I havent tried them with the Merlins yet. Will say something about this when I do.
Interesting, given John Atkinsonās measurements youād expect the BHK250 (rated to deliver 500wpc into 4 ohms & stable for musical transients down to 2 ohms) to have no problem driving them:
āMagnepan specifies the LRSās nominal impedance as 4 ohms. My measurement of the speakerās impedance magnitude revealed that the LRS behaves more like a 3.33-ohm load, with a minimum value of 2.8 ohms between 400 and 600Hz. However, the electrical phase angle is very low; the LRS behaves almost like a pure resistance. This loudspeaker will work well with amplifiers that have no problem driving 4-ohm loads.ā
Perhaps the somewhat low sensitivity, listening room & loudless levels factor in, although the BHK250 is anything but a low powered amplifier. Atkinson, again:
āā¦my estimate of the Magnepanās sensitivity was almost 6dB lower than specified, at 80.1dB(B)/2.83V/m. Because a panel speaker has a dipolar radiation pattern, this sensitivity canāt be directly compared with that of a conventional box speakerāthe dipole emits as much sound to its rear as it does to the front. Even so, the LRS will not go very loud with low-powered amplifiers.ā
I"d be interested to hear what PS Audio has to say about this. Since the M1200 is probably giving you less than 4db more headroom at a 10 foot listening position (that 1200wpc is into 4ohms) there may be an issue with your particular BHK250.
You may find this interesting:
SPL Calculator from listening position.
https://myhometheater.homestead.com/splcalculator.html
Thatās strange. I auditioned a pair of LRSās that worked flawlessly with my little 25 watt solid state amp.
Go for BHKā¦ I just never liked Class D, and while PS Audio is trying to use Tubes to over-come Class D shortcomings, until I hear it, I rather pick whatās been tested and true!
I went from BHK 250 to the BHK 300 monos. Once you go mono there is no turning back. I know not the question here. Just saying.
I dont have an explanation to why the BHK250 has done this with the LRS but it has definitely happened more than once.
The M1200ās are getting better and better with just a little more break in time. They sound fantastic. I dont plan on getting rid of the BHK250 but weāll see. I am really impressed with these Stellar amps.
āI am currently using a Marantz 8805 preamplifier, as my system is used for movies with a Dolby Atmos 7.4.2 setup, and a 2 channel setup with dual Rythmik F18 subwoofers. This setup is in a dedicated media room.ā
ā¦ahemā¦me, too, sort ofā¦ My DP is an Oppo '203 feeding digital signals via HDMI to my Marantz '8805, which I LOVE the sounds ofā¦ For several years I had a much-improved conrad-johnson MET-1 6-channel, vacuumtubed preamp before the '8805 and was a bit hesitant about buying the all-solidstate Marantzā¦ But after break-in, Iām finding the '8805 to sound excellent overallā¦ My setup is 7.2.6 with two Rythmik F18sā¦ Also my preamp-to-poweramps(1)-and-wooferamps-and-subwoofers interconnect is all balanced, with extrememly-hi-quality cable. Iām increasingly appreciating fully balanced amplification and cabling; thatās one thing I like about the PS Audio powerampsā¦that theyrāe fully balancedā¦ Surround and ceiling speakers are five pairs of humble ELAC B-6s, but all that sounds quite good.
(1) Current main poweramps are fully balanced and vacuumtubed Atma-Sphere MA-1s, but Iām trying to get a pair of M1200s right now.
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PaulCEO PS Audio
kzk
"Depends. Overall, BHK 250. Thereās a sweetness and musicality to the BHK amps that simply cannot be touched (or has yet to be touched).
Whatās difficult is what this implies. It implies the M1200s are lacking when, in fact, no one listening to them would have that feeling cross their minds. When youāre listening to the M1200s youāve got a giant smile on your face like being on
a fun ride. Never do you yearn for this or miss that. It isnāt until you roll your sleeves up and do the hard work of AB comparisons between the two where you say to yourself, ahh, yes. The BHK 250/300s still have the edge.
Thatās a far cry from a blank statement of which is better or worse."
Yup, and one always has to keep in mind that most of us are not ināand some of us are FAR FROM being ināthe last percentage point or three of golden-eared audiofiles, where I think Paul isā¦ Probably Iād have to listen for weeks before being able to express an intelligent opinion on the sonic differences between the BHK250 and a pair of M1200sā¦ BUTā¦after some time I can hear differences in musicality, etc. between two components or systemsā¦ But Iāll never be a one-percenter. 
