stereophile.com n August2019 73
MAGNEPAN LRSpositioning and carefully measured toe-in. Both require
the listener to sit in a narrowly designated sweet spot. Both
deliver a sense of infinite detail and a mesmerizing transpar-
ency unrivaled by most speakers. Both are extraordinary at
reproducing the form and idea of music. But they share one
inescapable failing: They do not do visceral very well. While
both move more air than the average box speaker, neither
develops enough low-frequency energy to generate slam or
corporeality. Consequently, both might inspire their users to
connive for subwoofers.Conclusion
Does Magnepan’s new LRS loudspeaker “make everything
else sound like it is coming out of a cereal box”? Maybe. It
definitely sounds boxless. And surely its levels of microscopic
detail, accurate timbre, and pure-water transparency are
unprecedented at anywhere near $650/pair.
Could the Little Ribbon Speakers become a new classic,
like the old Quads or the ageless BBC LS3/5a? Perhaps. It
has the right personality. Highly recommended. nstrong steel strings. Even a small upright piano puts more
energy into a room than any domestic-use dynamic loud-
speaker. That’s why I use piano recordings to get a feel for
how an amp-speaker combination pumps energy into my
room. A speaker’s most important trait is its ability to power a
room. This powering is a consequence of driver size and the
magnitude of impelling forces.
I became very aware of this issue while making a simple
comparison between Magnepan’s .7 speaker and its^3 / 4 -size
sibling, the LRS. The .7 has approximately 400 square
inches of diaphragm area, and the LRS has 333—just 20%
less than the .7. Somewhat surprisingly, the .7s seemed to put
a lot more than 20% more energy in my room. They played
a lot bigger than the LRS.
I used Claudio Arrau’s recording of Liszt’sÉtudes
d’exécution transcendante (Phillips 2-LP 6747 412) to compare
the two Magnepans. The .7s presented Arrau’s concert
grand as a lot closer to life-size, with more surrounding
air: They set that bigger piano in a deeper, more capacious
soundstage. The air in the .7’s soundstage was denser and
moister than the LRS’s. And the .7’s bass went deeper and
seemed more than 20% more powerful.
Lou Reed’s voice and guitar on “Sweet Jane,” the clos-
ing song from the concert film/live album Berlin: Live at St.
Ann’s Warehouse (24/96 FLAC, Matador/Tidal), was more
tangibly there with the .7s—plus the shouting and clap-
ping of the crowd seemed bigger and more real. With the
LRS, the crowd shouting and clapping was more micro-
scopically drawn: Hands and flesh were more precisely
differentiated. And on this and every other recording I
tried, the LRS sounded fresher, with more focus, sparkle,
and transparency.
Compared to the Klipsch RP-600M
They both play recordings at high levels of audiophile
descriptiveness. They both require careful positioning. They
both generate a bright-sun transparency. They both yearn
for subwoofers. And they’re similarly priced. But the Klipsch
RP-600M ($549/pair) and the Magnepan LRS sound com-
pletely different.
The Klipsch RP-600M is a moderately sized wood box
with a moderately nice fake-wood finish. It requires a
precisely located high-quality stand, which is not included,
and could possibly double the price. It plays loud, with super
dynamics. It puts a satisfyingly solid piano in my room. It
can jack up the Ramones and drink cocktails with Dean
Martin. But it is not a wine connoisseur’s speaker.
The Magnepan LRS, on the other hand, is slender and
elegantly finished in a timeless, haute couture way that will
compete for House & Garden awards with speakers at any
price. Unfortunately, it does not play loud, or with super
dynamics. The pianos presented by the LRS are altogether
more ghostly sounding than the Klipsch’s—although LRS
pianos are precisely formed (you can see their edges) and
feature an engaging left-hand register. Klipsch pianos
seemed blurry in comparison.
Compared to vintage Quad ESL
Magnepan’s new Little Ribbon Speaker is one of the lowest
distortion, highest musicality loudspeakers I’ve encountered.
It delivers, with Leica-like focus and purity, extraordinarily
uncolored sound that reminds me of the original Quad ESL
electrostatic. The Quad and the Maggie are both genuine
audiophile speakers. Both require precise, out-in-the-room
Analog Sources Dr. Feickert Analogue Blackbird turntable
with Jelco KT-850L tonearm, AMG Giro G9 turntable &
9W Turbo tonearm; AMG Teatro, EMT TSD 75 SFL, Etsuro
Urushi Cobalt Blue, Zu/DL-103 MK. II, Hana SL & ML,
Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum, My Sonic Lab Ultra
Eminent Ex cartridges.
Digital Sources Mac minicomputer running Audirvana
Plus 3.2; JVC X-Z1010 CD player (transport only); Chord
Qutest, Schiit Yggdrasil Analogue 2, Mytek Manhattan II,
HoloAudio Spring “Kitsuné Tuned Edition” Level 3 DACs.
Preamplification Auditorium 23, Bob’s Devices CineMag
1131, Dynavector SUP-200, EMIA Phono step-up trans-
formers; Lounge Audio LCR Mk.III, Musical Surroundings
Phonomena II+ & LCPS power supply, Tavish Design Ada-
gio RIAA phono preamplifiers; PrimaLuna EVO 400, Rogue
Audio RP-7 line preamplifiers.
Power Amplifiers First Watt SIT-3 & J2, EleKit TU-8600R,
PrimaLuna Prologue Premium, Rogue Audio Stereo 100,
Schiit Ragnarok, Bel Canto One.e REF-600M, Mytek
Brooklyn.
Integrated Amplifiers Schiit Ragnarok, Line Magnetic
LM-518 IA
Loudspeakers DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/93, Har-
beth P3ESR & M30.2, KEF LS50, Zu Audio Soul Supreme,
Klipsch RP-600M, Magnepan .7.
Cables Digital: AudioQuest Cinnamon (USB), Kimber
Kable D60 Data Flex Studio (coax). Tonearm: AMG
Reference. Interconnect: Auditorium 23, Triode Wire Labs
Spirit, Wireworld Silver Eclipse 7. Speaker: AudioQuest
GO-4, Auditorium 23, Triode Wire Labs American. AC:
AudioQuest Tornado, Triode Wire Labs American–Digital
& Seven-Plus.
Accessories AudioQuest Niagara 1000 power conditioner;
Audiophile Systems, Harmonic Resolution Systems M3X-
1719-AMG GR LF, PS Audio PerfectWave PowerBase isola-
tion platforms; Sound Anchor Custom Signature speaker
stands; Acoustical-Systems SmarTractor, Dr. Feickert
Analogue cartridge-alignment protractors; Musical Sur-
roundings Fozgometer azimuth-range meter.—Herb ReichertASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT