Short answer: the Revel F206 for better sound quality, the Magnepan LRS+ for the lower price. The Revel F206 ranks #22 of 68 floorstanding speakers at $2000. The Magnepan LRS+ ranks #62 at $1300, $700 cheaper.
What the Revel F206 offers: CEA2034 spinorama shows a pretty even on-axis response. Predicted in-room response is excellent, with a smooth downward slope. Horizontal beamwidth of about ±65 degrees is wide, if a bit uneven. Distortion is very nice at 86dB SPL/1m, falling below the frequency range where human hearing is most sensitive, and stays excellent even at 96dB SPL/1m. Near-field measurements of the individual drivers show nice suppression of port and woofer resonances. Really amazing value for the performance. Watch for: Some directivity error and a small peak around 4.5kHz show up alongside the directivity error around 3kHz. Vertical directivity means listening position needs to stay within the tweeter axis, though the reviewer notes there is some leeway. Minimum impedance dips to 3.3 ohms, calling for an amplifier comfortable with a demanding load.
What the Magnepan LRS+ offers: 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. Watch for: 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.
Buy the Revel F206 if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Magnepan LRS+ if the price matters more than sound quality.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Magnepan LRS+. It ranks near the bottom of the 68 floorstanding speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| Revel F206 | Magnepan LRS+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2000 used, Discontinued | $1300 |
| Ranked | #22 of 68 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers | #62 of 68 in Large Size Floorstanding Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 34Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 67Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 60Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 74Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 40.3"H x 8.4"W x 12.2"D (1023.6 x 213.4 x 309.9 mm) | 48"H x 13.5"W x 1"D (1219.2 x 342.9 x 25.4 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes | - |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.3 ohms minimum, measured by Audio Science Review) | 4 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Drivers | Dual 6.5" (16.5 cm) Aluminum Cone, Cast-frame Woofers, 5.25" (13.3 cm) Aluminum Cone, Cast-frame Midrange, 1" (2.5 cm) Aluminum Tweeter with Acoustic Lens Waveguide | 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 |
| Sensitivity | 87dB (measured, Audio Science Review) | 85.1dB (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 57.3 lbs / 26 kg each | 30 lbs / 13.6 kg |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front | open baffle |
Related Speaker Comparisons
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- Revel F208 vs Revel Concerta2 F35
- JBL Studio 698 vs PSB Imagine T65
- Ascend Acoustics Sierra Titan Tower vs JBL Studio 698
- Magnepan LRS+ vs JBL Studio 590
- Revel F206 vs Dynaudio Emit 30
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The Two Speakers In Full
Revel F206: $2000 used, Discontinued eBay
Pros: CEA2034 spinorama shows a pretty even on-axis response. Predicted in-room response is excellent, with a smooth downward slope. Horizontal beamwidth of about ±65 degrees is wide, if a bit uneven. Distortion is very nice at 86dB SPL/1m, falling below the frequency range where human hearing is most sensitive, and stays excellent even at 96dB SPL/1m. Near-field measurements of the individual drivers show nice suppression of port and woofer resonances. Really amazing value for the performance.
Cons: Some directivity error and a small peak around 4.5kHz show up alongside the directivity error around 3kHz. Vertical directivity means listening position needs to stay within the tweeter axis, though the reviewer notes there is some leeway. Minimum impedance dips to 3.3 ohms, calling for an amplifier comfortable with a demanding load. Discontinued.
Full Revel F206 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 34Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 60Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Dimensions | 40.3"H x 8.4"W x 12.2"D (1023.6 x 213.4 x 309.9 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | Dual 6.5" (16.5 cm) Aluminum Cone, Cast-frame Woofers, 5.25" (13.3 cm) Aluminum Cone, Cast-frame Midrange, 1" (2.5 cm) Aluminum Tweeter with Acoustic Lens Waveguide |
| Impedance | 4 ohms nominal (3.3 ohms minimum, measured by Audio Science Review) |
| Sensitivity | 87dB (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Weight | 57.3 lbs / 26 kg each |
| Woofer Cabinet | ported, front |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Magnepan LRS+: $1300 Magnepan eBay
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 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Erin’s Audio Corner: Grab Your Pitchforks! The Magnepan LRS+ Review You Didn’t See Coming! More from Erin’s Audio Corner →
- Erin’s Audio Review Website Magnepan LRS+
- Erin’s Audio Corner: I Tested 250 Speakers So You Don’t Have To!
- Erin’s Audio Corner Measurements (spinorama.org)
- Reddit Search for Magnepan LRS+ Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons