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| Pay no attention to the hulking brutes behind the svelte, oatmeal-clad Magnepan LRS speakers in front. |
I feel bad for companies that cater to the audiophile market. The market is tiny, so economies of scale are always against you. It’s basically an artisanal enterprise; even the most successful audiophile brands rarely have more than 50 employees. I suspect every good engineer who works for an audiophile brand could make more money elsewhere. Too small to afford big marketing budgets, audiophile brands are all but unknown to mainstream music fans. And yet there’s lots of competition, as an unending stream of hobbyists-with-a-dream come and go. Plus boutique retailers and distributors take a big chunk of the margin. Like many artisanal markets, those who slave in these mines do so for love, not greed.
Which brings me to these speakers, the Magnepan LRS (“Little Ribbon Speaker”). They’re only $650 for the pair (this is crazy cheap for an artisanal product, basically built-to-order in the USA, shipped to your door). And look at them! Sure, flat-panel speakers in oatmeal with oak accents (you can get black or grey, too) may not be for everyone, but I think they’re minimal and gorgeous. IMHO, perfect for a living room with a mid-century modern vibe. And a conversation starter, for sure. They make my big Magico speakers look crass by comparison.
Magnepan is a “big name” in audiophile circles. They’ve been making flat-panel speakers in Minnesota since the 1970s (their marketing manager has been with the company for nearly 50 years!). The LRS is the cheapest speaker they make (the most expensive runs $30k). The LRS are among the best-reviewed, entry-level audiophile products of the past 5 years (see here and here). They are sold only factory-direct and have been so popular that there’s a waitlist (mine took 14 weeks (!) to arrive). Customers get a 60-day at-home audition period, so you can see if they’re right for you.
After having these LRS speakers for a few weeks, I have one overriding impression: these sound SO GOOD. And one overriding question: who are these for? Seasoned audiophiles are going to be impressed by these speakers for one reason: the midrange is AMAZING. Non-audiophiles likely won’t know what that means (the “midrange” are the middle of the frequencies humans can hear: think human voice, middle and rightward parts of the piano keyboard, the violin and viola, the guitar). In contrast, non-audiophiles (aka regular people) will be thinking WHERE’S THE BASS? Cuz there’s really very little bass here, and that really neuters a lot of music (unless you get a subwoofer, but now the promise of $650 starts looking more like $1,000+...). So who’s the customer here? Speakers at this price point are usually aimed at non-audiophiles and the “audiophile curious.” Can I recommend the LRS to my friends who fall into this category? Hmm, maybe? Only if:
But the bass heft and impact are missing in action, which really kills the magic for a lot of hip-hop, hard rock, and electronica. Suddenly, everything sounds two-dimensional, the musical equivalent of a diorama made of paper cutouts. The Donnas or Ratatat? Nope. In short, if you have a broad range of musical tastes, I’d say a subwoofer is mandatory for these speakers. Or perhaps two subwoofers (here’s why two smaller are better than one bigger). These days, a quality subwoofer can be had for $500, so while this adds significantly to the speaker budget, you still come in around ~$1200 total (or ~$1700 with two subs). I can’t think of any speaker in that price range that could touch the midrange performance of the LRS-plus-subwoofer system that you’d have assembled. But it’s not $650 anymore. And now you have subwoofer placement and integration to worry about, along with speaker placement. I haven’t tried them with subwoofers, so I can’t say how easy or difficult that might be. But it’s more complex, for sure.
So how many of these potential audiophile customers exist? Enough to justify the LRS as a product line? My guess is that the designers of the LRS didn’t start with that question. Instead, I bet they were playing around with a prototype, were amazed how good it sounded (in the midrange), and said “holy shit, we have to let people hear this.”
