Magnepan LRS plus & Atma-Sphere digital amps

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.

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.

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. 

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

@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.

I recently received my LRS + and I am completely blown away. Driving them with my little AGD Tempo Mk3 (200w > 4ohm). An amazing combination. I'm selling my Coda, KEF Reference, and Fynes.

Also using a KEF KC92 subwoofer and it integrated seamlessly. 

The LRS+ is not an easy speaker to drive. My GAN amps were the best Class D amps I tried on the LRS+. However, those GAN amps had varying degrees of success. I found the most powerful GAN amp I tried brought my LRS+ to life. That would be the PeachTree GAN400. The PeachTree GAN1 and the LSA Voyager 350 are not as strong as the GAN400 (both were modded). The issue with the GAN400 is that it suffers from not having the utmost resolution, and it is a bit hard on top. The other 2 GAN amps did not suffer on top.

I also found that high current is what the LRS+ likes. My CODA #16 at 150 watts @ 8 Ohm is more powerful current wise than the Sandes. The Sanders Magtech has 500 watts. @ 8 Ohm. I use the Sanders on the LRS+ because it is almost as good as the #16 which is great for a $1000 speaker.

The difference between the 2 amps is a bit more sweetness and more thumping bass from the CODA. The #16 is mostly Class A and the Sanders is Class AB.

The Sanders is a great amp for the LRS+, though not my preferred amp for my other speakers (strange).

Two other amps that I owned that I think would be nice on the LRS+ is the KRELL DUO 175XD (very sweet and smooth Class A) and the Parasound A21+ (not as refined but powerful).

The Moabs are much easier to drive than the Maggies. $4300 a pair for the new Orchard monos seems like a very reasonable price. I like power. I own, amongst many other amps, an LSA GAN 350 (did a few mods to it) which gives a very enjoyable listening experience. I prefer GAN at this point, over other D amps I had in my system. My best, MrD.  

They are great amps.. I’m using mine with JA Pulsar 2’s and the result is sublime!

I have the Atma-Spere Digital Amps with Tekton Moabs and they push them effortlessly. These are really great amps.

@izzy2 Our local dealer demos the LRS + with a set of our class Ds so I guess it works OK. Unless your room is exceptionally large it should be fine otherwise. The LRS+ doesn't seem as power hungry as some of the larger Maggies.

Orchard Audio Releases Starkrimson Mono Ultra Premium: A New 500W Gallium Nitride (GaN) Hi-Fi Audio Power Amplifier - The Absolute Sound

The  Atmas-sphere Class D are GAN amps. I used 2 different GAN amps on m LRS+ and one was adequate, the PeachTree GAN400.The other is a better amp but underpowered for the LRS+, the PeachTree GAN1 (modded).

The AGD and Atmas-sphere, are considered higher end then the PeachTree GAN amps I used. However, I have 2 amps that I think will be to the very top for the LRS+. The Sanders Magtech is exceptional on the LRS+ (used for $4k or less). The CODA #16 is even better. It has a bit more bass.

Yoo need a strong amp for the LRS+ and a bit of warmth is a good fit for me. I owned the Parasound A21+ before but never tried it with the LRS+.I would use that amp if I were on a budget.

Actually, that gives me an idea,

I don’t think Atma-Sphere makes digital amps, they make class D amps.

Mike