Why the more expensive Magnepan is not better? Comparing 3 Magnepan speakers. 

Hi Thomas, love your videos as always. I drive my LRS's with a vintage Phase Linear 400. At 4 ohms, it delivers 400 WPC. These amps take a bad rap from a lot of people, but with new filter capacitors and a cooling fan, they (I have 2 of them) deliver every time. Paired with a Bottlehead Moreplay preamp and any quality analog or digital source, I'm very pleased with the result. One fact that is commonly overlooked with these amps - their damping factor is 1,000!, producing a tight, controlled bass response that's very important in a ribbon speaker.

Thank you for this very interesting comparison Thomas, as usual. Greetings to you and yours.

Wonderful comparison and so interesting that there are indeed clear differences and choices both for taste and room-size which you excellently describe! I have used smaller amps such as Cyrus 2 to drive SMGs in the past and although a Bryston really made them come alive, a Copland CTA 501 just sounded so much sweeter.

Great video Thomas ! Having worked around Magnepan speakers for more than 3 years, I can confirm you are 95 percent spot on with your comments. Lower Models are not technically "lower model" - Contrary to common belief. When Magnepan brought the LRS to market, they were very adamant about the fact that the LRS is a "true audiophile speaker" despite the cost. I called marketing BS right away but after many many hours of testing, I agreed fully; The LRS is actually harder to drive than the .7 and hence requires high quality high current amplifiers. (don't be mistaken, they all need high-current but LRS especially). Yes, according to them... they lost somewhere around $50 per unit sold. This forces the user to spend more money on the amplifiers. According to Magnepan (not my words) LRS was a "marketing product" where they were selling at a loss to put more magnepans in more rooms around the world. Imagine the profit magnepan would make if they sold a matching amplifier, a missed opportunity imho BUT I do respect the fact that they do not force to stretch their expertise for money grabs. Amplifier companies should be thankful to Magnepan LOL, they are money makers for amplifier companies.

Great video! Decided to go for the 1.7i after a long hour listening to the different ones.

Hi Thomas, really love your videos which provide a breath of fresh air all the time. I have the Magnepan 1.4 from the late 80s and still going strong and providing me with endless listening pleasure. My Classe 70 power amp is rated at 75 watt per channel and is high current capable. It drives my Maggies beautifuly and mated to a Classe 30 preamp. Both are from the mid 1990s. With vinyl playback from Linn LP12, the volume knob position at 7 o' clock is quite loud enough. Whereas with digital (CDs and high resolution files) playback 8 or 9 o' clock is pretty loud. No subwoofer is required. The sound emanating from the speakers is very musical, transparent, life like, and engaging with an amazing soundstage.Listening levels vary from 65db to 80db. The average being about 70db which is pretty loud. My room is 15'x 13'. I personally think a high current amp is more than adequate to drive them and thus no need for a 200 watt plus amp.

Another awesome video Thomas...keep them coming!

WOW. Ty for making this video Thomas. I've always been VERY interested in Magnepan, especially the LRS and now the new LRS+. But the amplifier requirement has always deterred me away

I owned the 1.7 and I now have the 3.7. I drove them both, first, with te IotaVX SA3 monoblocks (cheap, very good sound and good current). So you can totally make them sing with a $500 kit. I now drive the 3.7 with a pair of PS Audio BHK300, and the soundstage is insanely good. Love magenpan speakers.

I have the 1.7i and is using a Classe amp to drive my Maggies. Started with the .7i but within couple of weeks moved up to the 1.7i. Great sounding speakers!

Wow! That was the best sound demo I have ever heard. You are the master. And that was with my mobile gear (Fearless Freedom S8 and Hidizs S9 Pro). I'm going to listen again with my main gear and planar magnetics.

