Authorized dealers for Magnepan LRS+

The Music Room — online and in-store — Erie, Colorado, United States (website)
2C Stereo — in-store — Washington, District of Columbia, United States (website)
Absolute Sound (SG) — online and in-store — Singapore, Singapore (website)
Alta Fedelta — online and in-store — Lombardia, Italy (website)
Ambiance Concert — in-store — Angers, Pays de la Loire, France (website)
AMPL’HIFI — online and in-store — Nîmes, Occitanie, France (website)
Analogue Seduction — online and in-store — Whittlesey, England, United Kingdom (website)
Audio Advice — online and in-store — Raleigh, North Carolina, United States (website)
Audio Ark — online and in-store — Edmonton, Alberta, United States (website)
Audio Center (website)

and 65 more verified dealers

Magnepan LRS+

Name: Magnepan LRS+
Brand: Magnepan
SKU: lrs-
Rating: 88 (61 reviews)

The Magnepan LRS+ turns a modest room into a holographic soundstage, pairing laser-locked centre imaging with a lifelike midrange, quick quasi-ribbon transients and airy detail. The Absolute Sound found its spatial realism exceptional, while Future Audiophile praised its vocal resolution. Carefully positioned and fed a muscular amplifier, this slim dipole delivers deeply involving, high-end planar magic without the high-end bulk.

View at Magnepan

Specifications 60 reviews & sources

WATT RECOMMENDS

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88/100

Nicely Roasted

Sound Quality

87/100

Build Quality

84/100

Value for Money

95/100

Pros

Expansive, holographic soundstage with exceptionally focused centre imaging and convincing depth.

Natural, highly resolving midrange that excels with voices and acoustic instruments.

Outstanding value for a slim quasi-ribbon dipole, with performance repeatedly judged far beyond its price class.

Cons

Deep bass is limited; a subwoofer is advisable for bass-heavy music and full-range orchestral material.

Demands painstaking placement and a narrow, height-sensitive central listening position for its best imaging and tonal balance.

Low sensitivity and limited high-level dynamic headroom call for a high-current amplifier and sensible playback levels.

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What Reviewers Are Saying

"These things are ludicrous at a thousand dollars and there's nothing that can touch them."

— OCD HiFi Guy

"There's nothing that you can get for $650 that can touch it."

— Audiophiliac

"The Magnepan LRS+ is not a good speaker... it is a GREAT SPEAKER!"

— Adrian

"From about 60Hz on up, the new LRS+ is a simply phenomenal loudspeaker."

— The Absolute Sound

"Not a one of them that I've heard comes as close to sounding like the real thing as this baby Maggie."

— Enjoy The Music

"The LRS+ is extraordinary at creating a soundstage that crosses the threshold of believability."

— The Absolute Sound

"The Magnapan LRS+ is a really exceptional speaker."

— The Absolute Sound

"The super-affordable Maggies delivered both male and female voices with a fidelity unrivaled by current speakers I've tried that cost less than 10 Benjamins."

— Stereophile

"The Magnepan LRS+ is an outlier with a potentially staggering performance."

— Future Audiophile

"You can get the same type of huge, huge boundless image."

— OCD HiFi Guy

"The soundstage is enormous, and three-dimensional."

— HIFI HUNTERS

"The soundstage stuff, the imaging stuff, is just really freaking cool."

— Erin's Audio Corner

"Imaging and spatial presentation are unique and addictively different."

— Erin's Audio Corner

"They shine in the mid-range and in the upper mid-range for sure."

— Old Guy Hifi

"Add a small subwoofer to this and it's going to be a very nice sounding system: very transparent, very open."

— GR Research

"Type: Two-way, quasi-ribbon, dipole, floorstanding loudspeaker."

— The Absolute Sound

"How do you drive an inefficient speaker like the Magnepan LRS+ without over powering it?"

— The Absolute Sound

SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 87/100

The LRS+ is widely praised for its unusually transparent, lifelike presentation, especially through the midrange and across its expansive dipole soundstage. Its appeal is strongest for attentive listening in smaller to medium rooms at sensible levels; deep bass, broad listening-area consistency, and high-output headroom require meaningful compromises or system additions.

