[mick wolfe]

If you do the REL T/Zero's, I'd opt for 2. They don't go that low, but they should have the quickness to match the Magnepan.  In a perfect world, I'd  choose an open baffle sub design, but they're big and costly.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Last night I decided to try the PreSonus T8 Powered Sub which I was using with some powered monitors as a desktop system. I thought, what the hell let me try it with the Maggies. I didn’t really take too much time setting it up, just set the crossover and plugged it in. I figured this ain’t gonna work..

Well, I was in for quite a surprise, it sounded wonderful. I sat there scratching my head and said… WTF… I listened to music for hours, everything I played sounded great. Rock, classical and jazz. This turned out to work better than I imagined. I’m now thinking of getting a sub that might be better suited for the Maggies, maybe a REL T/Zero. So far I’m dumbfounded but very happy…. Life is good

I have the 1.6's and I use 2 Martin Logan original Dynamo's which are the equivalent of the 700 and 800 subs.  They are small, non ported and have fast controlled, controlled bass that integrates seamlessly.  They allegedly go down to 24hz at +/-3db  I found them to have faster bass and that they go down lower than the lower end REL subs.  I would also take a look at non ported Rhythmik subs.  A friend of mine had 2 with his 1.7's  and they integrated seamlessly.  2 subs definitely sound better than 1.  The music just sounds fuller with more depth, presence and larger sound stage.

[johnto]

I'd be curious as to how the NuPrime works with Maggie's it does have 200 watts at 8 ohms put lists the same at 4, Magnepan usually recommends an amp that gets near double its power at 4 ohms.

[Letitroll98]

I've run class D amps with Maggie's and they did just fine, more dynamic than a 200 watt class AB amp.  I've run Maggie's with a 20 watt NAD 3020B and although they lost some dynamics, they still sounded very musical.  The whole "need this amp" for Maggie's is a myth.

[SteveFord]

You will hear exactly what you put into them.
I have an ancient NAD 3020B which I use as a headphone amp and you will hear that warm, wooly sound through the Magnepans (in this experiment, MMGs).
I then hooked up my normal stereo stuff (VTL and I deHavilland preamp) and the sound changed, quite a bit for the better.
Bit overkill for MMGs, though.

From screwing around with that Crown ClassD amp which was on tour a few years back I found that it worked great with MMGs, not so good with 1.7s and just totally wretched with 3.7s. 
The further up the ladder I went the more it exposed the amp's weaknesses.
Works great with MMGs, though!

[AvsFan]

I've run class D amps with Maggie's and they did just fine, more dynamic than a 200 watt class AB amp.  I've run Maggie's with a 20 watt NAD 3020B and although they lost some dynamics, they still sounded very musical.  The whole "need this amp" for Maggie's is a myth.

What kind of amp to use, Class D, Class A/B, yeah, that is a myth. Who cares, if it's a good amp then it's a good amp. But the myth of the Maggie's needing high quality, clean power and current, an amp with some guts and balls is NOT a myth. I'm on my third amp right now, which happens to be a Class D. Love the way it sounds but it needs a little more juice so I am upgrading from a 48v power supply to a 60v power supply. If that doesn't do the trick, I am going to a Class A/B Parasound New Classic 2250 v.2 that puts out 400watts per channel at 4ohms and 45 amps per channel. And as far as LRS's or .7's, check out a couple of these YouTube Videos.

Very interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIBSxiGQBlE&t=12s


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw_WSyI1LDI&list=PLFPZwY6_oXXvBfTe9vw5zj0z1cHTTlfof&index=19&t=243s

[Stu Pitt]

What would you guys say about a Bryston B60 for the LRS? 60 watts into 8 ohms, 100 into 4 ohms.

I own the B60. I’m not going to change it out. The LRS intrigue me.

[smargo]

But the myth of the Maggie's needing high quality, clean power and current, an amp with some guts and balls is NOT a myth.

agreed!! and thank you for telling it like it is

[rollo]

What would you guys say about a Bryston B60 for the LRS? 60 watts into 8 ohms, 100 into 4 ohms.

I own the B60. I’m not going to change it out. The LRS intrigue me.

  Plenty of juice at 4 Ohm. As a former Maggie owner for almost ever every Amp used was good enough . However when the Amps were more powerful and at a higher scale of reproduction it was obvious. Ignorance is bliss. Ignorance as to using a premier Amp that is. Necessary ? No. Better ? Yes.

charles

[I.Greyhound Fan]

What would you guys say about a Bryston B60 for the LRS? 60 watts into 8 ohms, 100 into 4 ohms.

I own the B60. I’m not going to change it out. The LRS intrigue me.

It should sound pretty good but to play loud with great dynamics, I prefer 200 wpc or more and high current.  I use a 500wpc Pass Labs amp and used a Parasound A21 at 400wpc with my 1.6's.  I have tried lower power amps, they sound good but not great.  They did not get the most out of the Maggies.

I also own a pair of MMG's and have shut down an Adcom AVR that was over 225 wpc in stereo mode.

[SteveFord]

That Bryston should be okay but not jaw dropping, I would think.

https://www.stereophile.com/integratedamps/597bryston/index.html

It sounds like a significant step up from my old Byrston 3B (non cubed model). 
I read an owner's review on my ancient 3B and the guy said it sounded harsh across the entire frequency band.
I'd agree along with kind of thin sounding. 

