I am looking for an amp for a pair of magnepan LRS+ speakers.
Currently components are NAD preamp and Rel subs. The room is pretty big and I like to turn it up at times.
I have been thinking about either a pair of m700’s or BHK 250. The other option is possibly a pair of Jeff Rowland 201’s.
I have not really been able to hear this so I am kind of going in to this blind so any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
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What’s your budget? The Maggie LRS are magnificent, but they demand quality amplification, and a fair amount of current.
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I have the Maggie .7s and use the M700s with them. They drive them perfectly and sound excellent, especially with the BHK Pre
Also, welcome to the forums!
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I have LRS’s and drive them with a pair of PS M700s. Perfect.
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The M700’s are good amps, but if you have the funds for the M1200’s, they are well worth the bump up in price. I would call PS Audio directly and see if they would offer an incentive with Axpona coming up soon (for either the M700 or M1200). The LRS+ are very impressive speakers, especially for the musicality for the price. Congrats on your speaker choice!! And welcome!
This is the deal you are looking for the LRS+
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I’ve just had the chance to thoroughly compare the M700 and M1200 PS Audio AMPS (driven by their DirectStream PerfectWave Mk2 DAC.
WOW! The M1200 offers so much more life to the music and with the delicate influence of the tube frontend, every track we A/B’d was clearly better presented in terms of listening enjoyment and smiles.
Don’t be worried about the high watts quoted, they are ‘peak’ watts not RMS watts that other amps use as a guide. But peak is what these amps are all about - when it’s time for a bang - you get a BANG! Apparently even better if you can ensure that the powersupply is fed well, ie avoid skimpy powerleads, long extension cords, lousy power-boards, etc.
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I had a pair of the original LRS and first drove them with a BHK250. I like LOUD, and there were times when I had pieces that had volume increases and the BHK would shut down. It got to the point that I sent it back to PSAUDIO and they could not find anything wrong with it. I then traded in the BHK250 for a pair of the M1200’s. WOW!!! Never had a problem again with the same pieces of music. I have upgraded to Magnepan 1.7i’s since and I am in LOVE with my system.
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Thank you all for the advice and suggestions!
I do have a feeling that the LRS+ speakers will be just a stepping stone to either much larger magnepans or other larger speakers in general.
I have alway loved the la scalas and Klipsch horns after having an RF7 theater with large amps in the past I really got spoiled with a big sound and lots of power!
One of my main concerns has been which ever amp I end up with, I would really rather find something that is not going to ended needing replaced due to upgrades in the near future.
I don’t currently have a budget however I would like to stay in the 5k range and am not opposed to used equipment.
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One of the best amps i have had was the Michi X5. Its integrated but they make a power amp as well. I drove Martin Logan planers with it. Youll never need another amp no matter what speaker you get. Clean, clear power.
I also drove Klipsch CW IVs as well which i currently have. Overkill on a high efficiency speaker but you would not know it by listening.
If the m1200 monoblocks @ $3100 are currently available those will work with any speaker within your budget. There is an art to speaker and amplifier matching, the Maggies Klipsch speakers are about as different sonically as one could imagine. Pick an amp that sounds great with the LRS+ and be content. I honestly am surprised cdfoley’s m1200’s are still available. He is a stand-up fellow on the forum, and at the price the amp is a bargain.
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The LRS+ are a new, upgraded design, sound fantastic, and are one of the best bargains in the entire audio industry. They should not be frowned upon at all. They are also reasonably sized and are not like having 2 doors (3.7i or 20.7i) in the middle of your room.
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I did email the gentlemen that is selling the m1200 to see if they are still for sale but have not heard back from him yet.
I do think they would be ideal.
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Good luck!
I guess my thoughts here are…
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Klipsch and Maggie different sonically? Agreed 100%
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Pick up an amp that “matches” LRS. Dont agree 100%
Im sure with current requirements, distortion, SQL what have you some amps work better in specific configurations no doubt. But a great amp is still a great amp. My Dag worked brilliantly with Martin Logan planers, Wilson, Dyn and Klipsch. So did the Michi. OP mentioned not needing to upgrade in the future therefore a solid A/B amp sounds like a good choice. Not saying a 700 or 1200 would stink but i think there are much better “no need to upgrade” amps out there. Budget is a factor too. Lot to like at a 700 or 1200 price point
As one gets into the finer points matching amp and cables to selected speakers can yield better results. I’m going through this currently. Can one do better than the M1200 monoblocks at the price, certainly. It’s subjective and comes down to one’s sonic priorities. DAG is great amplification, but I’d be hard pressed to find one at $5k. It too has a sound of its own, having heard them with Rockport speakers a few years back.
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I would at least look at something like these. Latest class D technology, lots of power, and good price. You can even save more money by buying the same thing in a cheaper case. There are lots of small manufacturers packaging these modules into fully developed amps. Based on my research, the Purifi or Hypex modules beat the ICE modules used in PSAs stuff. The input (MOSFET, tubes or Op-amps) is subjective.
Full disclosure, some ASR influence here…sorry.
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GAN technology is a step up too at least to my ears.
I’ve heard good things regarding the Atmasphere GanFET amps.
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I have the HiFi Rose 520 which is a streamer with a GAN 180 amp in it. I use pre out for mains but Rose for all day. Rose runs mains very well too.
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