Any BARF Audiophiles?

[DReg350]

Oh, then you might really like these.

They are getting very very good reviews on AVS by owners of those very same Martin Logans and in relative terms they are dirt cheap.

$650/pair but you'll have to wait for them as the demand is through the roof.

https://www.magnepan.com/model_LRS

Wow! That’s also affordable. $650? I’m really curious how they sound. The larger ones I posted... I think they had a bass driver in the base. These don’t seem to have that space, so I’m curious about bass. Also curious if these are for audiophiles or home theater where you’d add a separate sub. Still... I’m intrigued. Seems there’re dealers in Sac, Monterey, and SF.

Oh! Another thought... Cal Audio Show is in Oakland end of next month. I’ve got tickets and will be there Friday 26. Martin Logan will be there. Think I’ll email them and ask if they’re bringing a pair. Thanks for the heads up. :thumbup

 

[GAJ]

Wow! That’s also affordable. $650? I’m really curious how they sound. The larger ones I posted... I think they had a bass driver in the base. These don’t seem to have that space, so I’m curious about bass. Also curious if these are for audiophiles or home theater where you’d add a separate sub. Still... I’m intrigued. Seems there’re dealers in Sac, Monterey, and SF.

Oh! Another thought... Cal Audio Show is in Oakland end of next month. I’ve got tickets and will be there Friday 26. Martin Logan will be there. Think I’ll email them and ask if they’re bringing a pair. Thanks for the heads up. :thumbup

Here's the Magnepan thread on AVS.

These new affordable speakers start popping up in the last 4 pages or so with several members buying them.

Scotth3886 is the member who has the ESLs in his house and really likes the new Magnepans so can ask him.

He indicated they are good for around 50hz in bass extension which isn't bad at all.

But for movies you'd need a sub.

https://www.avsforum.com/forum/89-speakers/1086093-official-magnepan-owners-thread-209.html

 

[NorCalAthlete]

Dunno if it's audiophile grade but there's a bunch of Klipsch stuff on sale on Amazon for Prime Day. Some decent deals to be had.

https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=klipsch&i=prime-day&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

 

[GAJ]

Dunno if it's audiophile grade but there's a bunch of Klipsch stuff on sale on Amazon for Prime Day. Some decent deals to be had.

https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=klipsch&i=prime-day&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Klipsch RP series is good, the R series not so much.

 

[TerryM]

Wow! That’s also affordable. $650? I’m really curious how they sound. The larger ones I posted... I think they had a bass driver in the base. These don’t seem to have that space, so I’m curious about bass. Also curious if these are for audiophiles or home theater where you’d add a separate sub. Still... I’m intrigued. Seems there’re dealers in Sac, Monterey, and SF.

Oh! Another thought... Cal Audio Show is in Oakland end of next month. I’ve got tickets and will be there Friday 26. Martin Logan will be there. Think I’ll email them and ask if they’re bringing a pair. Thanks for the heads up. :thumbup

Thanks for the audio show heads-up, DReg.

Panel speakers are hard to beat when they're done right, and Magnepan has been around forever in a market where there aren't many long-timers. The bass may not go low but it's accurate, and the lack of multiple speaker elements and crossovers makes for better coherence.

Too bad you're not going to the show on Sat. The Sound Lab guy is giving a talk on electrostats. (I think Maggies are planar magnetic and not electrostatic like big Martin Logans and Sound Labs but still full panel transducers with similarities in sound.) I had Acoustat 2+2s through the 1980s and have not been totally satisfied with my speakers since. They were 2 feet wide and almost 7 feet tall and eventually lost the visually acceptable battle.

 

[russ69]

Oh, then you might really like these. They are getting very very good reviews on AVS by owners of those very same Martin Logans and in relative terms they are dirt cheap. $650/pair but you'll have to wait for them as the demand is through the roof. https://www.magnepan.com/model_LRS

I'm very familiar with both Magnepans and M-Ls. I'm a big fan of Magnepan but they require a lot out of a user. First they must be positioned correctly and that is usually 6 feet from the front wall. Next they require a LOT of power. A LOT of power. I have 400 WPC on my small MMGs and it's not too much. Same for the 1.7 or 3.7s. You must be fully committed to THEIR requirements or you will not get the best out of them. They are warm sounding and have a huge soundstage.
The small M-L ESLs are much more forgiving and are more comparable to the 1.7s than the smaller Magnepans with just a slightly smaller soundstage and a crisper top end. Matched to my DiaLogue Premium Integrated 25WPC tube amp, it's a very satisfying combination. ESLs and tubes can be very very good and this system works well.