Hi Thomas, Yet another excellent review peppered with spot-on comments! I started with the .7 and added the 1.7i this year. After being floored by the much fuller presentation and extensive soundstage of the 1.7i, later on the more more analytical and forward .7 was quite appealing again. Dependung on the music/recording/my mood, I add a REL T7/X sub to the .7 to also add flesh to the soundstage. The .7 in my 35 square meter/375 square foot bedroom are powered by an old Nelson Pass designed Adcom GFA-555 II with 300 WPC into 4 ohms. Beefy Adcoms are cheap, easily modded and offer the current needed to properly drive and the high damping factor required to control Maggies and sound pretty good. After playing around with amps I decided against an excellent pairing with the Bryston 4B Cubed on the 1.7i in my living room and - God forbid - went with the Purifi module based NAD C298 after a try & buy audition. The amp is an excellent match and sweet for the money, but might be too analytical with the .7 You don't need to spend a bundle to have a nice match with Magenpans, but you better have a current-capable amp! As your other viewers wrote, placement and to a lesser extent, room treatment is everything! BTW Dirac Live can be real help if you listen to conventional and panel speakers in the same room! And yes, I too have tape on my floors and carpets after many, many hours of placement trials. ;-) Keep the great work up Thomas! All the best, Martin

Driving my 1.6s with a Bryston 4B ST. Also got very good results with a Topping LA90.

Thank you for this review! I was waffling between the LRS+ and the .7 but this has helped make my mind. I am using an old Adcom 100wpc amp with a pair of SMGa and it sounds great at lower volumes. I have a small apartment and don't listen loud anyways, so I am at the low wattage sweet spot. Having said that, I'm going with the LRS+ as soon as the backorder delays go down to a month or so (according to my dealer, they are still at 3 months as of 2 weeks ago) paired with a McIntosh Ma252 so I think it will sound much better for my listening taste. I still don't expect high volume, but it would be nice to get more dynamics and let them breathe so to speak. If I could afford the Ma325 I would but that's on wish list for now. Thank you for the Magnepan reviews!

For the magnepan 1.7 I use the nad c375bee and this amp is a great match, lots of power ,very smooth and transparent, nice warm sound , perfect match , and the price is very good

Another great video, Thomas. Great comparison - that's more useful than just an outright review of one or the other.

Driving my LRSs for 2-1/2 years now with a pair of mono Schiit Vidar amps and Freya S pre. I've got the Magnariser Airborne stands and highly recommend Robert's products.

Great video, sir!!!

I have an Onkyo M 508 and Maggie SMGs. Both are from the late 80s. I sent the SMGs back to Magnepan in late 2013 for a restoration. It may be only a class D amp and old tech speakers but it still sounds pretty good and I don't have any problems driving them. The amp is rated 290 W/ch at 4 Ω. I'm really interested in upgrading to the LRS+ as my 1st step in upgrading my system.

Bought the LRS because of great reviews and the price. Started with a pair of Bryston 2B pros in mono mode, told that's not recommended, bought an NAD C298 paired with Schiit Freya+, sounds great. Going to keep the LRS, recently grabbed a pair of Axiom M5HP for the days I want to crank it up. I might finally be done buying speakers.

I had the Maggie 1.6qr and I drove it with a vintage SAE X25A amp and it was amazing. I miss that system everyday

I use Parasound JC5 with my 1.7i. Still waiting to buy a new house someday with the space these would like. When I switch out the 1.7i for a while and come back to it after few months, the switch is so impressive.

I really appreciate that Thomas solicits the opinions of his friends to enhance the reviews it’s one of the strengths of these videos. Listening to a pair of properly driven Magnepans is definitely something that every audiophile should expedience at least once. The sense of space and depth can be intoxicating especially with a well made recording from a concert space. My come to Jesus moment came when I listened to Eivør “Live in Tórshavn” with the way her vocals sort of floated in the air.

I am using a Rogue Audio CM 3 tube integrated on my .7s in a 15' x20'. Middle range heaven. Excellent match together. Even at loud volumes there is zero strain.

While I am still a newbie audiophile in general, I have been lucky to have a few pairs of maggies in the last 10 years. Craigslist find of an old Magnepan 1.4 set I refinished and drove with a thrift store Bob Carver integrated amp is probably what got me hooked on the sound journey. My wife bought me a pair of 1.7's after years of hearing me reminisce of my old maggies (was at the time running a pair of B&W Silver Signatures) I plugged the new maggies into a Mark Levinson 331 and they kicked the B&W's a** immediately. I am now running the maggies on a pair of Emotiva XPA-DR1 monoblocks through a Schiit Freya preamp and am more than happy. Great for easy listening sessions, can blow my ears off if I want it to. I throw in a sub when we are having a party. Think I'll stick with most of this for a long time, maybe play around with some more preamp's. Great video, I appreciate how most of the components you discuss, especially the speakers, are all actually attainable, both financially and inventory wise.

