Magnepan has been manufacturing panel speakers since the late `70s. The speakers are designed and built in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. The LRS+ in this review are the entry point to the company’s seven speaker lines ranging from $1,295 to $55,000 for the 30.7X. The LRS+ replaced the well-reviewed LRS, and are sold directly from Magnepan.com. The panel speaker is 48” high by 13” wide by 1” thick and covered in either a black or white grill cloth. Optional Maggie Stands are a-must option for $350. They are sturdy aluminum stands that attach to the bottom rear of each panel and lift the speaker four inches off the floor. The speaker terminals in the back of the speaker take banana plugs only.
Magnepan specifications state sensitivity at 86db, which is average, and a 4-ohm load requiring an amplifier with high current. Placing this speaker in your room is another important consideration. They need to be at least three feet from the front wall, in my room, five feet worked best. The LRS+, as with all their panel speakers radiate sound in both directions and they need space from the front wall behind the speakers. If you are unable to accommodate that, I would not consider buying the LRS+.
Setup and Review System
The Magnepan LRS+ speaker system rewards listeners that plan out this setup. These are not speakers that can be just dropped in any system and placement. The speaker emits the same information behind the speaker as it does forward into the room. It’s tricky and will disappoint those not willing to put the time in. Magnepan included black metal stands with the package which I quickly replaced with the Maggie Stands. The upgraded stands raise the speaker four inches off the floor are much sturdier, and more visually appealing. The stands can be purchased from your Magnepan dealer or from Magnepan.com for $350. I make my own speaker stands because I don’t see the value based on the cost. For the Maggie’s, there is nothing I could build as effectively as the Maggie Stands so I purchased them.
In my room (measured at 14’ D, 12’ W, and 9’ H and built on a wood foundation), I have the Magnepans five feet from the rear wall and six feet apart. Two RELs T/9X subwoofers sitting beside each LRS+ to the inside. I also installed the speakers with the tweeter towards the center. I tried both ways and preferred the tweeters inside, the rest of the system is simple. Two Schiit Tyr monoblocks provide 250-watts per channel. As I mentioned in my introduction, the LRS+ requires quality current (power) to sing. Typically, a speaker at this price will blossom with a $500 amplifier, not the Magnepans. Their sensitivity is 86db which is average, but the 4-ohm load requires an amplifier with guts. The Qoboz streaming is sourced from a NAD C 658 DAC/Streamer/Pre-amplifier. Speaker cables and XLR interconnects are from Benchmark. Power cables are Nordost Blue Heaven. The system with the LRS+’s included cost $11,500.
Listening to Music
Bass Room by Nenad Vasilic
I use this recording typically to evaluate low frequencies, but I wanted to test how the LRS+’s could handle string attacks. Playing this track though the Klipsch Heresy IIIs, Monitor Audio Silver 8’s, or my beloved Totem Hawks, Vasilic’s plucking and tapping provides a dynamic and tight attack, most others wouldn’t believe to be a solo double-bass recording. My expectations of playing Bass Drops through the Maggie’s were low. The LRS+ is a one-inch-thick panel so I wasn’t expecting to hear the same level of attack as my reference speakers. Right off the bat, Nenad’s first-string pluck radiated through my room with more detail than I ever heard. Maybe it’s the way these speakers scale. Everything sounded life sized and the double bass sounded six feet tall. Scale is currently my top speaker attribute when considering a purchase. I’ve heard $300,000 speaker systems at Axpona that sounded wonderful but didn’t extend beyond their four-foot height. As I stood, it sounded like I was above the soundstage. The LRS+’s sound seems like it’s coming from the entire front wall. When I stood up the music came with me, I was startled. I’m over six feet tall and usually look down at the speakers when I’m standing but with the Maggies, my eyes were locked straight away looking deep into the stage.
Spanish Harlem by Rebecca Pidgeon
Spanish Harlem is my favorite track for evaluating imaging and tone. When Rebecca’s voice comes in its dead center between the speakers and about four feet beyond. She’s floating in the front of my room locked in. The vocals were high in the stage as I’d expect at a live event. None of my reference speakers could throw an image so lifelike. I listened to the entire track for the first time. Her voice scaled excellent with the LRS+’s. She sounded like a full-sized person in my room. My reference speakers also image very well but after hearing the Magnepans, fall behind in the imaging category because the voice appears smaller and more hi-fi. A well-designed ribbon speaker will have advantages in the imaging category and may fall short in its ability to be as dynamic as a box speaker. This isn’t a myth and something to consider before buying. The tone of her voice sounded so natural I was spooked. She was so big, full, and sweet sounding, I had to remind myself she was not there with me and sadly reel my heart back in.
At the 55 second mark, the piano appears to her left and sounds natural. I was able to hear different tones with each key stroke. Pianos are complicated and on a weak system, it’s harder to hear the piano in its own space. This track offers wonderful space around the singer and instruments.
Leader of the Band by Dan Fogelberg
The lyrics on this track from Dan Fogelberg’s Greatest Hits album tug at my heart because it makes me think about my late father who worked his fingers to the bone for the family. I wish he were here so I can tell him. If your dad is still with you let him know you’re thinking of him. Played through the Magnepans, the song had me emotional and head bopping. Usually, I just listen to words and think about my childhood, but the Maggies reminded me it’s music because Dan Fogelberg sounded so natural and life-sized and I noticed all the aspects of this track I never picked up on. There was an overall warm tone to the song but enough detail to listen into the stage and pinpoint the instruments behind Dan Fogelberg.
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons | Janine Jansen Violinist
With the right system, I love classical music and my favorite record is The Four Seasons from Vivaldi. I used the Decca recording by violinist Janine Jansen and focused on the three tracks from the Autumn section of this album. The Magnepan LRS+ system is one of those right speaker systems. Perhaps it is the scale concept again because during Autumn, Violin Concerto in F Major, RV 293, Op. 8 No. 3: III La caccia. Allegro, the music was large, wide, and deep. The Maggies offer a view into the music I’d equate to a spotless windshield. Unlike my smaller KEF LS50 bookshelf speaker, the sound was uncongested, even at high volumes. Usually, my LS50 starts to fall apart on this song at moderate listening levels. This is due to the dipole nature of the LRS+ providing much of the air around instruments. After purchasing the Maggies, I’ve opened my mind about the classical music genre.
Final Thoughts
When reading reviews, we often hear “bang for the buck” or “excellent value.” Neither entered my mind when evaluating the Magnepan LRS+. The speaker trades some dynamics and low frequencies for precision, scale, engagement, wide and deep soundstages, and a natural tone. The LRS+ had me thinking “are other manufactures playing it safe?” The speaker with this level of scale and realism may shed light on some deficiencies and I get the sense the Maggies have nothing to hide. I purchased the pair with the Maggie Stands in black. They have limits and I rarely went looking for Metallica or Marilyn Manson songs to play with the LRS+ in the system but I didn’t miss them. Maybe I was too busy listening to songs and genres the Maggies play better than my reference and more dynamic speakers. Enthusiastically recommended if you can accommodate the placement requirements, and have a high current amplifier.
Our recommendations reflect our personal experience with the equipment reviewed and should be considered alongside your own listening preferences and room acoustics. We encourage readers to audition audio equipment whenever possible. Great sound is personal, and the best component is the one that brings you closer to your music.
