The Magnepan LRSs are, for all I tents and purposes, UNIVERSALLY reviewed as great speakers, especially for the money. The ONLY negative review came from a review based on measurements only lol. If one is rating speakers on based on a bunch of tables and squiggly lines you are absolutely doing it wrong. The only consistent minor negatives were power requirements - and I think you amp has that covered with your amp - and placement sensitivity. It took me about 3 yrs to get my placement right, especially after adding Magna Risers to my 1.7is. Wow , major improvement on what I thought were already superb speakers. I suspect what you are missing might be satisfied by some Magna Risers for the LRSs (several models to choose from: https://magnarisers.com/our-products.html). Mine are literally perfect for me now. And, as Maggies get on the "Best" lists of most audiophile magazines year in and year out against MUCH more expensive kit, upgrading would be an exercise in futility - except for bigger Maggies lol.
Need suggestions on preamp
I’m mainly a headphone listener so when I got the chance to purchase a pair of Magnepan LRS speakers near my home town, I ran with it. I love Maggies and their midrange smoothness and live performance feel. I was able to find a used Parasound A21 for $1200 on Marketplace which was replacing my Adcom 545. I’m now running into a dilemma where I think the Adcom 545 sounded more detailed to me. I listen to a lot of instrumental music that I know well and I’m not getting the same level of detail as I’m getting with my headphone setup which is running balanced from my RME ADI-2 DAC. I’m using more expensive Audience AU-SX interconnects on those but even when running the RME direct into the amp (since it has volume control) I’m not getting the level of resolution I’m used to with my headphone setup (Hifiman HE1000 with a Serbian Audio HSA-1B amp).
I think the issue might be related to my preamp. I bought a Schiit Saga+ and despite running good NOS tubes or trying out passive mode I’m not getting the resolution I’m looking for. I’m looking for a recommendation on a preamp that costs between $1,000-$2,000 that will max out the resolution of the Parasound while keeping it’s effortless flow and naturalness in tact. Maybe the problem is the speakers and I really should have gone for the LRS+ or 1.7s? I know the room plays a huge role with Maggies but I live in a small apartment so for now I’m looking for any suggestions that can be fixed with gear. Thanks for any help!
Showing 5 responses by jkf011
I think a CJ is a great option and should match well with the rest of your components. I've had 2 preamps in the last 25yrs, both CJs. I've upgraded the internals of my PV10AL but that's it. I would have to spend a ridiculous amount of money to get any better sound. I wouldn't recommend "upgrading" fuses as there's no real evidence it makes any sound difference. And don't change the Amperage! Big no no according to Magnepan. |
@hikaru126 Nope only CJ tube preamps for like 30yrs |