After having these LRS speakers for a few weeks, I have one overriding impression: these sound SO GOOD. And one overriding question: who are these for? Seasoned audiophiles are going to be impressed by these speakers for one reason: the midrange is AMAZING. Non-audiophiles likely won’t know what that means (the “midrange” are the middle of the frequencies humans can hear: think human voice, middle and rightward parts of the piano keyboard, the violin and viola, the guitar). In contrast, non-audiophiles (aka regular people) will be thinking WHERE’S THE BASS? Cuz there’s really very little bass here, and that really neuters a lot of music (unless you get a subwoofer, but now the promise of $650 starts looking more like $1,000+...). So who’s the customer here? Speakers at this price point are usually aimed at non-audiophiles and the “audiophile curious.” Can I recommend the LRS to my friends who fall into this category? Hmm, maybe? Only if:
- they have a reasonably small room (the LRS aren’t going to do in a suburban “great room” folks);
- they’re likely to care about what this speaker does so well (the midrange, oh the magical midrange!);
- they have or are willing to acquire a quality amplifier (these speakers need a high-current amp to drive them -- most AV receivers need not apply -- so think $700 minimum);
- they are willing to place these speakers well into the room (these really need to be 3+ feet away from any wall) and subordinate aesthetic concerns to placement (the magic requires that they, and you, be just exactly in the right place); and
- they are also willing to add a subwoofer (or, ideally, two subwoofers).
In other words, it’s not $650 any more, and it’s getting complicated, and it’s going to be a visual centerpiece in your living room. Hm, maybe not so easy to recommend to a non-audiophile, after all.
So do all these caveats make the LRS a speaker for seasoned audiophiles? Maybe? Most audiophiles realize that the midrange is where the musical magic resides (especially for vocals or smaller instrumental ensembles). And holy cow, the LRS deliver the goods in the midrange. You can read the professional reviewers if you want a detailed verbal explanation of what that means, but I promise you, you’ll only need 30 seconds of in-person A/B comparison with a lesser speaker to get it. Lyrics are more easily discerned. The musical urgency of vocal performances is conveyed more readily. On singer-songwriter fare, it’s almost impossible not to put down whatever you’re doing and just listen. Same for small-ensemble jazz. It’s spooky.
So do all these caveats make the LRS a speaker for seasoned audiophiles? Maybe? Most audiophiles realize that the midrange is where the musical magic resides (especially for vocals or smaller instrumental ensembles). And holy cow, the LRS deliver the goods in the midrange. You can read the professional reviewers if you want a detailed verbal explanation of what that means, but I promise you, you’ll only need 30 seconds of in-person A/B comparison with a lesser speaker to get it. Lyrics are more easily discerned. The musical urgency of vocal performances is conveyed more readily. On singer-songwriter fare, it’s almost impossible not to put down whatever you’re doing and just listen. Same for small-ensemble jazz. It’s spooky.
But the bass heft and impact are missing in action, which really kills the magic for a lot of hip-hop, hard rock, and electronica. Suddenly, everything sounds two-dimensional, the musical equivalent of a diorama made of paper cutouts. The Donnas or Ratatat? Nope. In short, if you have a broad range of musical tastes, I’d say a subwoofer is mandatory for these speakers. Or perhaps two subwoofers (here’s why two smaller are better than one bigger). These days, a quality subwoofer can be had for $500, so while this adds significantly to the speaker budget, you still come in around ~$1200 total (or ~$1700 with two subs). I can’t think of any speaker in that price range that could touch the midrange performance of the LRS-plus-subwoofer system that you’d have assembled. But it’s not $650 anymore. And now you have subwoofer placement and integration to worry about, along with speaker placement. I haven’t tried them with subwoofers, so I can’t say how easy or difficult that might be. But it’s more complex, for sure.
So how many of these potential audiophile customers exist? Enough to justify the LRS as a product line? My guess is that the designers of the LRS didn’t start with that question. Instead, I bet they were playing around with a prototype, were amazed how good it sounded (in the midrange), and said “holy shit, we have to let people hear this.”
God bless the artisans.
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