I got some mmg 2 with an old 1980s amp That bought new both still sound great Love em

There is my Magnepan upgrade guide! Thank you so much Thomas! Magnepans are not what I'd call difficult to drive speakers however -with their resistive load characteristics - they should be the easy to drive speakers! With a resistive type of load you systematically convert electricity into heat. The thing is that with their 4 ohms and low sensitivity - they need a constant supply of power.

I drive my LRS with a VTA ST-120, typically in triode mode. Power tubes are Tung Sol KT120. Rectifier is vintage Mullard. Driver board is populated with vintage European 12au7s. Getting the right tubes was very important - LRS is very revealing.

Hey Thomas. Using the Rogue Sphinx v3 integrated amp to drive my Magnepan MG 12qr's. Combined with the Denafrips Pontus II DAC, it is just fabulous.

I ran my LRS with a Silk Audio EL34 amp for about 30 seconds....it choked on the load. My Musical Fidelity X-150v3 worked well (with a pair of RELs). Recently found a Bryston (250w@4ohm) 3Bsst that really grabs them by the diaphragms! ($1200 with almost 5 years left on the 20 year warranty ). I was glad to hear that the LRS are probably the best for my 13x20ft room. They certainly have a lot of potential. They're keepers. Thanks for the public service announcement Mr T 🎵🎶😉🎶🎵

Saw a comparison video once, between stock standalone LRS and LRS with servo subs & an external active crossover. Taking all the bass frequencies from the LRS and handing them to a properly controlled sub really clears the LRS up and elevates it from an already great speaker to mind blowing. It really speaks to the difference when you can hear it over RU-vid (with all it's crappy compression) and cheap headphones with a USB dongle dac/amp. I'm saving for the LRS Plus, an active crossover, GR Research servo subs, a Hegel H95 or 120, and a Fluance RT85N. I still wish the LRS Plus had a separate tweeter strip, like Magnepan's 3.7 & up models though.

The sound improved with each speaker. The sustain of her vocals on the 1.7 is magical.

I started out with an emotiva XPS on my 1.7i speakers in a large home theater room, but it was not a very pleasing sound, so I upgraded to a Parasound Halo a21+ which was a drastic improvement. Although it still feels a little dull on the top end & I wish it had more sparkle but I do love the sound stage and it still gives me goosebumps at times. Thanks for taking the time to compare these.

Using PrimaLuna Prologue Premium integrated amp with the Magnepan 1.7i in a small to medium room and exceptionally satisfied with the performance. Plenty of SPL even though not so much power based on specs. I have 2x subs crossed over at around 60 Hz. The Maggie's are a few feet from the long wall and are solid down to about 50Hz. Enjoy the more full sound with the SVS subs supplementing the lower registers.

I run .7s with a single Schitt Vidar. I'm very happy with the results! They are in a relatively small 120sqft room and there are two Rel T/9i subwoofers to help out.

MMGs here. I started with an Adcom GFA-5300 which was very adequate. I now use a McCormack DNA-125 and it sounds great. Preamp is Audible Illusions Modulus L-1 using Siemens 6922s from the 60s.

Hi over there! And thanks for posting this regarding, Magneplan. 7 years ago, I bought from the first owner here in Sweden, Magneplan MG II That seller has had them since he bought them new 1978, he still had the original box that they came with. That was the first time I listen to Magneplan and did it surprise me oh yes so, I bought them and hocked it up to my Pioneer VSA-AX10 Audio/video Multi -channel amplifier that I had since 2006 still have it but only using the front output to the Magneplan. 1 years ago, and keep in mind the speakers are about 50 years old the left speaker started to sound strange so if you know a bit about the speakers then you understand what went wrong, the glue that hold on 2 wires, just 10-15 cm losing its grip to the wire, so it started to shake and vibrating on the mylar that the wire was glued on. So, I started to fix them this year with new bas and mid wire and the tweeter wire, this was in February this year I started to renovate, and I replaced the electric internal wire, capacitors and I tried out a few in the same level. The result?? Like new Magneplan and here comes the trouble to drive them. my old Pioneer have 150 w each channel but the magneplan get stressed like a distortion when I play some music style. I know that is a common problem with this type of ‘Power hungry speakers’ but when they play They for sure play and one just must let them breath sort of, take them out from the wall behind them and find that beautiful spot, I guess one can say then you are swimming in sound. I am planning for a tube pre amp and a power amp but small moves small moves. Thanks for always great videos, stay safe over there ! Jan

