it?


fundamental problem with all 'best' threads for any gear on this and many other forums

speaks to the experience level and capability to discern of any respondent as much as the subject matter of the query -- and the former is rarely disclosed or known