2. amps-preamps
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What affordable amp should go w/ magnepan 1.6?

I am a real novice here guys. My situation is this, I am building a stereo system from the ground up, wich pretty much means I have nothing except the magnepan 1.6's. I am trying 2 figure out what I should use 2 drive them. I would like 2 stay under 1500(is that realistic?)and I am not interested in home theatre(possibly a sub later). I am very new 2 this so any and all info(cables,other components complimentary 2 the magnepans) would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.
nidan
rgd
656 posts
 
While the NAD is a nice combo the amp falls a little short for 1.6's and would be better suited to MMG's. I know this as I owned 1.5's at one time and the wife has a C270 in her system - tried it and found in a medium sized room would probably be OK but you are better off with more power.

Maggies love current and you can never have enough power for them so I'd be looking at something that is putting out around 300 w/ch @ 4 ohms.
ultrakaz
187 posts
 
I had a pair of 1.6qr and generally speaking the more power the better. The only exception was the BAT VK60 (only 60 watts- $2000 used) which was the best of all of the amps that I tried. Also, I've had success with the Marsh A400 (200 watts) which was significantly better than a Bryston 4BST. Sim amps may be a good choice too, though I've never tried them with the Maggies. I have heard them drive inefficient speakers with power and finesse and they seem to have the right tonal balance for the Maggies.

I've had three NAD amps and two Rotels and while they are very good, I would not use them to drive the Maggies.
odavid9
31 posts
 
I used an Aragon 4004 MK II for years with Maggies with good results. A voltage source, it puts 400 w/ch into the Maggies' 4 ohm load, enough for most settings. They currently Bluebook for around $700 on average.
nidan OP
2 posts
 
I also looked into some pro audio amps. I really think the carverpro zr1600 is a nice way 2 go. I have a friend who works in a pro shop who said he really likes QSC amps,(rmx 2450 & rmx 1850). I have no experience with either and I wondered what you guys thought.
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Nidan...I happen to have both the CarverPro ZR1600, and a QSC RMX 1450. The QSC is good for 450 watts at very low cost and I bought it for a subwoofer application. I did not expect very good results using it full range, but I hooked it up that way as an experiment, and was pleasantly surprised. It would be a very good choice for a low cost system, where the high power rating would make it possible to use excellent speakers like Maggies (which are not costly themselves but generally require costly power amps).

The QSC does use a noisy fan, and unlike the CarverPro high efficiency digital amp, you cannot safely disconnect it. It is variable speed, controlled by temperature but it never really gets quiet.It may be possible to use a lower noise fan, as is the case for the CarverPro. The best solution is to locate it in a remote location: mine is in the cellar underneath the speakers.

Both amps sport balanced inputs, if that turns you on. Both are very solidly constructed. Warranty is 3 years for the QSC and 5 years for the CarverPro.

Both amps should be given objective consideration. The QSC costs even less than the CarverPro, and I really can't hear much wrong with it. The CarverPro invites comparison with the very best.
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