Lots of great amps here. I’ve tried many with my 1.7i, but fell in love with electrocompianet. I got 2 older model 220 the I bridged It’s very pretty.

Great video, thanks! I own the LRS w/ MagnaRiser stands. I successfully use a Marantz Model 30 to drive them. Bought it based upon a Stereophile Herb Reichert review of the Model 30 in which he enthusiastically praised its ability to drive Magnepan. Model 30 retails for $3,000 usd.

Very interesting comparison between those 3 Magnepan speakers. I own a pair of MG1c (similar to the 1.7i) which I used with a Quad 33-303 combo for almost 30 years in 3 different rooms with very good results. That 303 Quad amp is an amazing amp that dealt very well with the 5 ohms load of the MG1c. Since 5 years now, I am using a vintage MC240 tube amp with impressive results too. I compared my MG1c with he 1.6qr and the sound was so similar, I decided to keep mine. I also compared them with the 1.7 (not 1.7i) and I preferred my MG1c, as they sounded slightly more natural and organic to my ears. Magnepan meke awesome speakers, it’s only a matter of match and taste.

Im driving my .7s with a NAD silverline s300. I am very happy with this pairing.

Thomas I have the 1.6qr and my 22watt amp drove them nicely love ❤️ your show thanks

I got 1.7is with a cheap rig that in my opinion makes great sinergy. A couple bridged crowns xls2000 with a fully upgraded audio gd d28.38 preamp/dac. Crossover cut at 100hz aprox with a sealed anthony gallo subwoofer. The speaker stands have been stabilized and put on spikes. Room correction at the digital domain (running volumio through RPi) and moderate room treatment as well (absortion panels and lots of books as difusers). Canare cables and silver jumpers. My full rig (including room treatment) costed me less than 3k (by buying used electronics and speakers).

Own a pair of MG 1.4 and sewed them new socks in french blue. But they seem to need a lot of power to come to live and are VERY room placement dependant (a combination of low power tube amp and subs might work in my not so big listening room. Didn't try it yet). That being said, I do love them for obvious reasons, you pointed out so well Thomas. But I also love the sound from my EL34 single ended tube amp. As a matter of fact so much, that I tried 3a audio design Midi Master, huge bookshell speakers from the nineties, supported by a pair of REL subs. They are directly coupled to the output transformers of my SE amp (without crossover) and still being made in Canada. This combination sounds so amazing, that I don't miss my Maggies. I will try them again in the future. A never ending quest, I guess ... 😉

I have the LRS+ mated to a Yamaha A-S801. As mentioned by many, the biggest problem is room size. I am seriously compromised by my room size,but experimentation has led me to a pretty good solution. I know that when I get these into a bigger it will improve, but I'm still getting better sound than with my "bookshelf " speakers. I am using a Klipsch SW-100 subwoofer to augment the bass.The sound to me is awesome. The imaging of these is hard to beat. Oh, and by the way, the Yamaha loves to drive them hard. I am also happy because I have less than $3000 total invested (I am on a budget). Thank you for your informative lessons.

Been struggeling with mine Magnepan .7 for a long time to get a good sound without investing too much. Cheapest way according to mine ears is Anthem MCA225 (loads of current into 4 Ohm) with Rotel 1572 preamp. Totally happy with the simple synergy

Used 1.6 many moons ago with the Audio Innovations Series 500 integrated amp with good results for 2 years but finally settled for the Audio Research Classic 60/SP9 Combo. Speaker placement was critical

