Thinking of Magnepan ... finally!

@arafiq : There’s a variety of advice here. I’m going to add my own experience, but the absolute most important thing to do is to try what you have access to and decide for yourself. We all have different rooms, and different expectations, so one person’s advice may, or may Not apply to you. I’ve owned six different Magnepan models over the last 36 years, and I’ve experimented with dozens of amplifiers to drive them. Incidentally, I own, and have owned several other brands and types of speakers as well, but for me, the presentation of sound by the Magnepans is my favorite. As some others have advised… watts of power, in and of itself, is not what makes these speakers sound “good”. Amplifiers sound different. Period. So comparing amp A @ 50 w/ch to amp B @ 300 w/ch is only useful (in terms of power) if one is exceeding the limits of the smaller amp. If you’re actually only using 25 watts of power to drive your speakers to the levels at which you listen, it doesn’t matter if an amp has 15 watts more available or 275 watts more available… UNLESS that particular 300 watt amp sounds Better in the range from 0 watts to 25 watts! I personally do not listen to music super loud. I do play it “loud” sometimes, but not to the point where I NEED hundreds of watts. I have compared amplifiers where the model with the lower rated w/ch sounded more powerful than the model with higher rated w/ch. The point is we all “use” our systems our own way. I’m extremely pleased with what I’ve settled on: 3.7s driven by a medium powered tube amplifier (and Yes, I’ve also owned many SS amps with hundreds of w/ch). I use a pair of Speltz autoformers to raise the impedance of the Maggies to better match the amp, but not because it sounded bad, but because I know electrically it’s a better match. Buy the speakers.. use your amp.. let your brain get used to a different (better imo) sound presentation, and decide for yourself. Oh, if you buy new Maggies, let them have time to break in! That’s totally legit… more than any other speaker I’ve used. One more thing: Someone in this thread wrote that he blew six ribbons then quit trying Magnepan. I have had three different models with ribbon tweeters over many years. I frequently play rock music at a fairly loud volume level, but not crazy loud, and I’ve never blown even one ribbon. I remember blowing a fuse once… I replaced it and that was that. This is just my experience and my advice. Ymmv 

@mesch : Congratulations on your new speakers! I have no doubt that Pass XA 25 sounds great paired with the LRS+. That’s a combo I’ve been thinking “should” sound great, so I’m happy to know that someone is using them together. I’d love to hear it. 
 

@dsper : I understand what you’re experiencing. I’ve tried other speakers in place of the Magnepans I had at times. Sometimes I’d put the Magnepans in another room and set the new speaker up in the main system. Other times I sold the Maggies and replaced them with carefully chosen “other” speakers. I always missed them after awhile, so went back to using them again. There’s something uniquely “real” about how they recreate recorded music that I’ve found missing in other speakers. ALL speakers have their strengths and weaknesses, so I prefer the ones that have strengths in areas of sound that are important to me, and ones that don’t have any type of weaknesses that are deal breakers. My goal is always to put together a system that creates sound that is both pleasing, and “musically” correct (according to what I have in my mind). As I’ve gotten older, and as I’ve been exposed to a wider variety of combinations of equipment, and different environments, I’ve learned to trust what my ears and brain tell me… not what others tell me. I’ve also learned that it’s unfair to judge any component, especially speakers, without some experimentation. Things have to work together well to sound great.

@jjss49 : I agree completely! My room is almost the same size as yours (15x21), and I’ve had both the 1.7i & the 3.7 set up with the same electronics, in the same environment, and I found the 1.7i to be an overachiever at the size and price. I ultimately chose to keep the 3.7, because it was, imo, “better” overall, but I would be happy with the 1.7i. As you described… the larger model loads the room slightly differently, and the high frequency energy is a bit more bold & airy, but the broad midrange frequency presentation is very much the same… and that’s to say, Very nice!

@arafiq : I was pretty satisfied with the low frequency response of my 1.7i, but I wanted “more of a good thing”, so I bought a pair of DWM bass panels. They added a bit of meat to the sound, but they were tricky to set up to blend with the mains, and they added too much, visually, to my room. I sold them, and frankly, don’t miss them. I loved the sound of my system with the 1.7i, but ultimately decided to buy a pair of 3.7 to “try out”, expecting “more bass” and “better highs”. Honestly, there was only a small increase in bass response, but the “overall presentation” of sound was better with the 3.7. Without hearing them side by side, I’m not sure the differences would be so apparent. As @jjss49 wrote; they load the room differently, and I preferred the sound. I’ve appreciated the sound of every Magnepan speaker I’ve owned, but these are clearly the best. 

@yyzsantabarbara :  I used to sell Magnepan speakers (and I’ve owned several models myself). There were times, as a salesman, when I cautioned a potential buyer that the room “may be” too small for a model they were considering. I always (almost always) hand delivered, set up, and made initial adjustments for each pair… plus our store had a generous return policy in case they didn’t work out. I was pleasantly surprised by how they sounded in a room “too small” on many occasions. They “blossom” more effectively in a larger room, but the tone, detail, and clarity were still present. I believe it would be worth the try! Even though they may sound “better” in a bigger room, I believe they will still sound great, and provide a healthy dose of the magic they’re capable of. Good luck!!

+1 @campoly : These speakers take time to break in… more so than any other speaker I’ve had experience with. I believe it’s due to the fact that the entire panel needs time to “relax”, rather than just the surround material. Even used ones need a bit of time if they haven’t been played for awhile. They’re very special, but they need a little consideration of their unique characteristics.