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Tubes for Magnepan’s.

I think next up on my acquisition list is a tube amplifier. I'm not looking for the be all end all, cause I don’t think there is a definitive "Best", so am looking for as good as I can get for $3-4k.


Because tubes drive speakers so much more efficiently than solid state I am only looking for 40-50 watts to drive my modded Maggie’s, 1.7i's. (Or what you have when you add a new crossover and planer tweeters to 1.7i's.) Maybe 2.7x? I haven’t settled on that yet. And I have some Zu Dirty Weekend's upgraded to the max coming in in 2 months to replace my KEF's.

Anyway, I haven’t had a tube device since my Halicrafter short wave radio, and reviews are not the same as advice from people that own something. There is a Rouge Audio dealer in my area, last I looked, (opps, they no longer carry them), so I may have to go to another market to hear something, or get a try before you buy from a manufacturer or dealer.

You folks have taught me a lot, and I think asking users is the right thing to do on this change in direction.

Thanks in advance.
128x128william53b
gumbedamit
109 posts
 
I've owned Maggie 2.5r's, 2.6r's, IIIa's and currently 20.1's . Regardless of anyone telling 40-50 watts of tube power is enough,  maybe that's all they has to drive their Maggie's.  They NEED Power and Current
 I currently drive my 20.1's with Classe CAM350 Monoblocks. My front-end is a kit tube preamp I built for my first set of Maggie's, a Bottlehead Foreplay with all the upgrades,  been using that since 2002. There are loads of people here telling you to stick with a nice powerful SS amp, and a Tube Preamp,  I would take their advice...

audioman58's avatar
audioman58
4,201 posts
 
Maggi run much better with quality Solidstate  amps 
why ,because they take a lot of current to drive then 
tube donot have the current on demand that good solid state brings , when you have a speaker going  below 2 ohms that’s 
very demanding tube amps are voltage drive devises
solid state current driven. Ihave a Coda amp which they all have exceptional current capabilities a huge 3000 va transformer 
andover120 amp capability and 3 choices for output wpc .
quality counts.
homer_skins's avatar
homer_skins
33 posts
 
Look for a used Primaluna Dialogue Premium HP Integrated amp. I run that with my Magnepan 1.7i's and it is truly amazing with KT-150's. Dana
punkrock67's avatar
punkrock67
32 posts
 
The bast most transparent system I’ve ever heard was Conrad Johnson tube pre amp and tube amplifier with Maggie’s...it was like being in front center row of a jazzy night club...I have not yet found a system that equals it, closest I’d Sonus Faber Elipse and Arcam or Primare 
Ag insider logo xs@2x
needsomenewstuff
2 posts
 
I just got a pair of Maggie 3.7i and I’m driving them with audio research reference 250 amps, ref 6 pre and ref 3 phono.it sounds incredible some of the best soundstage I’ve heard. Very happy
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