• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Magnepan LRS in the house!

RoyB

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 12, 2021
Messages
186
Likes
189
Location
South of Boston

Magnepan LRS in the house!​


I've been a Magnepan fan since day one. Recently I decided to trade up from my MMGs to the new LRS. I had someone hot and heavy to buy the MMGs so I let them go a few months ago and called Magnepan to order the new LRS. I was informed that in a couple months there would be a new version of the LRS called LRS+. So I decided to wait on the order and see early reviews. The reviews are way over the top! Some are claiming the best speaker ever made! So time to order, called Magnepan and was told that the current wait was 8-10 months!!!
Si I ordered them and then tried to find a used pair of the older LRS to have something, Magnepan, to listen to over the winter. Luck would have it, there was a like new pair available in Colorado (I'm in Massachusetts). But I was too late...SOLD! Now it gets interesting. I posted a "Wanted To Buy" ad at US Audio Mart.....A fellow, one town over calls me and tells me he bought a pair from a guy in Colorado and when they showed up, his wife said "No Way Jose!"...Get them out of here!.....A plan made in heaven!
He delivered them on Saturday. Sunday morning I woke up early and welded up a set of risers as I read everywhere that using risers and placing the LRS dead vertical really makes them come alive.
Once the pain dried I set them up in the listening room.....Node2i into a Gustard X16 DAC...into a Schiit Freya...Into a Pass Labs First Watt F5v2.....
Oh my! These are NOT older Magnepan MMGs! HUGE improvement! These speakers have bass..Well defined, tight, dynamic base! But the biggest difference is midrange vocals...Not sure the risers are the reason, but vocals are right there! No moving around. I'm still playing with placement for imaging and sound stage, but even just plopped down in the room, they are magnificient!
Going to be a great winter!
E8D36CC33440DF95FCBCD18B4E8824-vi.jpg

EFD93E7C3B46EF8B30301522C6B219-vi.jpg

P1050546-vi.jpg
 

restorer-john

Grand Contributor
Joined
Mar 1, 2018
Messages
12,579
Likes
38,278
Location
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
They look fabulous.

I wish Maggies were reasonably priced in Australia but the dealers are thieves. I don't even think anyone has imported the LRSs here.
 
OP
R

RoyB

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 12, 2021
Messages
186
Likes
189
Location
South of Boston
I believe the LRS and LRS+ are only sold factory direct........Even here in the states, I'm not aware of any dealer stocking LRS/LRS+
 

Bob from Florida

Major Contributor
Joined
Aug 20, 2020
Messages
1,257
Likes
1,164
I played a pair of MG1C's for 13 years before the aluminum wires started unsticking from the contact cement holding them to the membrane. The symptom was a "buzzing" sound during bass notes. As you can see from the video below, the new quasi ribbons are lower mass and will stick better to the glue. I would expect these not to ever come loose. The first pair of 1.7i's I heard struck me as "dynamic", which was not something I associated with Maggies of old.

 

fpitas

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jul 7, 2022
Messages
9,885
Likes
14,191
Location
Northern Virginia, USA
Pretty cool. Have you ever heard electrostatic panels, like the old KLH Model 9s? Just curious about the sonic similarities.
 

restorer-john

Grand Contributor
Joined
Mar 1, 2018
Messages
12,579
Likes
38,278
Location
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
I played a pair of MG1C's for 13 years before the aluminum wires started unsticking from the contact cement holding them to the membrane.

I had a pair of Maggies way back in the day. I picked them up for nothing and attempted to fix the delaminating coils, only to give up, strip off the timber and all I kept was the terminal plates! The rest went to the rubbish tip.

Here's one of the terminal plates, I came across the other day in a box of junk and put it on the scanner. All I have left of the Maggies!

1667826565766.jpeg
 

DubbyMcDubs

Active Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2019
Messages
143
Likes
132
They look fabulous.

I wish Maggies were reasonably priced in Australia but the dealers are thieves. I don't even think anyone has imported the LRSs here.


I am off to listen to them on Thursday to see what all the hype is about. Apparently the LRS+ are going to be around $3k AUD, ouch.
 

Bob from Florida

Major Contributor
Joined
Aug 20, 2020
Messages
1,257
Likes
1,164
Pretty cool. Have you ever heard electrostatic panels, like the old KLH Model 9s? Just curious about the sonic similarities.
Soundlab Dynastats and A1's - friend used the be a dealer. The Dynastats were hybrid with 8 inch woofers for bass. The A1's were "big" and made bass by themselves and sounded awesome. The problem with electrostats is humidity causes arcing which eventually creates other "problems". At which point you find out the new "core" for the problem channel does not match the other channel. Then you try ordering both channels cores and electronics and still have problems getting things to match. At least that's what I saw with Soundlabs stuff. I think getting electrostats it needs to be understood more maintenance will happen than dynamic speakers.
 

Bob from Florida

Major Contributor
Joined
Aug 20, 2020
Messages
1,257
Likes
1,164
I had a pair of Maggies way back in the day. I picked them up for nothing and attempted to fix the delaminating coils, only to give up, strip off the timber and all I kept was the terminal plates! The rest went to the rubbish tip.

