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Maggie 1.6QR vs 3.6R and Room Size

Hi,
I've recently moved house and my new listening space is 60'x32'.
I'm using a small monitor speaker (QLN Signature Splitfield II's) and they do a fair job in this larger room, but not great, which is understandable given their small dimensions.
I'm looking at Maggies as the probable choice for an upgrade, but I'm leaning toward the 1.6QR due to cost. My budget is around $4, so if I went for the 3.6's I wouldn't have much left for amplification (current amp is a CJ CAV 50 integrated).
So the question is this: will the 1.6's work in this size room, or should I wait and get more cash together for the 3.6's?
What kind of results might I expect with the 1.6....is there a possibility of ribbon problems when playing at spl's high enough to charge this size room?
Also, does anyone have experience of using the 1.6's with 50w tubes like the CJ CAV?...if this is too small, can anyone recommend a good tubed partner for the 1.6.

I do not have the opportunity to audition these speakers, so would have to commit and buy a used pair on AG then hope for the best.

Lastly, I have a pair of Apogee Caliper Signature II's that have some ribbon damage on one speaker...does anyone think it might be better going through the hassle of having these repaired?....how do they perform in a large room and how do they compare against the 1.6QR

So many problems, so many questions!!

Many thanks in advance for input and insight from a knowledgable audiophile.

Rooze
128x128rooze
kck
184 posts
 
I had 3.6; went straight from MMG and skipped 1.6. In my large-ish room (but nothing compared to yours) it took a good amp putting out 600 w into 4 ohms to get them sounding good. A Parasound 1500 HCA (I forget the power but I think it was close to 300 w into 4) was definitely NOT enough and clipped, blew fuses, and made the panels flap on peaks. I also tried 100W tubed monos and while the sound was heavenly, there just wasn't enough of it.
Not to be a wisenheimer, but if you have a 60x32 room why is cost your concern? Last I checked, real estate is still more than $1/acre. Anyway. Not having heard the 1.6 in my room I couldn't make the comparo for you, but I will say you need very good quality and quantity of amplification with 3.6. Now, some have driven them with less (far less?) power but the verdict on quality is pretty much unanimous. In other words, dig deep. Or in yet other words, get the 1.6 if funds are short and you can sacrifice maybe a little on the quality side.
tok20000's avatar
tok20000
608 posts
 
Theoretically you can drive the 3.6's with 50wpc. You can also run a Ferari on regular unleaded as well...

And I have heard them being driven by ARC CA-50 amp. BUT, as Kck indicated the more power you can feed them, the better they will sound. No ifs ands or buts.

The last amps I had with the 3.6's were 2 Plinius SA-100 mk3 amps running in MONO (665 wpc into the maggies). Sound was great, better than any 100wpc amp could sound into them.

KF
jvogt
212 posts
 
I'm using 1.6QR's in a 10 X 17' room. My previous amp
was a Mark Levinson 27.5, an excellent amp but under-
powered for the 1.6's. When turned up loud, dynamics
were compressed and it sounded strained. I sold the
27.5 and replaced it with a Levinson 335 (500 W/Chan
at 4 ohms). The increase in power gives a more
relaxed and dynamic presentation.
unsound
7,333 posts
 
60' X 32'? I think its safe to say you need big speakers and big amplification.
sogood51
2,157 posts
 
I hope you mean it's an open floor plan and not one room that size? It does make somewhat of a difference but still a lot of space to fill with sound. You may want to check out some of the horn systems on the market..they match very well with tubes and can fill large rooms with clean sound@very little power.

Dave
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