Right, Iād seen Paulās answer previously, and it isnāt surprising, because probably thatās the only realistic answer that Paul could give, given that PSA sells the BHK 250 for $1.5k more than the m1200ās. And of course Iām not saying itās the wrong answer - itās probably true (I have no reason to think it isnāt). Just was looking for an unbiased opinion of a regular consumer who owns both and has no reason to slant the comparison one way or the other, and whom I assume is extremely familiar already with his BHK 250 sound, so that plugging a new component into the mix in place of it should be fairly easily sonically differentiable.
m1200 is newer tech, there is a chance it could be better for some people.
I want to re-emphasize that my statement above in no way throws shade on Paulās response, because every single company or business owner selling whatever product would answer the same way, even if it were not true (which again here Iām not saying it isnāt true, I suspect it is true), unless they were planning to phase out the higher price product.
Again, just looking for the opinion of the beta tester in his system. He has already, for example, stated that the m1200ās are superior with the Maggies, if not on SQ than at least in being able to sufficiently drive them. I have no skin in the game as donāt own either, but interested in how they stack up for future reference.
And it may not be a binary answer. IE, probably not always yes or always no. Paulās answer alludes to this as well - no black and white answer. Probably some instances where m1200 could be better under certain circumstances (e.g., apparently for this user with the Maggies) and trying to figure out if there are others (like with his other speakers that I asked about). Itās a data point from one person with one particular system - nothing more or less.
As an m1200 beta tester who also owns a BHK 250, I prefer the BHK 250. M1200s do many things well but the BHK takes it to another level - YMMV.
3 Likes
I just and interesting search. On HiFiShark
currently for sale M700 - 0. Previously sold M700 amps - 100 sold
currently for sale BHK 250 -0 Previously sold BHK 250 -0 sold
I have to agree with Paul that the BHK250 does have a sweetness that is difficult to match. They sound great. On my Magnepan LRS speakers I prefer the M1200ās. These speakers need āBALLSā to drive them and my BHK250 has problems with them when I try to play pieces that have wide dynamics, at a significant volume. They turn off, start blinking and need to be reset to go on playing. IMHO, the M1200ās are a perfect match to the LRS in every way.
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goodness how loud are you playing things that the BHK has problems? (My Cambridge CXA80 seems to power my Magnepan .7ās just fine, but maybe you go waaaay louder than I do.)
I like loud music and the Magnepan LRS do alright in this aspect but not ear popping loud. These speakers are not easy to drive and My BHKās have a problem with them. Not the M1200ās thoughā¦
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I wonder if the LRSās are harder to drive than the .7ās?
Iām in the market for a new integrated amplifier to run them, so lately Iām looking at power/current specs. Iām always interested when people comment on their Magnepan/amp combos!
They are supposed to be harder to drive than the .7ās.
Thereās a real possibility your particular BHK250 has a problem. Itās a better amp than what youāre describing. If itās still under warranty, Iād send it to Boulder. Even if youāve decided to keep the M1200ās youāll want to ensure the BHK250 is working properly if you plan to sell it. They pay shipping both ways & having the M1200ās in house, your system isnāt down in the interim. Best of luck.
I was running Maggie LRSās with a SGCD and Emotiva XPA-100 monoblocks (400 wpc @ 4ohms) and the LRSās would consistently cause one of the monoās to go into safe mode. This was at moderate volume. So I do think Maggies tend to tax a lot of amps. Returned the Maggies and have a pair of Wharfedale EVOās.
Not surprised about the Emotiva XPA-100 monos with a Minimum Recommended Load Impedance of 4 Ohms. John Atkinsonās measurements found āthe LRS behaves more like a 3.33-ohm load, with a minimum value of 2.8 ohms between 400 and 600Hz.ā
BHK250, specified to be stable for musical transients at 2ā¦, should not have the same problem.
Yeah, I guess that was kind of my point that Maggies pull a pretty odd set of impedance characteristics that make them sometimes difficult to run (my Wharfedale EVOās and Martin Logan 35XTās have NO issues with my setup at any volume). It is odd that a BHK would have issues with them tho.