Thinking of Magnepan ... finally!


Until recently, most of my amps have been tube-based with the exception of a few great SS integrateds thrown into the mix for fun. That's probably the main reason I have stayed away from Magnepans (or other speakers of its ilk) thus far. Now that I have an Aavik U-280 integrated amp that can do 300 watts @ 8 ohms and doubles to 600 @ 4, I would love to scratch that itch finally. Keep in mind that I do not intend to get rid of my other speakers (Joseph Audio Perspective2 Graphene, Harbeth SHL5+, Fritz Carrera BE) since I love them all for different reasons. The Magnepans will be rotated in the main listening room with Joseph Audio Perspectives. One thing I like about Maggies is that they are relatively lightweight so I can move them to the closet without breaking my back when not in rotation.

Since I've never owned Magnepans before, I have a ton of questions and doubts. So here we go ...

Bass (or the lack thereof) -- I've been told that the Magnepans are very light on bass and definitely require at least on subwoofer. Is this true in all cases? Anyone using them without subs and happy with the performance? TBH, I really would prefer that I don't use subs but not set in stone for sure.

Breathing Room -- my room is 20' x 15' with 12 foot ceilings. The speakers will be placed along the short wall (15'). I can pull them out by about 4.5 feet from the front wall and 3 feet from the side walls. Seating distance will be approximately 8 - 9 feet. Is this good enough or do you think more distance, especially from the front wall, is required to truly enjoy the speakers?

Mods -- I've also heard that the stock components (crossovers, fuses, etc.) and stands are suboptimal. Is this true? If so, what are the minimum requirements to bring the speaker to a higher standard and at what cost? 

Value -- For someone who is just starting out with Maggies, which model is a good entry point? I know that LRS+ is a good value, but my other speakers are very very good, so I want to do justice to the Maggies as well. But at the same time I don't want to spend more than I need to. Where do you think the sweet spot lies, i.e. which model(s)? I will be looking for used only since I've already spent way too much on other speakers.

Imaging -- I've also been told that imaging on Maggies is not that great. I have never heard Maggies before so I have no idea if this assertion is true or not. Your thoughts?

And finally, I want to hear from folks who love their Maggies. What is that you love most about the speakers? What qualities do they bring to the table that no other speaker does? Are there magnetic planar speakers from other brands that I should also be considering? Keep in mind they have to be readily available in the used market. So please don't suggest something that doesn't meet this requirement.

However, to bring some balance to the feedback, I would also love to hear from those who tried Magnepans and moved on to something else. Why? What was it that you didn't like about them? What did you move on to?

Thanks in advance and a sincere request: Please keep it civil ... no need for haters of Magnepan to use this as an opportunity to diss the brand.

arafiq

Showing 1 response by redlenses03

Great thread @arafiq .  Having been on the fence as well with mags, this "thought" comes up, kind of like dipping toes into vinyl surpriselaugh.  I have friends with 1.7i and have heard them many times and they do sound great.  They do things really well and other things that may or may not meet ones preferences.

I recently heard them again in a diff setting and although they do kinda wow you at first, it didn't take long to realize I don't think I would be happy long term - citing many of the same attributes you did, that's why this was such a good read.

The big soundstage etc.. is "cool" but to me always seemed a bit too much or "artificial" for lack of a better word.  It sorta mashes everything together compared to dynamic/point source.  That's what I miss almost immediately - the dynamics, pin point imaging and bass authority.  I run two sealed 15" subs so I should be OK if I decide to try, 

Maybe that's just an element I'm used to and living with mags overtime would fall in love, dunno.  Like you I have determined that its either 3.7i or the 20's and really its more of a "something to try" and not at all unhappy with current setup - far, far from it.  However, I'm not a constant gear swapper, I find something that gels/has synergy and stick with it for awhile.

I always read from experienced/established users/audiophiles that everyone should try planers, just to see - that's always my motivation.

One other note, you have a nice room and your comment about diffusion - I would recommend against mixing up different types.  For the front wall do all QRD's (one dimensional only) along with proper corner bass trapping.  I've tried it and it can mess things up (diffusion is tricky/complex and in all honesty professional adivice is highly recommended) - I have on front wall two dimensional skylines (vicoustic  DC2) which are hemispheric broadband diffusion.(about 12-14 panels).  Works well, but I "think" if I were to do it over, would put all QRD - at least from my research, so the usual YMMV, my $.02