[mcmusicman]

I came into this chasing watts and originally tried a pair of 300w class D mono blocks (For my 1.7s) from a reputable company.  Big mistake. Shut them down at 80db on almost any dynamic passage.  So I studied.  Found that sustainable delivered current was preferred with Magnepan. I found a loaded Odyssey Stratos Extreme that had dual 400VA transformers, 180,000 µF Capacitance, and delivers >60A of Stable Current.  Direct A/B coupled pushing high stable current will produce excellent results with Mag and allow the listener to focus on the front end. Sometimes it takes some digging to get the capacitance and current details from the marketing people touting their amplifiers.  It is worth the dig.  I discovered as many have that the watts were not the issue. I rarely go past 12 O'clock but do have a tube pre-amp that has a gain stage so ymmv.  My lesson cost me about a $600 hit selling the Class D, but such is life.  Funny thing I've noticed....these types of amps, and there are many like mine, are hard to find on the used market. Must be a good reason. 

[Saturn94]

...I am going to a Class A/B Parasound New Classic 2250 v.2 that puts out 400watts per channel at 4ohms and 45 amps per channel....

I can confirm this would be a good match with the LRS (I have the 5250, a 5 channel version of the same amp). 

[smargo]

  My lesson cost me about a $600 hit selling the Class D, but such is life.   

isnt be an audiophile a never ending search to find the right components that match what your into - in the present moment

i love not to lose money on a component - but finding what goes with my system is more rewarding than occasionally losing money when i sell

[SteveFord]

Everyone has their preferences but for me it was monster tube amps, they were the missing piece of the puzzle.
I found what I like, no need to mess with them any further.

Now, preamps, well, there's something I really enjoy doing comparisons of!
I could happily spend a week comparing a truck load of preamps to see what they do to the sound.

[brooklyn]

Well it’s been a few weeks since setting up the .7’s, they have evolved into excellent sounding speakers even without turning the Presonus T8 sub on. Although with classic rock the sub does give the music that extra boost in the lower  region. I’m starting to warm up to the idea of getting a couple of subs even though the Presonus so far exceeded my expectations when needed.

The Bel Canto Ref 500S amp gives the Maggies all the power they need for lofty sound levels in my room, they sound glorious. I had a couple of friends over recently for a listen and they were stunned, I haven’t even tweaked the system yet….. Yep, it’s great having the Maggies back again. Two channel audio lives again in my home…. Life is good..

[rollo]

Everyone has their preferences but for me it was monster tube amps, they were the missing piece of the puzzle.
I found what I like, no need to mess with them any further.

Now, preamps, well, there's something I really enjoy doing comparisons of!
I could happily spend a week comparing a truck load of preamps to see what they do to the sound.

   Yup. The monster I used was an Audio Research DR250 servo mk2 with 240/ch. The issue it uses 32 NOS tubes which are quite costly these days. Still own amp.
  Preamps you say ? Like a tubed Pre with SS Amp and visa versa.

charles

[AvsFan]

I can confirm this would be a good match with the LRS (I have the 5250, a 5 channel version of the same amp). 

Do you have it hooked up to a Magnepan LRS????

I've been reading and watching reviews on the Parasound stuff out right now and it's all VERY positive. The 2250 v.2 is $999!!!!!! The AVA SET 400 that I want is double at $2000. And although I am sure the AVA SET 400 might be a better amp, would it be $1000 better than the Parasound???? Probably not. But all just assumptions because I have never heard either one. I would bet that either one would happily drive the .7, LRS or any other Magnepan with no issues at all though. 

   
https://parasound.com/2250-v2.php

https://avahifi.com/collections/power-amplifiers/products/vision-set-400-amplifier?variant=5750804545566

[AvsFan]

agreed!! and thank you for telling it like it is

Absolutely! I want to shoot straight with people on the Magnepan subject. By no means do I consider myself an expert on Magnepan's. Not in the least bit. I'm still fairly new and still getting used to them. I am simply sharing my own experience I have had with the LRS over the past 8 months. And from what I have experienced, don't mess around on power with the Maggie's. I am sure other peoples experience is different, maybe their musical taste, how loud they like it, if they're into huge swings in dynamics and so on.  But from what I can tell, feed the Maggie's quality power, and current, an amp that can flex it's muscles and ask for more and you'll get the best of what they offer.   

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Do you have it hooked up to a Magnepan LRS????

I've been reading and watching reviews on the Parasound stuff out right now and it's all VERY positive. The 2250 v.2 is $999!!!!!! The AVA SET 400 that I want is double at $2000. And although I am sure the AVA SET 400 might be a better amp, would it be $1000 better than the Parasound???? Probably not. But all just assumptions because I have never heard either one. I would bet that either one would happily drive the .7, LRS or any other Magnepan with no issues at all though. 

   
https://parasound.com/2250-v2.php

https://avahifi.com/collections/power-amplifiers/products/vision-set-400-amplifier?variant=5750804545566

I can tell you that the AVA SET 400 sounds  much better than my Parasound A21 which is a better sounding amp than the Parasound Classic amps.  The extra money for the AVA amp is worth it.  I still love my A21 and listen to it often as I gave it to my son.  If you are interested in the differences, PM me.

Larry