 

[GAJ]

I'm very familiar with both Magnepans and M-Ls. I'm a big fan of Magnepan but they require a lot out of a user. First they must be positioned correctly and that is usually 6 feet from the front wall. Next they require a LOT of power. A LOT of power. I have 400 WPC on my small MMGs and it's not too much. Same for the 1.7 or 3.7s. You must be fully committed to THEIR requirements or you will not get the best out of them. They are warm sounding and have a huge soundstage.
The small M-L ESLs are much more forgiving and are more comparable to the 1.7s than the smaller Magnepans with just a slightly smaller soundstage and a crisper top end. Matched to my DiaLogue Premium Integrated 25WPC tube amp, it's a very satisfying combination. ESLs and tubes can be very very good and this system works well.

Magnepan's take; I don't think any of the AVS members are using much more than 100 watts with the LRS.

How much power do I need?
We are asked this question every single day. We wish that we could be of more help, but individual tastes vary. If someone tells you that you need an amplifier with ___ watts, how can they be so sure if they are not listening with you in your room?

You can get a lot of free advice in the chat rooms on the internet. Most of it is of very little value (or misleading). Often, their power recommendations are influenced by their listening habits and room conditions. If they have a strong opinion of what you need for power, take it with a grain of salt.

Personal tastes are "all over the map". We hear of customers that are perfectly happy with 50 watts and others using 1000 watts. Without the option of listening with you, we have no way to give meaningful advice. The most reliable way to answer this question for your particular needs is by visiting a dealer or arranging to hear a pair of Magneplanars. If you listen to your music at your normal volume, in a room that is approximately the same size as your room, with an amplifier similar to what you plan to use, an accurate power requirement can be determined for your listening habits. This is a lot to ask, but it is the only reliable method of determining the power needs for a specific individual.

There is a persistent impression that the larger Maggies require more power. It is true that most customers with the more expensive models have more powerful amplifiers. But, the popular assumption is not correct. They typically have a larger budget. If and when you upgrade your electronics is a separate decision.

 

[russ69]

...There is a persistent impression that the larger Maggies require more power...

All I can say is that my two main systems are only running 25 WPC amps and are completely satisfying to me. AND I have extensive experience with Magnepan MMGs, 1.6s, and 3.6s. With the Magnepans a high quality amp with a serious power supply is required even if you play at lower volumes. Stereophile gave the new LRS an efficiency rating of 80 db after measurement (very very low). I have run 1.6s in a small room with lower power amps and with consumer grade receivers. The results were far below optimum. I'm just saying if you pick the Magnepans and your system has a weakness,you'll want to have some bucks on the side to cure the problem. Maggie owners know what I'm talking about.

 

[TerryM]

Yeah, the Magnapan website even mentions using a higher-current amp on the LRSs. I'm sure that applies to their bigger speakers too.

"The LRS will perform nicely with a receiver, but it was intentionally designed to extract the most from high-end amplifiers and electronics. The LRS expects more from a properly designed high-current amplifier."

Good advice to demo speakers with an amp comparable to the one you'll use. Last speakers I bought I packed my amp to the store when I couldn't get them to bring the speakers to my home.

 

[GAJ]

Yeah, the Magnapan website even mentions using a higher-current amp on the LRSs. I'm sure that applies to their bigger speakers too.

"The LRS will perform nicely with a receiver, but it was intentionally designed to extract the most from high-end amplifiers and electronics. The LRS expects more from a properly designed high-current amplifier."

Good advice to demo speakers with an amp comparable to the one you'll use. Last speakers I bought I packed my amp to the store when I couldn't get them to bring the speakers to my home.

Thanks, I missed that.

So much for the speaker being a "bargain" then.

 

[russ69]

...So much for the speaker being a "bargain" then.

