Many of you know I have been a Magnepan fan for a long time with my first pair of 2.6's in the 90's. As I evolved to prefer tube power with these speakers I upgraded to the 3.6R, Manley Neo Classic Amps and Vandersteen 2W Sub. About two years ago I added stereo Rel's and truly thought the quest was over. Over the years I have tried to move on from Magnepan but could never find a box to deliver the soundstage and imaging. I've listened to Revel, B&W, Focal, KEF, Harbeth among others. More recently listened to Acora, Joseph Audio, and Magico and many other A listers. I came close with SF Amati and even closer with Vimberg Mino, with the Mino's just out of my financial reach. I then attended AXPONA 2024 for the first time and listened too so many I've forgotten, but I did listened to MBL's and I was sold!
I had 3.6's for 12 years, and loved a lot about them, but also always felt that there was this thing missing - slam.maybe, or midbass power, or a certain "thickness" that I want my music to have.
I moved to baffle-less speakers - dynamic speakers without the boxes. I had the Emerald Physics 2.8's, and that did it for me for many years. Still boxless and open and airy, but suddenly, there was this saturated solidity that I couldn't make my Maggies achieve in my room.
It sounds like your budget allows for even more sophisticated solutions, so this may not be relevant for you. But I found baffle-less dynamic speakers the ticket for stepping away from the Maggie sound to which I was addicted, for better and worse.
I realize many are opposed to implement some sort of DSP into their system but it may be the best/easiest/most cost effective solution if you haven’t tried yet. Even more so if there are trying to optimize/integrate subwoofers.
Having the ability to easily adjust sub/mains x-over pts., phase, gain, along with eq from your listening chair can be a game changer if your end goal is suspension of disbelief rather than to micro analyze and meet some undefinable, unobtainable true to “what the musicians, or engineer intended” type objective.
From what you describe as missing I sense that you’re not after that illusive moving target so I’ll just reiterate my recommendation to try DSP (if you haven’t yet).
I feel liberated after many years of struggling to be transported from my listening chair to the “event” and I think MG 3.7i can get you there with DSP.
edit..
assuming 3.7’s are setup properly…at least 5-6 ft. from front wall and seating position not up against back wall. Minimum 14ft room width. Light room treatment, smartly placed.
Sounds like you should move/try an open baffle type of speaker to get what your missing. OB's will have all the similar things you like in the Magi's but will add richness, dynamics, slam and tone. Also be much more efficient.
I heard MBL speakers at a shop in the UAE. The set up was bad and they were unimpressive. I have heard German Physics speakers at few shows and have been very impressed. You could walk into the "soundstage" and the placement of the instruments was stable. A few years ago I heard a rebuilt pair of Ohm Walsh 5. They were a bargain in omnis. Good luck on your journey.
I've also been a Maggie fan for many decades and have owned several models since the late 70's. I loved the open, airy soundstage and how the speakers disappear, but was always somewhat disappointed with the lack of dynamic impact.
I tried a number of dynamic box speakers, but always returned to the Maggies. Until recently. Several years ago, I tried open baffle speakers and have now found my nirvana.
Love the feedback as always. I did order a pair of the MBL 116F. I had them in my room for two weeks and threw everything at them digital and analog. To my ears I heard drastic improvements in imaging and sound-stage depth which actually surprised me. The MBL's delivered the slam/dynamics that my Maggies never could deliver on. And finally they are a "normal size" speaker. The true test came after the MBL's were picked up and returned. I honestly missed listening to them and my Maggies didn't quite do it for me anymore................the journey continues
German Physiks, as mentioned by @g2the2nd, are a solid pick. Single driver, beautiful airy highs and soundstage. But very expensive compared to Maggies. Nevertheless, their Unicorn model is one of the best speakers I've heard. But it's expensive and has looks only a mother can love.
You say you " ordered " a pair of MBL's...and used them for a few weeks, and they met all your expectations... then they were picked up and returned... What happened... did they suddenly no longer meet your expectations, or perhaps had mechanical issues which necessitated their return...
Those of us addicted to the Maggie sound have found ways to work through their perceived shortcomings. Two good REL subwoofers (I have 3 running presently) is a good step in the direction of addressing perceived lack of deep bass.
I also bought a pair of Maggie DWM panels - the same tech as the base panel in the 20.1s - to augment bass. It does do that but I often find I enjoy just as much without having them on.
The real upgrade came when I bypassed the external crossover box (which you cannot do with anything .7 or above) and actively biamped my Maggies. That was revelatory.
OP, you have many things you can do before you ditch your beloved 3.6rs! Forget about expensive replacements and roll up your sleeves!
I have owned Accoustat 2 + 2s with both servo amps and interfaces with various SS amps, later Maggie 3.5Rs wwhich I tried custom silver jumpers, Rogue M150 tube amps, W4S class D, Parasound A21, and more, bu no matter what I tried I could never get past the venitian blind effect. Eventually (years later), I went back to open baffle, Emerald Physics 3.4s which Ive had for 3+ years, which in my opinion are head and shoulders over Maggies AND they are easy to drive, and physically half the height, which makes them more aesthetically pleasing. Long out of production, but occasionally come up for sale or Clayton Shaws new OB speakers are getting excellent reviews @~ $3000
Speaking as a pro musician for 50 plus years, I find that people who complain about bass on Maggies, especially larger ones, do not know what real bass is supposed to sound like.
Please post your impressions of the Clarisys after your auditions. Thanks!
I decided to visit Mark Jones Audio in Ajax, Ontario, Canada to hear the Clarisys speaker. They had the most expensive one in a room that was too small for it. The dealer explained to me the circumstances of having the big one there instead of something smaller. Whatever the case the sound was setup well without any fatigue,
The system was driven by $100k CH amp from Switzerland. A great sounding amp and one that I thought would be great with my Yamaha NS5000, until I heard the price. The rest of the gear was also CH.
As you can imagine the system would have sounded very good. In comparison to my LRS+ it was not even close. The LRS+ has a bit of a muffled sound. With my excellent gear in my office the LRS+ is the weakest link. The Clarisys has none of that muffled sound. It is an almost pristine sound. Not bright just clear and beautiful. It uses a ribbon, and it reminded me of the new RAAL 1995 Immanis headphone.
The Immanis are incredible and the Clarisys came close to having the same level of clarity. There was a sonic resemblance between the 2. I figured the ribbons must produce the sound the same way in both.
Since the room was too small, I was not able to hear too much outside the speaker but inside the speaker was the wall of sound like the LRS+. It had depth like the LRS+. The main difference was the great clarity in the sound. Now if I put my CODA #16 amp on the Clarisys I would have the same clarity. The #16 on the LRS+ really blows it up but not the utmost in clarity. I say this because I have the #16 with my Yamaha NS5000, thar is amazing.
The LRS+ is limited in the clarity aspect. I thought that when I first got it and compared it with the KEF LS50 META + KEF KC62 sub. The KEF was a bit sharper or cleaner sounding speaker. However, that LRS+ wall of sound (and depth) was way more important.
The speaker in the Clarisys line that I am interested in was the new Picolo. It is supposed to sound like the speaker I heard, but better for a smaller room. The dealer had heard it at Axpona. When I heard that the cost was $20k I decided I would pass on the Picolo and keep using the LRS+. I did hear the Luxman M10x at the dealer and that or the SimAudio 761 will be an amp that I will get for either the LRS+ or the NS5000. I am keeping the CODA #16.
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