AudioCircle
Audio/Video Gear and Systems => Planar Circle => Topic started by: cbyrlee on 25 Mar 2014, 04:58 pm
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What is(are) the most musical and yet still affordable amp/pre or integrated or even home theater receiver to comfortably drive the Magnepan 1.7s or 3.7s?
Thanks for your consideration
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Prepare for a lot of debate about maggie power requirements..... :roll:
I use my 1.7s with vintage Conrad Johnson tube gear : a PV10 pre and MV75a1 amp, which used set me back about $1,500 for both. The amp is 75wpc but has a beefy power supply, so you can guess where I fall on the power debate.
I think many would probably concur that at the "entry level" some kind of parasound halo combo would be a safe bet : e.g a P5 pre with a A23 amp at about $2k new for both.
In integrated amps I like the Rogue Audio Sphinx hybrid integrated amp, which sounds great, can do 200wpc into 4 ohms, and goes for only $1300 new.
Not too many receivers I think I'd want to hook up to 1.7s or 3.7s. Maybe a beefier Anthem - but the $ would probably be better spent on an integrated or separates.
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Prepare for a lot of debates period!
I'm having great success with the extremely affordable Class D Audio SDS-470c. http://classdaudio.com/audio-amplifiers/sds-470c-custom-class-d-amplifier.html
It doubles its 300W 8 ohm rating to 600W into 4 ohms. Beyond the sheer power, I'd read rave reviews about its sound quality, right here on AudioCircle. So I decided to give it a try, without hearing a note, knowing I could return it.
It sounds fantastic (smooth, detailed, warm and powerful and transparent - all at the same time, LOL) and it pairs very well with the Maggie 1.7.
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AVA Fet Valve 400R 400w into 4 ohms. :D
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A vintage Moscode 300 amp did great on Maggie 1.6s in a huge room, and now powers the mids/highs of a pair of 20.1s. Bullet proof. I've had it well over 25 years and just had the PS caps redone last year.
Street value, maybe $500.
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heres a nice one:
http://app.audiogon.com/listings/solid-state-mccormack-power-drive-dna-1-2014-03-15-amplifiers-95133-san-jose-ca
Steve McCormack still services and performs upgrades to them.
Had the DNA225 on my 3.6s. Very nice indeed
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Prepare for a lot of debates period!
I'm having great success with the extremely affordable Class D Audio SDS-470c. http://classdaudio.com/audio-amplifiers/sds-470c-custom-class-d-amplifier.html
It doubles its 300W 8 ohm rating to 600W into 4 ohms. Beyond the sheer power, I'd read rave reviews about its sound quality, right here on AudioCircle. So I decided to give it a try, without hearing a note, knowing I could return it.
It sounds fantastic (smooth, detailed, warm and powerful and transparent - all at the same time, LOL) and it pairs very well with the Maggie 1.7.
Those amps looks to be a bargain and it si made in USA. But i couldnt find any spec for it.
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Up until this week (new speakers coming today!) I've been driving my 1.7s nicely with this class D amp: http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=124476.0
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Isn't a lot of debate the reason we submit posts? :)
Thanks for the suggestions!
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heres a nice one:
http://app.audiogon.com/listings/solid-state-mccormack-power-drive-dna-1-2014-03-15-amplifiers-95133-san-jose-ca
Steve McCormack still services and performs upgrades to them.
Had the DNA225 on my 3.6s. Very nice indeed
+1 on the McCormack DNA-1. I have it paired with a 1.6s and they do exceptionally well.
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What size room, how loud do you like your music and what is your budget?
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NewClear NC 1000.
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The list isn't complete without mentioning the Sanders Magtech. You will still need a preamp however, but the amp is killer.
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I recall seeing mention of the Odyssey Audio amps as good candidates for use with Maggies quite often over on the Planar board over on Audio Asylum
Why don't you go over to the Odyssey "circle" we have right here & see if anyone over there has any insight
on this pairing
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Parasound HCA-3500, would do the job as an amplifier.
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I recall seeing mention of the Odyssey Audio amps as good candidates for use with Maggies quite often over on the Planar board over on Audio Asylum
Why don't you go over to the Odyssey "circle" we have right here & see if anyone over there has any insight
on this pairing
I had a pair of Odyssey Stratos mono blocks for about six months which I was using to drive my Maggie 1.6s. I bought them hoping they would out do the McCormack DNA-1. They worked quite well but I could not discern any major improvement over the Dna-1. They were the base Stratos so I presume the upgraded ones may have sounded better. I decided to keep the DNA-1 and replaced the starts with Rogue tube mono blocks so I could have a somewhat different sound.