The entire Magnepan line is the best buy for the money in each price category...if you already have the electronics to drive them (and the room). If you don't, it's just the start of your journey.

 

[byke]

Any barf diy audiophiles..?

 

[CABilly]

I’m not an audiophile but these caught my eye on an estate sale ad. I had a friend there in the first 10 minutes and it was already gone. I’m guessing they got offers offline and either sold it that way or put it on eBay.

 

[DReg350]

I’ve gone as far as I can with my house system. I just can’t justify the cost of moving to the next level up. I’ve been able to borrow a set of Proac Response DB3s. They are wonderful, and with my amp provide just the right amount of low end bass at low to mid volume. They’re magnificent at high volume. Don’t know that I’d pop for a pair though unless they were a stupid good bargain.

For the garage I’ve been doing a little DIY. Cleaned up and resurrected my Pioneer SX-780. Scored a really good deal on clean pair of Pioneer HPM-60 speakers. All four speakers in each are in good shape with no foam issues at all. Also Scored a good deal on a Pioneer CT-F650 cassette player. Same deck used to create all the tapes we made to keep us entertained when I pit crewed back in the day. I’ve got all new belts to install, but it still sounds good. Last step will be to add a turntable. I’ll either go with a period correct Technics or Pioneer. This is far from an audiophile system. The goal was to create solid vintage system geared to rock. The DIY part is mostly cleaning switches, knob pots, and RCA jacks with Deoxit and cleaning the grime. Pretty happy with what I’ve assembled so far. Patience has kept the total cost pretty low.

 

[byke]

Can't imagine a big ol' McIntosh tube amp would be cheap!

I like soldering and assembling pcb stuff, so I've been looking for some good winter projects that I could make a few bucks on here and there. Maybe some tube monoblocks, maybe a variation of the Amp Camp Amp, stuff like that. For budget speakers though, pretty sure I'll start with the C-Note kit from Parts Express, also want to build a soundbar.

 

[Abacinator]

These aren't exactly audiophile quality AFAIK, but they're in pretty decent shape if anyone is interested. They're just chilling in my storage unit, and free to whoever might want them.

 

[JesasaurusRex]

Someone help me out with the horizontal location of my height channel setup. Bought some svs elevations to go to a 5.2.2 atmos setup and not exactly sure where these should go when looking at the dolby recommended locations. Going off what dolby says it seems to look as if the speakers should sit forward of the MLP a bit but I'm not sure if this assumes the speaker is facing the mlp directly or not. Id assume it is, but my current brackets have no off angle adjustment. So... what's my better option? 90 degrees to the MLP or forward of the mlp a bit and not have the speakers face the mlp directly. I have no idea how these sound at all yet actually and i know the correct answer is probably "listen to both and see what you like" but i have a million other projects at the moment and don't have too much time to dick with it at the moment. Just want to make sure it's not absolutely horrible thanks in advance!

 

[GAJ]

Someone help me out with the horizontal location of my height channel setup. Bought some svs elevations to go to a 5.2.2 atmos setup and not exactly sure where these should go when looking at the dolby recommended locations. Going off what dolby says it seems to look as if the speakers should sit forward of the MLP a bit but I'm not sure if this assumes the speaker is facing the mlp directly or not. Id assume it is, but my current brackets have no off angle adjustment. So... what's my better option? 90 degrees to the MLP or forward of the mlp a bit and not have the speakers face the mlp directly. I have no idea how these sound at all yet actually and i know the correct answer is probably "listen to both and see what you like" but i have a million other projects at the moment and don't have too much time to dick with it at the moment. Just want to make sure it's not absolutely horrible thanks in advance!

Basically high up on the sidewalls so they aim down at our knees or even thighs when seated on the on the couch.

 

[JesasaurusRex]

Basically high up on the sidewalls so they aim down at our knees or even thighs when seated on the on the couch.

In line with the MLP or forward of it?

 

[GAJ]

In line with the MLP or forward of it?

Just a bit forward seems to be the goal if you look at their recommendations for in ceilings and use that as a general guide.

I have found that with 5.1, which I still run, I have my rears much higher than recommended by Dolby due to room constraints and the surround effect is still excellent.