[brooklyn]

Hi folks,

It’s been a while since I posted anything in the Planer Circle, I guess because I haven’t owned any
planers in years. I’ve been heavy into headphone listening and really enjoying it. I never thought
I would have a conventional two channel audio system ever again until now..

Thanks to a couple of good friends of mine who are heavy into vintage audio and going to their
homes and listening to their systems, I’ve caught the bug again.. I could choke those two guys..
lol

Naturally, I would love a pair of Maggies again but I’m stuck on one of two models, the new LRS or
the .7’s.. My room is not that big, only 11 feet wide. The length is 17 feet but the back part of the
room has my desk so I’ll only be using about 13 feet of the length.. I will have to listen to them
near field which I’ve done before and liked it.

My last pair of Maggies were the MMG’s which I was pretty happy with. Does anybody have any
opinions on the new LSR’s vs the .7’s besides double the price for the .7’s?  Are they worth
double the money? I’ve come to find out recently that Tulsa OK has a Magnepan dealer, who
would have known.. I did call them but they have no Maggies set up in the store.. WTF..
but they will order anything I want..

So, any opinions out there? Oh and happy Hollidays to everybody..

Thanks
Jerry

[Saturn94]

I wanted to try Maggies (owned a pair of SMG back in the early 80s) but don’t have a dealer in my area (closest about 175 miles away).

I was able to hear the .7 at a fellow AC member’s home.  But I really needed to how Maggies would perform in my room/setup (pretty different from the room/setup where I heard the .7).  My only option for an in home audition was the LRS (factory direct, 60 return window).

I was pleasantly surprised how good the LRS sounds!  It’s a steal at it’s price!  I’m pleasantly surprised with bass response I get from the LRS in my room (I wasn’t expecting much from the small Maggie).  I expect the larger .7 would offer even better bass response, but since I’m using a sub, I’m not sure the .7 would offer me anything worth paying double for.

Does your Maggie dealer offer a return policy on the .7?  If not, and you were pretty happy with the MMG, I’d suggest taking advantage of the 60 day audition period offered on the LRS.  If you decide you need “more” Maggie, then you’re only out return shipping.

See post #58 for my initial impression of the LRS

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=164796.msg1762234#msg1762234

And post #42 here for my impressions on the .7

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=159659.msg1747105#msg1747105

I hope something here is helpful.

[brooklyn]

Thank you for the helpful info, it will help shape my decision.

I’ve only used a sub a few times over the years and I never like the way the sound integrated with the
speakers no matter what I did, it just didn’t sound right to me. For movies a sub is a necessity. I was
actually good with the amount of bass coming out of the MMG’s when I had them. My amps at that time
were the Bel Canto REF 500m’s which gave those Maggies a swift kick in the butt, this time the Bel Canto Ref500S. Being that I will not be using a sub I thought I would be better off with .7’s to get a little more bass, I do like classic rock on occasion.

I don’t know if the dealer near me has a trial period. I think it’s odd that they have no Maggies set up for a listen. I think it sucks when a dealer gets full price for gear and didn’t do a dam thing to earn it but deliver the goods..

Thanks
Jerry

[Jeff_From_Michigan]

Brooklyn, I don't think you can go wrong by ordering the LRS's directly from Magnepan. There will be a bit of a wait for them, but trust me it's worth it. 

In my opinion the LRS's are even better sounding than MMG's, and ridiculously close to the 3.6R's, both of which I have owned for many years.  If you were satisfied with the MMG's bass output, you will not be disappointed with the LRS. (For future reference, dual SVS subs are an affordable way to add some fast, clean bass to the bottom end.)

The LRS also has a nice, refined look to it - a small strip of wood trim on the sides, a bit less "clunky" looking than the MMG.

Since your dealer doesn't offer the opportunity to hear before you buy, ordering direct from Magnepan seems like your best option. 

Good luck - you are in for a real treat if you decide to get the LRS's. I highly doubt that you'll want for more.

[brooklyn]

Thanks Jeff,

That is a great vote of confidence for the LSR’s. I probably could easily live with them in my room.
I just thought that being I won’t be using sub(s) and no doubt this will be my last pair or speakers
going into the sunset so to speak, I thought getting the .7’s might be the better way to go..

There is still a wait time for the LSR’s? I was also told that I wouldn’t get the .7’s until sometime in
late January.. What’s this world coming to.. lol

I do appreciate your input.
Jerry

[mr_bill]

Magnepan 0.7 vs LRS is a question a lot of us are pondering.

[maxima95]

The 2 are compared here.

http://www.audioemporium.com/latest/MagLRS_stereophile_7-2019.pdf

[SteveFord]

Interesting review but the comparison seemed a little odd.
If I read it correctly he said the larger .7 threw a bigger soundstage with more bass (no kidding) but the LRS actually provided more detail.

I haven't heard either the LRS or the .7 but I've found that Magnepans usually provide more detail the higher up the ladder you go (1.7 to 3.7, for example).

[Saturn94]

Thank you for the helpful info, it will help shape my decision.

I’ve only used a sub a few times over the years and I never like the way the sound integrated with the
speakers no matter what I did, it just didn’t sound right to me. For movies a sub is a necessity. I was
actually good with the amount of bass coming out of the MMG’s when I had them. My amps at that time
were the Bel Canto REF 500m’s which gave those Maggies a swift kick in the butt, this time the Bel Canto Ref500S. Being that I will not be using a sub I thought I would be better off with .7’s to get a little more bass, I do like classic rock on occasion.

