Short answer: the Polk T50. It ranks #45 of 56 floorstanding speakers by sound quality at $249; the Magnepan LRS+ ranks #50 and costs $1300, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
The case for the Polk T50: Pretty deep bass for the price. The tradeoff: 5dB peak at 1khz, 4dB bright top end from 11khz on up.
What the Magnepan LRS+ gets right: Thin, two-way planar-magnetic open-baffle/dipole panel design (about 48” tall, just 1” deep). The catch: Extremely current-hungry and power-hungry: even a pair of 600W Macintosh monoblock amplifiers only averaged about 90dB output - a robust, high-power amplifier is essentially mandatory, and budget amps won’t cut it.
Buy the Polk T50. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Magnepan LRS+ and costs less, so there is no real case for the other one.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip both of these and look higher up the 56 floorstanding speakers instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| Polk T50 | Magnepan LRS+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $249.00 | $1300 |
| Ranked | #45 of 56 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #50 of 56 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 67Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 47Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 74Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (4.2 ohms minimum, measured by Audio Science Review) | 4 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | 2x 6.5" bi-laminate paper cone woofers, 1x 1" Terylene dome tweeter + 2x 8" passive bass radiators | Full-range planar magnetic dipole panel (48" tall x 13.5" wide); quasi-ribbon design, two-way with separate mid/bass and tweeter ribbon sections |
| Weight | 75.4 lbs / 34.2 kg | 30 lbs / 13.6 kg |
| Sensitivity | 86.3dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Audio Science Review) | 85.1dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 40.4"H x 9.3"W x 12.5"D (1026.2 x 235.0 x 317.5 mm) | 48"H x 13.5"W x 1"D (1219.2 x 342.9 x 25.4 mm) |
| Woofer Cabinet | passive radiator | open baffle |
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The Two Speakers In Full
Polk T50: $249.00 Amazon
Pros: Pretty deep bass for the price. Distortion at 86dB SPL/1m is reasonably controlled outside a narrow spike around 250Hz. The reviewer notes performance is “not too bad for a budget speaker” once the two main tonal issues are addressed with EQ.
Cons: 5dB peak at 1khz, 4dB bright top end from 11khz on up. Just okay vertical off axis. Impedance and phase show several resonances between 200Hz-1kHz, with a minimum impedance of 4.2 ohms. Distortion rises substantially at 96dB SPL/1m across the midrange, with repeated peaks between 100Hz-2kHz.
Full Polk T50 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 38Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 47Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 40.4"H x 9.3"W x 12.5"D (1026.2 x 235.0 x 317.5 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 6.5" bi-laminate paper cone woofers, 1x 1" Terylene dome tweeter + 2x 8" passive bass radiators |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (4.2 ohms minimum, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Sensitivity | 86.3dB (2.83V/1m, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Weight | 75.4 lbs / 34.2 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | passive radiator |
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Magnepan LRS+: $1300 Magnepan
Pros: Thin, two-way planar-magnetic open-baffle/dipole panel design (about 48” tall, just 1” deep). Delivers a uniquely dramatic and enveloping soundstage with genuinely three-dimensional depth effects that work across all music genres, not just classical or orchestral material as commonly assumed. Extremely tight, locked-in center-phantom imaging when set up correctly. Open-baffle design avoids the “boxy” enclosure coloration of conventional cabinet speakers. Multitone distortion is remarkably consistent from low to high frequency, a characteristic the reviewer hasn’t observed in conventional cone-and-dome speakers. Compression at high output stays modest (about 0.5-1dB) through the midrange and treble, giving roughly 20-26dB of usable dynamic range in that region. At its price, a strong contender for a dedicated secondary listening room, even if not a main-system replacement.
Cons: Extremely current-hungry and power-hungry: even a pair of 600W Macintosh monoblock amplifiers only averaged about 90dB output - a robust, high-power amplifier is essentially mandatory, and budget amps won’t cut it. Bass rolls off very quickly (F3 74Hz, F10 67Hz, described as falling off “like a rock”), making a subwoofer an absolute requirement for any low-end content. A roughly 3dB dip in the mid-bass (100-300Hz) region thins out vocal body and fullness compared to a conventional bookshelf speaker. A resonance/bump around 400Hz adds a mild boxy quality, though it responds well to about 2dB of EQ correction. Extraordinarily fussy about exact positioning - both seating height (must align with the acoustic reference point between the panel’s lower tie-down points) and horizontal aiming are unusually critical; moving just a couple of inches can cause treble content above roughly 500-600Hz to nearly vanish. Distinct off-axis cancellation zones exist directly to the sides of the panel, where very little sound is audible at all. Fails badly under extreme dynamic-transient testing in the bass, and the reviewer blew fuses pushing the speaker during testing - not built for high-volume or highly dynamic playback. A genuinely different category from conventional hi-fi speakers, requiring more setup patience and experimentation than a typical monopole design.
Full Magnepan LRS+ review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 67Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 74Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 48"H x 13.5"W x 1"D (1219.2 x 342.9 x 25.4 mm) |
| Drivers | Full-range planar magnetic dipole panel (48" tall x 13.5" wide); quasi-ribbon design, two-way with separate mid/bass and tweeter ribbon sections |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | 85.1dB (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 30 lbs / 13.6 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | open baffle |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
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