Amp help for the Maggies?

An Innersound ESL amp will cost about $1000 or so and is designed to play into low impedance loads. It sounded terrific with my Maggies and was very open and defined and had plenty of power to whip them Maggies like a rag doll! Of all the amps I tried with my old 1.6s it was the only one with enough power IMO. Give it a try, you can always sell it if not to your taste...

My advice is to stretch the speaker budget and get the 3.6's. Then, comprommise the amp budget with the lowly little NAD C320 BEE. I owned this combination for some time, while at the same time owning the Innersound ESL-300. In addition, I have a Bel Canto evo4 gen 2. Frankly, the Bel Canto is my favorite amp on the 3.6's but, the C320 is my second favorite. It is actually a better match than the Innersound though not many will agree, unless they do a blind test. In any event, it is cheap and a good starting point. You can always upgrade this at a later date.

If voice and simpler music (chamber/jazz, etc) dominates your listening preferences then there is nothing wrong with the 1.6. It has a seamless coherence and soundscape projection that is excellent by any measure. It is just as good as the 3.6. Driver coherence on the 1.6 is arguably even better than the 3.6. However, the ribbon on the 3.6 exudes a transparency and liquid delicacy that is well behaved and, virtually in a class by itself. From the moment a disc starts spinning one realizes that these are no ordinary speakers. They are simply excellent.

Well, Eric, now you've heard from both sides of the camp. You'll want to audition (at home, if you can) an amp with lower watts/power and one with more. Let your own ears decide.
I fully agree that CJ makes a higher end product. However, you won't get the same presentation as with an amp with more power. Sorry, it's true. Unless it's some "high current" design, which you'll pay for too. I would ideally like an amp the quality of CJ, but with the power of the Outlaw. Can't afford it. Maybe someday.
I also own a Threshold T-50; in it's day a very respectable 50wpc class A amp. No slouch. But there was no comparison between it and the Outlaw biamped. Let's put it this way; if the Outlaw wasn't as "pure" a sound as the Threshold, the additional power and what it did for the Magnepans more than made up for it. I once went back and hooked up the Threshold again, just to make sure I wasn't overlooking anything. Couldn't stand it. Removed it immediately - it sounded too "small" and without gravitas.
You're not going to have your cake and eat it too at $1,000 for an amp. If you go low watts, sure, you might get higher quaility, but don't expect the expansive sound stage. Won't happen.
As I said, listen to both kinds of amps and you'll know what's right for you.
One last thought. In keeping with the car analogy Gregadd used, the CJ or similar amp is like a two seat sports car - very refined, but SMALL. You'll never get big sound out of it. The Outlaw is more like the Nissan Maxima (Gregadd might suggest more like a Chevy), not as sporty as the two seater, but very nice. It is larger.Performance not up to the two seater, but much more size.
That's pretty much what you're facing regarding amps and the power issue. Smaller (power) and (possibly) technically more perfect, or larger and expansive (with possibly less precision).
So, what's going to fit you? Listen to the Maggies both ways, and you'll know what you like.
Now, if anyone knows of a $1,000 amp which does BOTH the things the CJ does and the Outlaw does PLEASE TELL ME!!
By the way, just saw an article in Stereophile where Sam Tellig reviewed the Harbeth Super HL5 loudspeakers (bookshelves) into which he ran Parasound Halo JC1 mono amps, of which he commented, "Overkill perhaps- but the sense of control and dynamic ease was wonderful."
That perhaps is what appealed to me so much about larger watts. The sense of "control and dynamic ease."
Have fun with the choice!

Because most music is handled by about <1 watt what we are realy talking about is dynamic headroom. The necessary dynamic head room is about 3db. A cursory explanation is given at:http://forum.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/34579/109459.htm

My summary observation is that your low power amp will never sound better than when it drives Maggies. Depending on musical tastes, and listening environment (eg: apartment) the low power amp may be the best choice. However, the Maggies can do more. Lots more.