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Need inexpensive amp help and questions on Hype

As a budding audiophile im trying to put together a half satisfying system on a budget. Im looking for a Amp-Preamp combo or an integrated in the $1000 or under range .... less is better!! It will be driving Magnepan SMGa speakers but i hope to upgrade to 1.6’s in a year or two so the amp should have the oomph!! to power them. The amp(pre) should have a tape loop. A phono would be nice but not a must. I listen to jass, blues, pop, classical and folk, so a well rounded amp is preferred. I have not had a chance to listen to much yet but have compared a Naim Nait 3 with a Rega Mira and liked the Naim more mostly because of the much tighter, deeper, and richer bass ...... This helped the SMGa’s
Thin bass immensely. Sooooo .... I think you get the idea of what i might be looking for and any suggestions would be wonderful. There is so much stuff out there i get a little lost
After hours of searching the web for info on this subject have seen a lot of things that make me curious. There seams to be a lot of hype in this price range ie: This ss amp is warmer and richer most $3000 tubes, This tube amp has the drum tight thunder and sparkling clarity of a ss amp at 3 times the price!!, Hybrid amps are the wave of the future because it has the best of both worlds............. Just to pick on one of these guys i have questions about the Jolida 1501. I have never listened to this product so i have no opinion on the sound. After reading just about everything i can find about this integrated, in many ways this sounds like what im looking for. But after all the glowing reviews and boasting, and almost nothing bad or even constructively critical. It leaves me a little ....... suspicious about this product ( just one example of many, nothing personal Joilda!). Are my 21st century consumer goods B.S. screening filter tuned in right or is it out of phase??

Thanks........*Bill......
bkcme
infinitebaffle
51 posts
 
First of all, in your price range, if you want top performance you have to go used. You will get at least twice the bang for the buck. Here is a great example and a solid recommendation. The Hafler Transnova 9300 amp and the Adcom GFP 565 preamp.These were both rated Class B in Stereophile's Recommended Components. They are both giant killers and give up very little to names like Krell, Levinson, Threshold etc in terms of bottom line performance. They sold for $1250 & $900 in the early 90's but can be had readily for $450 & $300 now. Thats about 1/3 of original price. These two components offer about 90% of the performance of the best available for a paltry $750. They work well together and are very reliable. As a bonus the Adcom has a world class phono stage. They are so good and such a bargain that you would be completely safe in purchasing them without an audition.
geddie
27 posts
 
I own a pair of small Maggies like yours (the SMGc's, in fact) and love them. Unfortunately, I have to tell you that these wonderful little speakers are not well served by just any amp. These guys, like all Maggies, require an amp that will deliver a LOT of current into low impedance loads. Not every seemingly powerful amp will do that, in spite of the hype you mention.

A used Acurus A-250 which delivers 250 watts/channel into an 8 ohm load, for instance, can be bought for around $500, and while it will drive the SMGa's, it won't deliver the deep and tight bass you like. (I know, because I tried that for a couple of years.) I eventually replaced the Acurus with a CODA Continuum Stage Plus amp which is rated to deliver only 100 watts into 8 ohms, and wow, what a difference! The CODA (which retails for around $1,600) just flat walked off and left the Acurus in the dust -- wonderful, delicate highs, smooth midrange, and a powerful, deep bass. So much for published 8 ohm power ratings!

As far as a preamp is concerned, I am delighted with the used Bryston BP-20 preamp I purchased for my Maggies. It has the tape loop you mentioned, is wonderfully neutral, and is one of several you may want to consider. You could probably pick up a used BP-20 preamp for around $550 to $600 here on Audiogon.

You may also want to consider a good, used tube preamp, but I can't advise you on that since I've never owned one. I know a lot of guys who swear by tube front ends and solid state amps, though. Maybe a used Sonic Frontiers preamp -- or maybe a used Blue Circle preamp??
wywhcan
39 posts
 
For around $1000 you can get a Citation5.1 amp and an Audible Illusion 2D or a Conrad Johnson PV5 tube pre-amp. Both pre-amps have really good phono stages as well.
philjolet's avatar
philjolet
2,306 posts
 
After a lot of trial and error with tubes amps I decided to go with solid state power amp with my maggies (1.6) and I agree that you need all the current and power you can get. I even tried a special Innersound amp that had 1000 watts into 4 OHMS and you would not believe how those speakers rocked. They can handle all you can throw their way I assure you.

I ended up with Plinius but the point is solid state is the way with those speaker if you want tight bass. Even the mighty Rogue 120 Magnums were not enough for them.

I hope this helps
angela100
435 posts
 
The worst mistake most new folks make is buying an amp that will not handle the impedance load of the speakers. I don't know what those speakers are rated at, but would assume 4 ohm and maybe sometimes lower? You need to make sure that you know this fact, then find out what the receivers are rated at for your setup. It will not be easy to find a receiver that is rated that low (most will be in the 8 ohm range).

Take your time and research. I think that it may be a good idea for you to subscribe to the blue book here on Audiogon while you are in the market to buy used. It is a valuable tool and really helps you understand what is a fair price.

Best of luck – aj
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