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I am very, very pleased driving my 1.7's with an Emotiva XPA-2 Gen2. Affordable 500 watts per into 4 ohms. Just curious....are you listening in 2 channel or movies. cbyrlee.......I only ask because you mentioned a home theater receiver
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There are so many choices it is tough to get the wrong one. I would recco a SS amp with a tubed preamp. Think classic combos of amp and pre and be done.
charles
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Room size is 15 x 23.
I listen to 2 channel whether it is music or movies. Stereo still sounds good to these old ears.
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We're getting closer but what is your budget and how loud do you listen to music?
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While my big Bryston amps are still being repaired, I'm driving my 20.7's with the tiny pair of Wyred4Sound mAMP monoblocks. They're ICE-based, Class D. (I really took quite a while for the mAMP to broken-in, though.) They're more than OK, I think.
You might want to consider W4S products. Very good performance/price ratio to me. : )
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Any of the larger (100-200wpc) Music Reference tube power amps are great with Maggies. You'll need to be patient as they don't come up for sale very often.
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Good value amps for the 1.7 sufficient for a large room
Recent production
Linear
Odyssey Sratos Monoblocks
Emotiva XPA 1 and 2
Add the Sanders Magtech, though it is more expensive
Class D
Wyred 4 Sound ST500 or the integrated or the monoblocks, personally, the integrated is the better value
Gilmore raptors
Used BelCanto Evo and Ref series amps rated 200 WPC@8 ohms or better
Hybrid
Rogue tube class D hybrids
NYAL/MOSCODE hybrid amps if you don't mind slight looseness in the bass
Peachtree Grand integrated tube/class D hybrid
Monarchy Audio Hybrid
Tube:
Rogue Zeus with KT120s
Oldies
Adcom 565, 5800 5802
Haffler 9500
At a higher performance level
Sunfire amp
Fosgate 4200 Bridged into stereo
Classe DR9, better yet a pair bridged into monoblocks
Threshold class A amps rated 150WPC or more into 8 ohms (should have been recapped by now)
Moscode 600
Krell KMA class A from KMA or KSA series, rated 150WPC or more into 8 ohms (should be used with a tube preamp)
Big old Tube amps
VTL Wotan, 450 and Siegfried
ARC
Melos triode amps rated 150 WPC and up
Manley DEluxe series 200 WPC and up
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Before moving the amp to my video system, I used a Crown XLS 2500 power amp with my 1.7s. The whole range (but skip the XLS 1000) of these Drivecore amps offers high power for the $$$, cool Class D operation and good warranty.
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Before moving the amp to my video system, I used a Crown XLS 2500 power amp with my 1.7s. The whole range (but skip the XLS 1000) of these Drivecore amps offers high power for the $$$, cool Class D operation and good warranty.
Yeah, I heard that the XLS1000 is the one to avoid as well, due to poorer distortion characteristics. I am VERY tempted to get an XLS 1500 to try on my Gunned MMGs in very nearfield setup, and if that is a sonic improvement over my duo Apt-1 power amps bridged to mono, then get a second XLS-1500 and bridge both to mono. I think the Apt-1s sound OK, but they ARE 34 years old at this point, and I'm tempting fate by continuing to use them.
The other tempting amp to try is the "Class D Audio" brand SDS 470C for the same price as 2 XLS-1500's. Not quite the horsepower, but in extreme nearfield my MMGs are already happy with around 200 wpc from the bridged Apt-1s.
MGBert
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I would try two Parasound JC1s, a Musical Fidelity M6500i or McIntosh gear. The MF is an integrated amp. But if I could get a used, but powerful point to point wiring ARC or something of high quality, I think you would be surprised that this speaker is not as hard to drive as what is commonly stated. I have some MMGs and have listened to the 1.7's with quality (current) tube power and they sound really very good.
A good McIntosh tube amp would be a great fit for the 1.7. IMHO
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Just bought a Parasound Halo 2.1 to replace my mono block's wow what a difference this amp tales control of the Maggie 1.7 and really makes them sing. Beautiful sound field , localization of instruments and voice everything as it should be and plenty of power.
Couldn't be happier. All my friends notice the vast improvements too.