The Article

LRS+ SPEAKERS BY MAGNEPAN

17th June 2026

They are not exactly new but Paul Rigby has always wanted to review these Little Ribbon Speakers (plus!)

Why? Well, considering the technology that Magnepan utilises within the LRS+, £1,675 promises remarkable value for money. Secondly, boxed speakers can sound wonderful but they arrive with their own challenges and inherent sound-based chaos and colour. I love the sonic purity of panel-based speakers. Thirdly? I have lived with a pair of modded Quad 57 electrostatic speakers for decades. I know the pros and cons of panel speakers. Hence, a review was always on the cards.

The LRS+ speakers stand on a pair of (almost) right-angled bracket stands (there is a lean, see above) at 48 inches or 1,219mm high and a foot wide or 330mm. These speakers are but a mere inch thick which equates to 25mm. These mini monoliths do not dominate the room in the same way that a boxed floor-stander would.

These are 4 Ohm designs that are not difficult to drive but do have an 86db sensitivity so will need a bit of oomph from your amplifier to work up to specification. Somewhere around 50W-60W (for a typical 8 Ohm specced amplifier) would be useful.

The LRS+ speakers are not electrostatics, they are not powered. They are, in fact, 2-way, quasi-ribbon dipole designs or, in other words, an ultra-low mass piece of film is stretched over a wooden frame. From that point, magic happens. Magnepan uses Mylar film with aluminium strips rather than cabling, to move the signal.

POSITIONING

If your room is bright or your ears are sensitive to the same then Magnepan supply tweeter attenuation resistors that can be installed onto the rear of the speakers. I didn’t need them for this review, however.

Stand foot with integrated clip

Next? Position the speakers well away from the rear wall to give them room to breath. Three to four feet or more would be useful.

Clip in action (above and below), raising the rear of the stands

Speaking of the rear, the rear of the LRS+ stands feature hinged, drop-down clips that serve to tilt the speakers toward you. Pushing the top of the speakers slightly more toward the ear. Experiment with these clips. In use, I found that it enhanced the mids, adding precision to the entire midrange output.

I also felt that treble slightly beamed at my ears with them in operation (my Quad 57s are also prone to this condition if they are incorrectly positioned) so I removed the clips and, instead, elevated the speakers at a shallower angle by supporting the rear of the feet with two sets of smaller sorbothane ‘fruit pastille’ feet.

Sorbothane alternative (above and below)

Buy a few different feet sizes to experiment with height, if you can. A couple of degrees here or there will make a difference.

Using the feet removed the beaming effect and also doubled up as a measure of isolation for the speakers themselves.

SOUND QUALITY

In software terms I played Adrian Legg’s, Wine, Women and Waltz finger-picking guitar album plus a selection of high-energy albums from The Who.

VS SPENDOR A1

To cover all bases, I first drafted in a pair of Spendor A1 stand-mounted speakers priced around the £2k mark. Stand mounted to at least give the LRS+ a chance on bass terms due to the smaller cabinet of the A1s.

And yes, I found that the closed-in cabinets of the Spendors provided a better coherent bass response in terms of trying to address all aspects of the lower frequencies. For anything above bass matters though, I was pulled towards the LRS+ speakers for their open and airy mids and fine, delicate treble. The A1s sounded claustrophobic by comparison.

The LRS+ speakers also sounded more mobile in upper frequency terms and better focused because of that. As much as I love the Spendor designs, and they remain a valuable reference for me, the LRS+ speakers sounded energetic and lively while offering a fuller suite of detail.

It was at this point that I brought in my modded Quad 57 speakers and compared them to the LRS+ speakers.

VS MODDED QUAD 57

As for the A-B comparison? It was certainly fascinating. Principally because there was no outright winner here. There was, however, a suite of pros and cons. To begin? The LRS+ speakers do address bass. Problem is, of course, there’s not a lot of it. Bass is more described than present. The LRS+ speakers provide a bass framework that is aided by solid lower mids. If bass is not a priority nor a super-important part of the frequency spectrum for you, then the LRS+ low frequency output will be enough.

The Quads do offer more bass, it has to be said because they feature dedicated mid/bass panels. Bass from the Quads ran lower and offered better focus. It’s all relative, of course. The Quads bass response was also rather thin and lacking, when compared to boxed models.

In terms of midrange? The LRS+ speakers had the edge. The mids flew across the soundstage and across a broader canvas via the Magnepans. They were open and delicate while playing more with reverb to add atmosphere and ambience. The Quads also provided delicate mids although those mids tended to be grounded and slightly weightier because of the supporting bass.

Treble was superb across the LRS+ speakers. Guitars here had a crystal clear sheen that exhibited the clarity of fresh Spring water.

Oh and one additional point, if you’re running valve amplifiers and have the option to use dedicated 4 Ohm sockets? Do so. The sound effectively lowers the noise floor and adds a beautiful calming effect to the soundstage, The overall mix is better integrated, precision is further enhanced and, if anything, lower frequencies are boosted, to an extent.

CONCLUSION

If I was ever subject to an angelic visitation, I would expect Gabriel himself to be toting a pair of LRS+ speakers as part of the supporting Biblical awe. The Magnepans have that effect on you. They leave you open mouthed in detail terms, there’s so much clarity here they’ll open the pores on your face and cleanse your skin, there’s so much delicacy here your local Prima Ballerina will look like she’s prancing around the stage with cement shoes.

In short? The Magnepan LRS+ speakers are delightful. If you have ever wondered about the legendary Quad 57 sonic experience but have never had the opportunity to buy or listen to a fully serviced pair because Quad 57s are rarified in terms of their limited availability then buy yourself a pair of LRS+ speakers instead. They are also cheaper than modded Quads and offer a smaller footprint.

I’ve heard a slew of Quad 57 pretenders in my time and everyone of them have disappointed me. Combined with the price point which is very important in terms of my rating, the Magnepan LRS+ speakers are the first panel speakers I’ve heard since the Quad 57s to actually impress me. They are nothing short of magnificent and hence, deserve a very rare Golden Groovy, ten out of ten.

MAGNEPAN LRS+ SPEAKERS

Price: £1,675

Website: MAGNEPAN UK Retailer List:www.decentaudio.co.uk or magnepan.com

GOOD: small footprint, easy set up, detailed mids, sublime treble, price

BAD: bass, careful set up