I don’t know if the dealer near me has a trial period. I think it’s odd that they have no Maggies set up for a listen. I think it sucks when a dealer gets full price for gear and didn’t do a dam thing to earn it but deliver the goods..

Thanks
Jerry

Without a sub I’d be inclined to go for the .7 over the LRS if price isn’t an issue.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

I have to agree with Steve.  Better sound the higher up you go.  The 0.7's will have a larger sound stage and more detail in addition to better bass but you will still need a sub to get deep punchy bass.  My MMG's can't hold a candle to my 1.6's.

[brooklyn]

I would love to order the LSR’s direct from Magnepan and call it a day but forum members seem to
be slanting towards the .7’s.. This probably being the last pair of speakers I’m going to own in my
lifetime, it’s fitting that it would be a set of Maggies… I am also thinking of the .7’s.. especially since
I won’t be using a sub.. I’m excited..

I don’t seem to have a goods track record with setting up subwoofers anyway. It never sounds right
to my ears.. My last sub was a REL Q201e, matted with a pair of Von Schweikert VR 1 Monitors, I
thought it sounded Ok at best, no matter how I fine tuned or move the sub. Even my wife who
I call the discerning ear didn’t like the way it’s sounded.. She said I’ve had better systems in the
past, that was enough for me. The monitors and sub left the house in short order and I bought
the MMG’s.. lol

The good news for me is I’ve always been happy with the bass output of the Maggies no matter
what model I had, back then I mostly listened to rock. The truth is, if I had the room I
would just get the 1.7’s and be happier then a big in poop. Well, I guess you can’t have everything.

So.. do we have a thumbs up from everybody for the .7s?

[Saturn94]

 

[SteveFord]

I got curious so here's the exchange between myself and Wendell:


  I have a question for you after reading that Stereopile review on the LRS.
Is the sound from the LRS more detailed than the .7?
In the past it was always the higher up you go the more resolution you got but maybe you changed something?
Either that or I read the review wrong.

  The reasons I stated for why we did the LRS was totally candid. Herb Riechert's Stereophile review was spot-on with regards to the comparison to the .7.
---------------------------------
Soooo it sounds to me like you get more detail with the LRS but things are larger-sized with the .7.
I guess it all depends on what  size room you have and how close you are to the speakers.
I would imagine either would require a subwoofer or two.

I've been thinking of getting some LRS for myself so eventually I'll do a review or sorts.
I'm going to set them up like giant Stax headphones at my desk.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Too bad you gave up on a sub with your MMG's.  I use dual Martin Logan original dynamo subs with my 1.7's and they really fill in the low end below 40-45hz.  These are small non ported "fast subs".  They blend in seamlessly.  I have them crossed over at 42hz.  The key is to keep the volume low and keep them away from the corners of the room so they don't get boomy.  They should be set to not call attention to themselves and really only noticed on bass heavy music with just lower end bass.  Of course your room plays a large roll.

It is interesting that the LRS have more detail than the 0.7's.  I would still consider the 0.7's for the larger sound and deeper bass.  I can't imagine that the difference in detail is huge but the difference in bass and sound stage is due to the larger size.

I have a friend that has the 1.7's in a room that I estimate to be about 12x12 (probably a bit smaller) in a near field config.  He uses dual Rhythmik subs and it sounds fabulous..

[Saturn94]

I don’t remember noticing more detail with the LRS than the .7.  That said, I did not do a side by side comparison.  I heard each at completely different times in completely different systems/rooms.

[SteveFord]

I think the deciding factor would be room size.

One time I got energetic and stuck 1.7s down in the living room and they just sounded too tiny.  Picture Frank Zappa as a midget.

I then put 3.6s in the upstairs (where the 1.7s were) and they just sounded terrible, it was just a wall of mush.

Then there's the 20.7s in the living room era - I recall Wendell's comment about a trombone in a phone booth...

[won ton on]

Picturing Frank Zappa as a midget....LOL.

[dcbingaman]

I am using my pair of LRS's with a single 12" Outlaw sub crossed over at ~40 Hz.  The speakers sound pretty good with this setup.  The Maggies always sounded "thick" relative to Quad panels to me, but these don't at all.  They really sound more like a Quad ESL with much better dynamics - this is the closest thing you can get to the legendary Apogee Ribbon Speakers today, but at a much lower price.

WRT subwoofers, they work well with ANY speaker, if done right.  Read Earl Geddes, or Fred Toole's AES papers on it.  The "secret" is the room, not the subs.  If you want great bass, you need 4 or more small subs spread out asymmetrically around the room, as the Audiokinesis SWARM system is configured.  NO full range speaker - not from Vandersteen or Magico or Magnepan can compete with the SWARM from 20 hz up to ~ 200 hz due to room modes.  You have to excite the room from more than two locations for good bass.  What that means is you can get SOTA sound with a combination of a SWARM array ($3000) and a pair of Maggie LRS's ($650), and the RIGHT amplifier. 

One word of caution, the LRS is both a current hog and extremely revealing of source amplifier problems.  In other words you need impeccable signals and a pretty good power amplifier.  A good subwoofer array will help with the power issue, but you still need at least 100 Class A watts able to drive a 3 ohm load.  Not trivial.

[SteveFord]

They did keep emphasizing the need for high quality components with these.

[oskar]

Would a Nuprime IDA-16 drive these LSR's properly?
What is recommended as the minimum distance from the front wall?
Thanks.