Hi Thomas. Great video! I am a former owner of Magnepan 1.7i. First I must tell you that I, for a long time, was in denial over whether the 1.7i needs a sub. I resisted and resisted. Finally I added a pair of REL T/9i subs to my 1.7is. OMG! They were revolutionary with the Maggies! Maggies without subs don’t have any percussion to them. There is no bass slam and they don’t move any air. But with the RELs. OMG, the combo of 1.7i and REL. T/9i became full range monsters! Totally outstanding. PLEASE, get yourself a pair of subs and add them to a set of Maggies. You will see what I mean. Bottom line: IMO Maggie 1.7i and lower need subs. They just do. The benefits are enormous. Next: amps. I initially started using a pair of Schiit Vidars with the 1.7i. No good. I played Jeff Beck loud and one of them went into thermal protection. I then replaced the Schiit with a pair of Bryston 4B3 set in bridge mode to use as monoblocks. They matched up well with the 1.7i and no problems. Those are probably good enough. I later came upon a deal to upgrade to a pair of Bryston 28B3 monoblocks. Those are end game for any Maggies. Unlimited headroom and dynamics are no issue. So I sold my Maggies because I had two rigs and needed to downsize. The speakers that stayed are a pair of Magico A3. But I miss the Maggies. So I was thinking of getting either a pair of LRS+ or a pair of the 0.7 because they are smaller than the 1.7i and I could easily move them into position and then out of the way when not in use. I like the detailed sound and it sounded like for that you preferred the 0.7 for that. But it sounded like the differences over the LRS were tiny. This leads me to believe that for a new pair of Maggies to be occasional speakers and not my main speakers that the LRS+ might be the better choice. My room is smallish too. So maybe the LRS+might be then better choice. Plus I have the subs to pair with them. Does this make sense to you? Thanks!

1.7i with a non-standard choice: NAD M10 v2 integrated. Zero issues with enough power for bass, but there is a limit on how loud it will go (which is loud enough for me)

I’m using a pioneer spec 2 to power my .7s and I’m in love.

I have heard the Rogue Cronos Magnum II with Magnepan 20.7's, it sounded spectacular.

I appreciate the experienced analysis. I was looking for an endgame speaker on a working man's budget.

Driving .7s with MC2205 200w + SVS sub, very nice and enjoyable for several years. Just breaking in the the mono block MC830 300w. OMG! modern amp with higher power I am blown away with wider soundstage and smoother vocals.

I was informed last week by Char Tallen from Magnepan that I should get my ordered LRS+ soon. I can’t wait to get it and break it in for a few weeks with my Schiit Freya+ and Parasound A21. Very excited now..

A just purchased and received a pair of LRS's this weekend. I started out listening with 3 sealed subs as I have heard that the low end needs help with the LRS. Just to see how they could stand on their own I turned off all the subs and to my surprise the bass was quite authoritative. I have a Monolith x 7 with 200 watts all channels driven with a damping factor > 400 which translates I believe to a good measure of high current delivery. The track that I listened to was Jennifer Warne's "Way down deep" off the hunter album which has a lot of deep bass in the track. After watching Thomas video, I may strongly consider upgrading to the 1.7i's. I love the music these Magnepan's produce. I would like to hear the 3 series which has the true ribbon for the tweeter. I can't imagine it sound better than what I am hearing with the quasi ribbon tweeter and mids.

I drive my LRS with an Audire Crescendo, it's the same amp that drove my Tympani 1Ds many years ago until I got rid of them to get into surround systems. The LRS gives me back what I was missing for 25 years since I sold the Tympanis and while I might get some better performance out of a newer amp or integrated, I have many, many sessions where I'm simply amazed at what they do for so little $$ and space and a 30 year old amp.

Thomas, I have a pair of Magnepan 3.7i speakers driven by a Parasound HCA3500A amp. This amplifier is a match made in heaven! It has plenty of current to drive them effortlessly!! There really isn't a need for a subwoofer because the 3.7i's bass is both satisfying and with good depth. The sound stage is also very precise and with very "good" depth! Would recommend most Parasound amplifiers to drive Magnepan speakers!! The Magnepan 3.7i are a steal at their price point!

The tiny Naim Nait 3 does a great job driving my LRS. Maybe not the ultimate finesse but I get a quite powerful sound.