Bass

82/100

Reviewers find the upper bass clean, detailed, and more substantial than the earlier LRS, with credible texture once placement is dialled in. However, several reviewers agree that deep bass rolls off quickly, the 100–300Hz region can lack body, and a subwoofer is needed for full-range music, large-scale orchestral material, hip-hop, or rock.

Mid

91/100

The midrange is a defining strength. Stereophile calls vocal fidelity unrivaled among speakers it has heard below $10,000, while The Absolute Sound describes the presentation as uncannily realistic and capable of making great recordings resemble the real event. Erin's Audio Corner notes reduced vocal weight in the lower fundamentals and a slight boxy coloration around 400Hz, but found the balance improved with EQ.

Treble

88/100

The updated quasi-ribbon top end is generally described as smoother, airier, sweeter, and better integrated than the original LRS. There are still reservations: some listeners hear mild lower-treble roughness, slight brightness, or an exposed quality on cymbals, flute, and violin, and off-axis listening can substantially reduce perceived treble output.

Soundstage Imaging

94/100

This is the LRS+'s standout quality. Reviewers repeatedly describe a huge, open, holographic stage that extends beyond the speakers, with tall images, convincing depth, and exceptionally locked-in centre focus. The trade-off is a position-sensitive presentation: the listener needs to sit centrally at the correct height, as even modest movement can alter tonal balance and weaken imaging.

Dynamics

82/100

At moderate levels, reviewers hear quick transients, strong musical momentum, and satisfying microdynamic expression. But the low-sensitivity, power-hungry design becomes less composed with demanding peaks and high playback levels; Erin's testing found rising distortion and compression, while other reviewers caution that it is not intended for sustained very loud listening or bass-heavy music.

Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.

Build Quality

84/100

The extremely slim, four-foot planar panel construction is distinctive, practical to store, and easy to integrate physically into a room. Reviewers note the supplied stands and adjustable tilt arrangement, though the visual design is often characterised as functional and somewhat retro rather than luxurious; dedicated upgraded stands are strongly recommended by some reviewers.

Value for Money

95/100

At roughly $995 per pair, reviewers repeatedly call the LRS+ a bargain, giant-killer, best buy, or a speaker that performs beyond its asking price. The value case is strongest for listeners who want its distinctive planar spaciousness and realism, although optional stands, substantial amplification, and potentially one or more subwoofers can raise the real system cost considerably.

Reviews & Sources

Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.

Forum Mentions

No forum mentions found yet

Specifications

Description: 2-Way/Quasi Ribbon
Freq. Resp.: 50 - 20 kHz
Rec Power: Read Frequently Asked Questions
Sensitivity: 86dB / 500Hz / 2.83v
Impedance: 4 Ohm
Dimensions: 48" high x 13" wide x 1" deep

Manufacturer's Description — Magnepan

Magnepan LRS+

Following in the footsteps of the highly acclaimed LRS, the LRS+ takes it up a notch.

"This is another slam-dunk POY (Product of the Year) nominee, and, IMO, the best buy (along with the MG1.7i) in an affordable loudspeaker for modest-sized rooms.” 2022 Golden Ear Award. Jonathan Valin, October 7th, 2022

Check out Jonathan’s full review of the LRS+ below.

What is a ribbon speaker?

Ribbon and electrostatic speakers are elegant and simple. The air is moved and sound waves are created by moving an ultra-light film or aluminum ribbon. Ultra-low mass
enables the ribbon to respond quickly to the electrical signal from the amplifier. What you hear is higher definition.

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Authorized dealers for Magnepan LRS+

The Music Room — online and in-store — Erie, Colorado, United States (website)
2C Stereo — in-store — Washington, District of Columbia, United States (website)
Absolute Sound (SG) — online and in-store — Singapore, Singapore (website)
Alta Fedelta — online and in-store — Lombardia, Italy (website)
Ambiance Concert — in-store — Angers, Pays de la Loire, France (website)
AMPL’HIFI — online and in-store — Nîmes, Occitanie, France (website)
Analogue Seduction — online and in-store — Whittlesey, England, United Kingdom (website)
Audio Advice — online and in-store — Raleigh, North Carolina, United States (website)
Audio Ark — online and in-store — Edmonton, Alberta, United States (website)
Audio Center (website)