Planar magnetic speakers are passive loudspeakers that move air with a conventional voice coil bonded to a flat diaphragm, energized by an array of bar magnets. They are often mistaken for electrostatic speakers from across the room, but they're a fundamentally different technology: no high-voltage transformer, no static-electric bias, just current and magnets. The category is sometimes called panel speakers, planar speakers, or in Europe, magnostatic. Many people seeing these for the first time mistake them for electrostats.
This collection covers the full Magnepan stereo lineup, from the entry LRS+ to the reference 30.7 series, alongside Diptyque's sculptural French-built panels. Most need real space behind them, real amps in front of them, and a few minutes on the phone with us before you commit. If you're shopping the broader category, see our floorstanding speakers collection too.
"Magnepans are planar magnetic speakers, they utilize conventional magnets and a conventional aluminum voice coil to create the movement in the driver. This is different than an electrostatic speaker that uses a powered transformer to basically create static electricity versus a static magnetic field. I personally like planar magnetic being it is a very conventional passive speaker with no complex electronics needed for operation."
