Which Amp for Magnepan MG 3.6/R?

Tube amps- Big ARC, Big VTL or Wolcott's(in no particular order)

Solid State- Plinius 250MKVI, Pass 350 or larger, boulder, "p" series accuphase, BAT VK-500w/bat pak, Edge, Parasound JC-1- just to name a few- really depends what you want to spend, I am just floored by how good the VK-500 sounds in my system, I am in NO rush to upgrade, just enjoying the tunes. I like the idea of tubes but I just can't bring myself to do it with these speakers. The best thing is to try a couple and see what you like.

KF- I like the lamm idea! I would be really curious to hear that!

At this price level, your list should also include Parasound new Halo JC-1 mono amps. $6K/pair.

After many trials, I now use Audio Research VT-150 monos(predecessor to the Reference amps) with the 3.6's in a 15'x 26' room and they drive them extremely well with all the "tube magic" I could hope for. The VT150's have tube regulation and a massive power supply capacitor storage, with each mono amp having more energy storage than a stereo VT200. ARC claims that the design of these amps provides a perceived power much greater than its rating and allows large musical transients to be realized with difficult speaker loads. If interested, check out R. Harley's review in the August 1994 Stereophile. Also, there are several factory upgrades and tube choices I could discuss with you if you are interested, just email me. Regards, Dave.

we have found that the autoformers in the mcintosh power amps make a great marriage with maggies. because they are thirsty, the more power the better. i do not have the MG 3.6's yet, but i am driving factory refurbished tympany 1-D's with 2 600 watt mono Mac 2300's. as of yet, nothing else has come close to the perfomance of that configuration.

I would suggest the larger Pass amps, "possibly" the Sunfire Signature ( will GREATLY depend on the solidity and quantity of bass from your source ) and i would keep an eye / ear out for the new Parasound JC-1's that Tim mentioned. My sources tell me that this is going to be a highly sought after amp and is VERY powerful and dynamic at lower impedances. This is exactly what you need to drive Maggies, as anything less will stunt the dynamics and not really allow them to "open up" to their full potential. As such, i would avoid ANY amp that does not work well into a 4 ohm or lower load, regardless of the brand name and reputation. Sean
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