Magnepans VS MartinLogan for detail and sound staging

LRS with dwm panels no subs,never and keep your class D amp.

willywonka: "Unfortunately to get a new Magnepan with a ribbon tweeter you need to move up to the 2.7i. Unfortunately, way too big of a speaker for my room."

There is a lot of misconception out there that Maggies need a large room.  This is not always the case.  (View my profile)  I have my 3.7i's placed such that I create a sound stage that goes beyond my sidewalls and all the detail is there.  Maggies have much less interaction with side walls than do most 'standard' speakers and therefore placement close to sidewalls is less important.  Distance from the front wall is more important.  

I am familiar with all these speakers. Going to MLs is a sideways move. If you are looking to move up then you should be looking at Magnepan 3.7is or better yet Soundlabs 545s. All these speakers benefit from TWO subwoofers and a complete 2 way crossover. the only subwoofers you should use with these speakers are balanced force designs like KEF KC 92 or the Martin logan BF 212 and 210. Magico makes them also, but at a ridiculous price.  

Consider - Getting a musical sealed sub (I have a Rythmic 15 in sealed). High pass the amp to your maggies at 50 Hz. Set the sub low pass to 50 Hz. Relieving the panels of the low bass brings out the best in a maggie system.

@ baconboy: At my local high end audio shop, I just recently got a chance to audition a pair of Magnepan LRS+ speakers, augmented by a pair of high quality REL subs, and the sound produced by that combo was nothing short of spectacular!!! The Maggie LRS+/REL sub combo could easily do justice to any genre of music, if set up properly. No need to move up to the larger true ribbon tweeter offerings from Magnepan, as the LRS+ are truly something special, and can give you everything you ever dreamed of, if you add a couple subs with them, and, also, set them up properly. Ditch the Peachtree Audio, as you can do a lot better in amplification, in regards to getting the best sound quality out of your Maggies than with the Peachtree. About 3 years ago, I drove a pair of Magnepan 1.7i speakers with a top of the line Peachtree Audio integrated amp, and I was thoroughly disappointed. My suggestions: (#1) Keep your amazing Maggie LRS+ speakers, as the quasi ribbon tweeters on this particular speaker are magical and are out of this world. (#2) Replace your old and antiquated sub with a "PAIR" of quality modern subwoofers (REL subs would be perfect) (#3) Get yourself a more high quality sounding class A/B amp (250 WPC+). If you make the changes that I’ve recommended, I truly believe that the sound quality that you'll achieve, in your size room, will absolutely knock your socks off, as it did mine at the audition!!! Happy listening.

Maggies all the way, provided you have enough amp for them.  There is no higher definition I have heard from a pair of speakers.  You can hear people talking in the background of Beatle recordings.  When I bought some Maggie 3.5r's something like 20 years ago, I listened side by side to some martin logan.  Amps were McIntosh.  I even remember what I was listening to sample; Dire Straits, Love Over Gold.  You can only speak for you own ears though.  Whatever amp you have may pair better with the one your own ears pick. 

I was wondering the opposite thing. I've owned a pair of Martin Logan Advantages for over 12 years now. I love them. Originally way back when I owned an entry level sets of Maggies before swithching to ML's. Decades later I was curious about the newer Maggies and bought a pair of 1.7i . They now have at least 100 hours run time. I kept the ML's. Still doing comparisions, but no matter how I tweak the Maggies (more power, added in my ML sub, upgraded speaker cables to Nordost Frey2), the ML's still win out. The 1.7i's sound great but do not have the depth of soundstage, full background, and clarity of the ML's. The ML's are indeed a worth the investment, IMHO. Will likely sell my Maggies eventually. Don't know where you live but if you are in CO, I highly recommend seeing Rick at Audio Alternative.

Good luck!

Hears a vote for the Maggie 2.7i’s.  I upgraded from the 1.7i’s about 3 months ago and am very happy. I have a small (16 X 12) room that is audio only. Just my Human Touch Perfect Chair (bad back, disabled) my audio gear and me. I have added 2 SVS SB- 1000 Pro’s along with the 2.7i’s. I have never been a “louder is better” kind of listener. I have measured my average listening volume, according to my phone app anyway, is around 80 dB. I drive those with a Carver Crimson 275, PrimaLuna EVO 300 Preamp and my media comes thru a Cambridge Audio CXN100

Go enjoy your music!

I am not sure if those Maggie’s can deliver what you are looking for, I have not heard them outside a showroom. But assuming that they can, I think you are limited by the all in one Peachtree solution. Getting to the next level would require some budget, avoid making a lateral move. 
 

In the meantime, you did not mention what you are using for a streamer, and very importantly what you are using for digital cable. Both can make a big difference. 

Unfortunately to get a new Magnepan with a ribbon tweeter you need to move up to the 2.7i. Unfortunately, way too big of a speaker for my room. I wish Magnepan would make a smaller speaker with a ribbon tweeter. I currently have LRS+ but because of this shortcoming I am looking at other brands. I can completely relate to the OP. I am looking at other options.

When I step up to something fuller and more complex musically like something off the Doors first album or even something musically symphonic like Saint-Saen’s Organ Symphony or the Nutcracker at mid-level volume the fullness and detail begin to wear thin.

I also have a 30 year old Yamaha subwoofer that I occasionally use for any recording that seems to need a boost for my 72 year old ears.

Though I haven’t listened to them yet, research makes me think that a pair of Martin-Logan ESL’s could improve my experience since they’re less demanding power-wise than my Maggie’s and have a reputation for delivering the sound nuances I’m looking for. On the other hand maybe I should be investing in a different amp or preamp?

Doing justice to dense explosive orchestra can become a very expensive difficult pursuit. This is where complex multichannel/atmos rigs n all tend to come in. Why do you think many audiophiles play very simple music (a single string + a wailing vocalist) to evaluate their rigs...Assuming your pockets are not bottomless, stay with the Magnepan, i.e the devil you know. The Martin Logan comes with its fair share/healthy dose of headaches as well.

Subs from 30 years ago were terrible. Replace that 30 year old Yamaha sub with a pair of Rythmik FM8 subwoofers. This is a unique sub/staple solution that will come in handy to help out the magnepan...also double up as midbass units if needed, with a higher crossover (add to the perception of fullness, address the lack of sound power in that band, etc). Put them close to the magnepans on the front stage to prevent localization, if, crossing over higher.

Replace the class D Peach (not the right amp) with a pair of Schiit Tyr monoblocks.

This would a budget oriented solution (right type of foundation/support structure) to juice up the magnepans....

I own some LRS+ but I think the ESL Martin Logans are on a different level. My local dealer has both and I have heard almost all the bigger models and ML wins easily for me. Quite a bit more cash though. I have owned the Peachtree 300 and loved it but I doubt it's the best for Maggies. I haven't heard it though.

Consider high passing the amp to your Maggie’s and get a modern sealed sub (Rythmic or SVS). Taking the bass load off Maggie’s is magical.

Not sure how the Peachtree AMP sounds but If you want more from the Maggies get one with the ribbon tweeter. A big Martln-Logan would cost much more. I'm going to assume you have your 1.7s pulled well out into the room and away from the back wall. You would be happy with the new 2.7, 3.7, 0r 20.7. The bigger the better.