The Gear to drive Mini Maggies


First, I wanted to say hello to everyone. So, I am at a point where I want to start potentially building a nice desktop speaker system. I don't have a listening room and my pc desk is inside my entertainment room which is probably medium to large in size. For mostly near field listening would the following items be overkill or would you recommend something else?

1.) Amp: Bryston 28bsst2 (1 for each speaker).
2.) Preamp: Bryston BP26
3.) DAC: Asus Essence one (already own it for headphones figured I would use the balanced out to the preamplifier if that works).
4.) Power Conditioner: Bryston BIT20 Power Conditioner.
5.) Speakers: 2 Mini Maggies
6.) Sub Woofer: Martin Logan Descent i

Now I admit I am not really good at any of this and it would be my first real audiophile set up for speakers. Do you guys think I missed anything from a sound stand point? I appreciate any help that you can provide.

Thank you,
-Jim
jkman
Kjman,

"See this is where my confusion is with Mini Maggies. Extreme opposing positions on the amp. Either its Maggies can not have too much power (aka the more the better) or I hear 100w amp ran Maggies great. You can see why someone new like me just scratches their head.

Quote from the manual:
"The Mini Maggie System is a 4 ohm speaker and should be used with a high-current amplifier that can safely drive
a 4 ohm speaker. As a general rule, the Mini Maggie System will require less power when used as a desktop
system compared to use as a woofer/satellite system.
Connect the output of the amplifier to the amplifier input on the DWM Woofer. (Note- There are no left or right
input/outputs on the DWM Woofer.)
Connect the Mini Maggie to the "high" output of the DWM---observing polarity in both cases."

There's a few things that you can do to deal with some of the confusion I'm seeing in your above post. Sometimes you have to stop and ask yourself if what you are doing makes sense. Take the Bryston 28's, for example. Does it make sense that you will need to buy a pair of 15k+, massive mono blocks (I think that's what they cost) to drive a pair of table top speakers/computer speakers? Now, I understand you don't yet know everything about audio, but none of us here does (Except maybe for Al.). You never stop learning. I think the smartest thing you can do at this point is go out and listen to some audio equipment. If you go to a store that has Magnepan, look at what they are using to drive them. When you are listening, its pretty easy to hear an amp that's straining to drive a speaker. Not only that, listen to different brands, as well. Every time you do that, it will be a learning experience that will make this process easier for you.
I have two ideas for you. First, if you want to stick with mono-blocks and the Mini Maggies, check out the Music Fidelity M1s. They are a class-d mono with 100 watts at 8ohm, that doubles to 200 watts at 4ohms. The reviews I read said they sound best with 4ohm speakers, so they might be a good match for you. They retail for $2,600, however, I just got a pair from Music Direct for $1,000. I don't own maggies, so I can't say how they sound together. I will say I have heard most Maggies with class-D, and they sounded great. This will leave you more money for other gear.

Second idea relates to the room size. If you want Maggies and near/far listening...what about some wall mounted Magnepans. That and the DWM panel might fit the bill.

Just some ideas,
Mot
Just wanted to say I appreciate everyone's advice. I'll continue to research and actually go out and listen to some high end audio speakers. Thanks again. ��
For your consideration:
I chose the Peachtree combo of the Nove Pre (which is a DAC, preamplifier, and headphone amp; also hybrid tube/Class A) and 220 amplifier. I chose them based on reviews (that the Peachtree products were good for digital, which is my setup (iMac, MOG, Amarra), plus they dropped the price - under 2k total, delivered for the pair - in rosewood. The amp can put over 400wpc into 4 ohms, which should be enough. Two reviewers ToneAudio and 'confessions of a part time audiophile' both liked the set running Magnepans (the latter, specifically with the mini's).

Two other considerations - if desktop/nearfield, that might mean space and aesthetic considerations (for big amps, for subs). If you're intending to use the MM for a room setup, that's different.

I can't comment on the sound (yet). My local dealer is waiting for his set to come in. I could order them before auditioning them as Magnepan offers a 30 day in home trial, but I"m waiting until I hear them first.

Good luck in your search!
For your consideration:
I chose the Peachtree combo of the Nove Pre (which is a DAC, preamplifier, and headphone amp; also hybrid tube/Class A) and 220 amplifier. I chose them based on reviews (that the Peachtree products were good for digital, which is my setup (iMac, MOG, Amarra), plus they dropped the price - under 2k total, delivered for the pair - in rosewood. The amp can put over 400wpc into 4 ohms, which should be enough. Two reviewers ToneAudio and 'confessions of a part time audiophile' both liked the set running Magnepans (the latter, specifically with the mini's).

Two other considerations - if desktop/nearfield, that might mean space and aesthetic considerations (for big amps, for subs). If you're intending to use the MM for a room setup, that's different.

I can't comment on the sound (yet). My local dealer is waiting for his set to come in. I could order them before auditioning them as Magnepan offers a 30 day in home trial, but I"m waiting until I hear them first.

Good luck in your search!