If you’re not married to the idea of Magnepans, look into the Eminent Technology LFT-8b. It too is a planar-magnetic, but while the smaller Maggies are single-ended (magnets on only one side of the Mylar), the ET’s are push-pull, which affords lower distortion (as low as an ESL). Maggie driver voice coils are wires glued onto the Mylar, ET’s m-p midrange driver (which covers 180Hz to 10kHz, with no x/o!) has a layer of vapor-deposited conductive film sprayed on it’s Mylar, resulting in much lower moving mass. The ET has a ribbon tweeter, and an 8" sealed dynamic woofer. The LFT-8b plays considerably louder than the smaller Maggies, and on less power. The ET likes a tube power amp (it is an 8 ohm load, 100w/ch is enough), the Maggies solid state power (a 4 ohm load needing as much power as you can afford).
The LFT-8b retails for $2499 (an absurd bargain, which may be why it is not taken more seriously), but can occasionally be had for $1500 used. So there is no misunderstanding, I love Maggies, buying my first pair in 1972. I now own a pair of the Tympani-IVa’s, and just heard the world premiere demo of the new 30.7, the updated, contemporary incarnation of the T-IVa. If there is an Eminent Technology dealer within driving distance of you, do yourself a huge favor and give a listen to the LFT-8b, the speaker VPI’s Harry Weisfeld says has the best midrange he has ever heard, regardless of price.
