Magnepan Sweet Spot


For the last year, I have been listening to my set of Magnepan Tympani IVs.  They are great at creating a wall of sound, and picked up substantial bass and detail when I acquired a Parasound A21.  However, I have failed to create the sweet spot I have experienced with other maggies I have owned.  Between this failure and the size of the Tympanis, I am considering selling them and looking at other Magnepan models to achieve the sweet spot. I have always loved the Magnepan clarity and detail, and do not need thumping bass.

The current Tympani arrangement has them at one end of a 22x12 room (12' wall behind them).  If I change them out, I think I will rotate the setup, so that the listening chair will be at one end of the 12' wall and the speakers 3' - 5' away from the other wall.

Given this setup, which of the Magnepan line should I consider to achieve that sweet spot??  I have MMGs but would probably get the LRS if I chose that size speaker. 

Heresy though it may be, if I turned away from the Maggies, what speakers would achieve similar results for about $2500 used?

kythyn

Showing 3 responses by gammonit_2000

Dear OP,
Putting your speakers on the far wall may not be the best plan.  If I saw your room I could probably place them properly along the long wall (pun intended).  That's how I have set the LRS up to great advantage and sound quality.  But, they are maybe 8 ft apart in both cases.  I use the room and reflectivity.  The more recent placement I have also used filmy floor to ceiling length curtains behind which has been amazing at dispersing the sound.  They were there already but I aimed them that way.  Once again, long wall, but on the end of the long wall facing the short wall.  Sitting in the knock out and way off the corner and the other corner created by the depth of a coat closet.  Also sorry but I doubt your amp will do what my Bryston 4BSST can do with the LRS or any other Magnepan for that matter but then again not having heard it I may be incorrect.  I had fed the LRS with 250 watts a side b4 and now with 500 they just sing.  Bryston is the real deal.  Buy one and sell that other thing.
Oh hell live a little buy a pair of LRS and close your blinds.  Can you move them out in the room?  If not maybe you don't want mags after all.  Either side of the TV sounds like you don't
OP if you like the MMGs then from what little I understand you will like the LRS more and the placement with one would work with the other?  I have tweeters outside and placed to make the room play the music sure there is one nicer spot but the key is to get it filling the space.  Sounds like you are probably not going to want them 4 ft off the wall where they work best from what I can tell..