Here's one of the terminal plates, I came across the other day in a box of junk and put it on the scanner. All I have left of the Maggies!

View attachment 241802
Magnepan told me it cost $300 to fix them back in 2002 plus shipping. I sold them with full disclosure of the problems for $300.
 

fpitas

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jul 7, 2022
Messages
9,885
Likes
14,191
Location
Northern Virginia, USA
Soundlab Dynastats and A1's - friend used the be a dealer. The Dynastats were hybrid with 8 inch woofers for bass. The A1's were "big" and made bass by themselves and sounded awesome. The problem with electrostats is humidity causes arcing which eventually creates other "problems". At which point you find out the new "core" for the problem channel does not match the other channel. Then you try ordering both channels cores and electronics and still have problems getting things to match. At least that's what I saw with Soundlabs stuff. I think getting electrostats it needs to be understood more maintenance will happen than dynamic speakers.
Interesting, thanks. A friend's dad in high school had a dedicated music room built with KLH Model 9s driven by some big tube amp with a quad of KT88s. It was pretty controlled temp and humidity, but I can believe they can be damaged easily.
 
OP
R

RoyB

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 12, 2021
Messages
186
Likes
189
Location
South of Boston
Pretty cool. Have you ever heard electrostatic panels, like the old KLH Model 9s? Just curious about the sonic similarities.
i was a huge fan of electrostatic back in the day. as a kid in high school I worked part time at a Radio Shack....i sold hundreds of pairs of Electrostat 2A speakers. i had a visit from some suits from Texas wanting to know where all the E2As were going. i then moved into Real HiFi and Quad speakers......but electrostats always sounded a bit tinny to me. once Iheard Magneplaners there was no going back....
 

sarumbear

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
7,604
Likes
7,313
Location
UK

Gorgonzola

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 27, 2021
Messages
1,017
Likes
1,398
Location
Southern Ontario
Congrats. I used Maggies for about 16+ years: about 4 years for MMG and 13 years for MG 1.6QR's.

Maggies can sound great though placement is critical; also they can benefit for EQ as can most speakers.

A few years ago I replaced the MG QR's with my current Zaph ZRT's. The Zaphs are -- above all -- less space consuming which worked better for me. The Zaphs are also ab bit more detailed and resolving; however I don't how the newer, all-quasi-ribbon Maggies would compare in that regard.
 

fpitas

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jul 7, 2022
Messages
9,885
Likes
14,191
Location
Northern Virginia, USA
i was a huge fan of electrostatic back in the day. as a kid in high school I worked part time at a Radio Shack....i sold hundreds of pairs of Electrostat 2A speakers. i had a visit from some suits from Texas wanting to know where all the E2As were going. i then moved into Real HiFi and Quad speakers......but electrostats always sounded a bit tinny to me. once Iheard Magneplaners there was no going back....
Can't say the Model 9s were tinny. Although he had no woofers, so the overall effect was bass-shy.
 
OP
R

RoyB

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 12, 2021
Messages
186
Likes
189
Location
South of Boston
Can't say the Model 9s were tinny. Although he had no woofers, so the overall effect was bass-shy.
Unfortunatly I never had the opportunity to hear model 9s......
 

fpitas

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jul 7, 2022
Messages
9,885
Likes
14,191
Location
Northern Virginia, USA
Unfortunatly I never had the opportunity to hear model 9s......
Quite clear and detailed. It had a lot of potential. The only comparison I can make is Altec horn systems at the time using the 288 driver. We strongly encouraged him to get the woofers, but he wasn't listening to high school kids.
 

Jim Shaw

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 16, 2021
Messages
616
Likes
1,159
Location
North central USA

Magnepan LRS in the house!​


I've been a Magnepan fan since day one. Recently I decided to trade up from my MMGs to the new LRS. I had someone hot and heavy to buy the MMGs so I let them go a few months ago and called Magnepan to order the new LRS. I was informed that in a couple months there would be a new version of the LRS called LRS+...
Curious that the factory website doesn't show the LRS+. Maybe they're oversold? Or maybe I just didn't find them in some dark corner of their website.
 
OP
R

RoyB

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 12, 2021
Messages
186
Likes
189
Location
South of Boston
Curious that the factory website doesn't show the LRS+. Maybe they're oversold? Or maybe I just didn't find them in some dark corner of their website.
No, they are no longer listed on the web site. They are WAY oversold. If you call them, they will place you on a list.

Here is an email I received from Magnepan

"I'll be happy to write up an order for the LRS+ for you. However, they
won't show up until Spring 2023 more than likely. We have several hundred
already spoken for so it is going to be a bit of a wait.

We won't make you pay in advance, so hopefully you have something to
listen to while you are waiting.

Please call me at 763-350-3141 and I'll gladly write up an order for you.
If I am not available, will you please leave a message? I will get back to
you as soon as I am able.

Thank you so much for your interest in the LRS+. It's a great little speaker.

Char Tallen"
 

Rip City Dave

Active Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2021
Messages
178
Likes
276
Location
Portland, OR
I love the speaker stands you made! My only complaint about my Maggie 1.7 is the factory stands. Yours are simple and nicely made. Kudos to you.
 
Top Bottom