Hey Thomas, great video !.. I have the Magnepan LRS's and power them with a pair of XTZ Edge A2-300 class-D amplifiers setup as monoblocks. I also have 10" powered subs in the signal path.... Huge sound stage that stretches from speaker to speaker. I wouldn't change a thing. Thank you, Steve

Jan 2022, I bought a pair of 1.7i new from a local dealer. The bass is fine for me. Don't have or need a subwoofer. Preamp : Krell Soundstage. Amp :Aragon 8800x3 ( 3 channel amp ). Amp, preamp I bought used. Center speaker : Ariel Acoustics. Headphone amp: Schitt Magni+. Krell preamp has no phone jack. Eventually I would like to replace the Aragon. I'm not unhappy with it, just would like to upgrade. I like the 3 channel because I listen to music & movies. The LRS sounds much better than the 0.7 in your video. I would gladly buy a pair of LRS for another room. Thank you for this video. I watched all of it. I like your presentation style: to the point and describing what you experienced with the gear.

I have the 1.7is and have used a Luxman L509x, an Octave Audio V110, and a Modwright KWH225i. All good, with the MW the best with 400 watts per channel.

I drive my LRS with an Audiolab 8200p. A REL T5 helps with the bass and I also use a high pass filter on each.

Thanks for your video. I use the James Croft designed Carver a760x which is 600 watts into 4 ohms with my 1.7i. I’ve ordered the LRS+ for my bedroom/tv system and will see how my Adcom 545 II sounds with them. I use an Arendal sub as this system is used for steaming tv programs and films.

I use the Denon PMA-SX11. 120 into 8 ohms, 240 int 4ohms. Drives them very well and sounds great.

Magnepan LRS (non-plus) on MangaRisers driven by 2x Schitt Vidar bridged (rated 400W @ 8 ohms, no problems running at 4). Happy with it so far. Only a slight-to-moderate sound improvement from running one Vidar in stereo mode (200W @ 4 ohms) primarly in the transience and ease. Only a slight reduction in compression moving to the dual mono setup. Using a tube pre-amp with the Vidars provies a big difference in tuning the signature to taste. Driven with my Sim Audio Moon i3 (160W @ 4 ohms) provides ok results, the amp is much warmer and loses detail, but that's more the (older) Sim Audio itself than the maggies. Transience is noticably slower but not unacceptable. Compression with the Sim Audio is rather noticable. I prefer to run the LRS with the Schitt setup and the Sim Audio with my Dynaudio. This gives me both ends of the spectrum to play with and compare. I usually listen to the LRS during the day and the Dynaudio at night.

Parasound HCA-750a. Got it used and re-capped it with “audiophile grade” Japanese capacitors. Sounds good enough for me with my Maggie 1.7 pair.

I really enjoyed owning my LRS + Hegel H160 it was quite a nice setup for the money I had paid. When we had kids my listening room was downsized to a small spare basement bedroom so ended up having to sell them. The LRS against a wall in a small room just lost all the magic so now I'm stuck with active bookies until they get old enough. I would like to try Spatial Audio labs (M3 sapphire / X5) for my next open baffle speakers.

I recommend the GR-Research crossover upgrade to the 1.7 model. It made my 1.7s sound much better.

I use the Hegel H590 to drive my 1.7i, the combination is amazing, the 4000 plus damping factor and current capacity is a must have with Magnepan

I have Bel Canto monoblocks, but a lower budget option that works well would be the Emotiva stuff. Even the basx a2 could drive my big 3.6s, when I was in between amps. Moving up a bit from there, the Peachtree Audio integrateds with the ICE modules also do a surprisingly great job. But ultimately, higher quality, higher current amps will make Maggie happy. Great review, Thomas. And kudos for involving room size and placement into your review. Two very important variables.

I picked up lighty used 1.7i s for $1300. Drive them with my 1980 recapped Carver M400, 200wpc amp. Ive heard high current is more important than high watts for Magies. The M400 doesnt even get warm running high spl for hours. Im sure a high end amp would be an improvement, but very good recordings sound quite good. Also a Rythmix 400w 12" sub in the rig.

People always talk about amps with Magnepan…but for me the real issues are that you need the right room (not small), front wall diffusion treatment, and placement has to be very specific because the sweet spot is so small. These are speakers where you need to leave painters tape on your floor because every inch matters with placement. If you get those things right THEN you can worry about amplifiers. Otherwise, enjoy them with a Schiit Vidar.

