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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.

128x128arafiq
arafiq's avatar
arafiq OP
1,678 posts
 

Thanks, @lalitk This is an itch I just had to scratch. Let's see how it goes. I feel if I'm going to have two sets of speakers (including my Harbeth 40.2s), the other one has to be a completely different kettle of fish, so to speak. 

@campoly The speakers I'm buying are pre-owned so hopefully sone break-in has already taken place. If I like what I'm hearing, I might spring for Myestands in the future. I was thinking of pulling them out between 4-5 feet from the front wall. I will probably start with tweeters facing inwards but might experiment the other way around later on,

Questions: How far should they be from the sidewalls? What is the optimal distance between listening position and speakers? Also, any guidance on how far apart the speakers should be from each other?

campoly's avatar
campoly
64 posts
 

In all my years with Maggie’s, I’ve never found sidewall position to be a problem whether they be closer or farther away. I sit about 9’ away with about 6’ behind me to the back wall. My speakers are 5.7’ apart. This is what works for MY room and MY ears. I get a fantastic 3D sound stage. I think my room treatments play a big part in this.

I think part of the fun of Maggies is experimenting with positioning. I move them close together and then gradually move them apart until it feels/sounds like there is a hole in the middle of the sound stage (laterally) and that is my starting point for micro adjustments. Trust your ears where positioning is concerned.

thebiffer1
1 posts
 

Hello hello everyone....having a pair of Manepan LRS+ speakers it had me hooked. Like a nice new sports car I wanted something even sexier and decided after much debate to go with the new Magnepan 20.7X series. Been trying to find forums or places to go and find out who may actually have the "X"s and love to hear their experiences. I am nervously awaiting the arrival probably in about 10-12 weeks from now and hopefully I will not have buyer's remorse or be dissapointed but hey, I had a very brief demo recently at a dealer with the standard 20.7s and loved what they can do and as a long time panel electrostatic/panel guy I cannot see myself without a silly long grin on my face of sheer listening pleasure. Equipment wise I am all set with a pair of hefty mono blocks and also using a pair of REL 32 subs. That should adequately feed all the current they desire. Of course I will not know until they are placed in their new home which is a room of approx 30'x15' and 14' ceilings with decent sound treatment. My second backup choice of speakers were going to be the Legacy Audio Aeris or Focus SE. So please send along whatever tips/advice you can recommend with great appreciation. Happy listening.

 

yyzsantabarbara
4,829 posts
 

The LRS+ I had were relatively close to the side wall. The most interesting aspect was that the acoustic panels on the LEFT and RIGHT for the first reflection point were NOT needed. They were needed for all other cone speaker and the Audience 1+1 V3 speaker that I tried in the small office. With the LRS+ removing the side panel improved the soundstage and did not cause any negative side effects.

The LRS+ was the easiest speaker I had for placement in my small office. I sold the LRS+ since I no longer have this room. I did use acoustic panels behind the speaker and behind my seating position.

BTW - The Sanders Magtech amp is made for Maggies (my sales plug). The KEF KC62 sub is what I used with the LRS+ set at 50hz.

 

mclinnguy's avatar
mclinnguy
462 posts
 

@arafiq 

just caught this thread- how you gettin on with these? The Cardas setup for dipoles is a good starting point, George has had the 3 series for many years. 

Try the Limage setup and see if you like that:

https://www.audioasylum.com/messages/MUG/217738/hk-limage-explained-sadie-is-our-in-house-expert-on-this-set-up

I tried it many months ago and I fell in love with the huge cavernous soundstage, and haven't gone back to the "conventional" setup, which for me was tweeters out, slightly toed in, triangular setup. 

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