Extremely precise positioning locked the 1.6 into tight focus and reduced the size of instruments to life size. This probably also applies to these 3 models. Rake angle mismatch was a major factor in scale bloat.

My Magnepan amps are Odyssey Stratos monos w/ the 180K uF caps. Big current delivery. Great combo. Love Odyssey gear, the 'band for buck' is hard to beat.

I have a set of Magnepan 1.6qr The amp I use to drive them is a McIntosh MA6450 which puts out about 100W per channel. This amp drives them well. The only mod I have made with the Maggie’s is I replaced the stock fuses with metal tubes. The improvement in sound was dramatic.

Hi Thomas !! I am driving my Magnepan with a Schiit Ragnarok as a pream and a Crown xls2500. Mgic!!!! Rest of equipment Oppo bd93 and a Rega P2 with audiotechnica mlx150!!

One thing I like about the LRS and .7 is that with the standard stands you can tilt the speakers. It gives a different presentation that I actually prefer.

My NAD C740 not only drives the LRSs to more than ample listening levels in my living room, with no audible clipping or distortion. In testing, it also did so while simultaneously driving a pair of NHT SB1 bookshelf speakers (8 ohm) in the bedroom on the other side of their common wall with no diminishment of the loudness of either.

congratulations for your analyses. I love Magnepan. mine are 2.7qr drived by a Jeff Rowland 112 with preampli ArC sp9 (yes I know vintage…) and Purist Audio Genesis cables… .I have thecfeling that I have enough power to drive them. Of course thee combination could be better (where?) but it’s a budget problem, Thanks for your precious advices and videos best regards

After owning many Maggies over last decades (smg-a, 1.5, 1.6, lrs and now 1.7) using many different apps my favourite amp has always been NAD and Paris. Right now i’m very happy with my M20v2. A good Class D has serious advantage over A and AB in case Magnepan. Just my opinion

I'm driving my .7i with Dared 850 vacuum tube amp. Small room. Good results.

LRS on Magnariser MK7 stands, REL 5T/x Subwoofer, Parasound A23+ power amp, Parasound JC2 BP Preamp, Marantz SA KI Ruby SACD Player in a 16x23x8 room - pure magic.

I use the Outlaw RR2160 RECEIVER to power the LRS. I think it's great. I Use MK7 Magnarisers at the higher position. Excellent.

I have a pair of LRS, and a pair of 1.7´s. Both pairs of speakers being powered by 1985-vintage Moscode 300 amps, I own three of these amps. All three amps were sent to George Kaye (Mr. Moscode) for updates. The Moscodes have no problems making sweet sounds from my Maggies from soft to loud. The LRS are being used as the front speakers of my home theater rig; the 1.7´s on my stereo system. My third Moscode amp drives the center channel of my home theater system which consist of also Maggies, DWM woofer and a CC5 center.

1.7s with a very affordable NAD 275BEE. For a time I was able to enjoy this setup in a large vaulted, oddly angled room and the sheer impact of the sound (scale? clarity? soundstage?) was really something special. Enough to know that I didn't ever need to upgrade the 1.7s even though I don't doubt there is better out there. Enough to wonder what the heck they would sound like now with a more modern DAC than my ancient Entech. The NAD is affordable and easily powered the maggies. Many people have said they'll be even better with better amplification and I've come close to going for either a Hegel H190 or a good deal on a SuperNait 3 - but when you near something amazing, but can't A/B easily, it is awfully hard to take the risk of replacing the NAD. Likely a replacement for my old Entech DAC is next... The limitations of the listening room play a crucial role with how much Maggies can be enjoyed. The speakers (size) need matched to the room. Just amazing how loved Maggies are for all their flaws. Thomas, the videos are greatly appreciated.

I have a pair of magnepan 2.7, it's not about how expensive the amp is or how much power does the amp have, in my opinion, but what kind of magic is there in the amp, which can bring a very neutral speaker like the magnepan to life so that everything sounds like music that lives. I used to have amplifiers on the magnepan like Marantz PM 94 the stereo image on the magnepan was like a flat painting on the wall (this just wasn't a match) I use Electrocompaniet because the amp doesn't sound clinical or neutral because that is not a match on a neutral speaker, but an amplifier that sounds full, natural and musical, bringing out the little divinity in a very warm mood. music that makes you feel involved.

i run mg-1.5QR's with a an parasound hca1500a ( with dual JL audio e110s and a paradigm sub for the .1) . havent gone stereo shopping for over 10 years now . its fantastic.

Maggies were my primary speakers from 1999 until July 2022, starting with the 1.6Q And finishing with the 3.7i. They were best driven by really good Class AB such as Pass and older Threshold. However, the no amplifier drive the 3.7i like my Ampzilla 2000, I had bass like no other amps could. So yes, owning Maggies becomes an ecosystem, you will need expensive amps.

I am currently driving Mgnepans 1.7s with a 125wpc tube amps. I have tried Acurus, Rotel, Bryston, Emotiva and Adcom amps. However, to my ears the tube amps truly compliments the Magnepans and that is what I have continued to use. Granted, these are not by any means HiFi expensive amps but they do the job well.

Running a 1.7i with a Purifi class D DIY amp ~$1200 and a Schitt Freya+. Nice setup. Will play loudly without noted issues. Recently completed a Joseph Crowe Sabourin horn and the Maggie is currently sidelined. We'll see what happens over time. Used a Folsom 7293 amp dual mono (120 wpc into 4 ohms) with the maggie. Sounded fabulous but ran out of steam at higher volumes. It is really nice with the Sabourin. Ahhhh hifi....

I am using the XTA Edge A-300 with a Topping Pre90 and it sounds out of this world. I am also considering a Crown 1502. I was using LII Audio Fast 15 full range drivers in an open baffle and the Maggie 1.7s sound wonderful. I tried a Schiit Aegir and it was good but you could hear clipping.

I use a Magnepan .7 with a Perreaux SM6 MKii (Class A) pre amplifier with a Perreaux Prisma 350 power amp ( classA/B). With a Cambridge Audio CXN V2 streamer ( hardwired with my router) & kimber interconnnects with kimber 10AWG speaker cables. Am very happy with sound at low volume. The power amp is a high current & high power 300 watts per channel RMs @ 8ohms & 450 watts per channel @ 4 ohms. Handles the Magnepan .7 effortlessly . No listening fatigue.I play at low levels and am very happy with quality of the sound which is smooth, no listening fatigue. Am extremely happy with my combination and would certainly recommend a Perreaux pre power combination .

I love my giant vintage Marantz speakers but I definitely hear the box. I don't hear a box with the Maggies but I sure hear every bit of music.

I started with the MMG > MG12 > 0.7 > 1.7i and two SVS SB-1000 Pros. The 1.7i are driven by two bridged Crown XLS-1502. I'm using a Schiit Audio Freya + with XLR connectors between the preamp and amp. I upgraded to the 1.7i just before the price increase last year. I lucked out 😁 because my dealer had a customer receive the wrong 1.7i configuration and I had first dibs. Otherwise he told it was a 6 month wait 😣

I used an Aragon 4004 Mk2 to power my MG-IIIA's with great success up until recently.

I have 1.7i driven by a pair of restored ADCOM GFA-365 mono=blocks. FWIW, I had a little 25-watt Cary tube amp and a 50-watt Jolida and tried them both. They would both drive them at reasonable level.

I own the .7i’s and drive them with a Hegel H90. Hegel is my favorite match for Magnepans. Even the entry level H90/95 drive them to acceptable sound levels with very good base control. Hegel amps have a very high damping factor. Highly recommended!

I'm using the Emotiva XPA Gen 3 differential amp and a 30 year old Forte F45 pre driving the .7s. Yes, the Forte has balanced outs. Sounds really good in a medium sized room.

Magnepan 3.5R with Active XOver Marchand XM44. 1st amp is Pass Lab X150.5 (class a) on high. 2nd amp is Wyred 4 Sound SX-1000 monos (class d) on the mid/low. And pre-amp is the coincident line stage tube.

Don't know how I missed this one. I had 3.5Rs, which are the speakers I bought the 2 SVS subs for, but could never make them blend seamlessly. Very good 411 as usual