amps to match Magnepan MG3.6 Spkrs


I just bought a new pair of Maggies MG3.6 I need to power up and I would appreciate comments from anyone who has had success with a certain product. I would prefer to go the used route at this time. Thanks Blaine Davy badavy13@yahoo.ca
badavy13
This topic has been covered quite a few times - check the archives for a lot of great choices/advice. You can also visit the maggie user group over at Audio Asylum as well. Quick answer - Bryston 7B's/14B,Sim W-5, big, as in powerful tube amps like AR or Rogue, Krell, bigger Aragon amps, etc...
Never, ever underpower the ribbons. If you like it loud (mid-90 db) in an average size room, think 300 to 600 WPC. A good example and good sounding amp is the Innersound ESL-300, used, around $1500. Do not look for 8 ohm ratings on amps as this has no meaning for the 3.6.
Slipknot1 is getting incredibly good sound out of his system with Magnepan 3.6s and Aragon Palladium 1K amplifiers. I was just over there listening again this afternoon and reconfirmed my impression the the Aragon Palladiums are a very good match.
.
Hello,

As an owner of Maggie series 3 speakers for about 6 years, I have owned many amps, ARC VT-130, ARC CL-150, Counterpoint NPS400, Wolcott and heard Bryston, BelCanto with these speakers. Yes, more powerful amps in the 200+w range are an absolute must. These speakers have some weaknesses (lack of dynamics, not the greatest low end extension, satisfactory resolution) but they do an outstanding job in 3-dimensional presentation, harmonic richness. I simply have not heard them do their magic with solid state amps. But I have read the Pass amps do quite well here.

Without a tube preamp in your system, you absolutely will NOT hear the incredible bloom of these speakers. And when these speakers are separated by 9-10 feet or even more, they fill the space between them like nothing I ever heard ..... until I heard the Soundlabs just recently.

The problem is that the Maggies are an outstanding value for what they do. But unfortunately the cost of amplification far exceeds the cost of the speakers. And this is fine up to a point such as $4-5k on the used market for VTL 450, Wolcott, Pass X250/350. As a long time ARC fan, I had little success with their amps and the Maggies. Perhaps the VT200 might work, but going up the line from there makes no financial sense. I found the Counterpoint NPS400 amp to perform far superior to the ARC amps with the Maggies. The Wolcotts brought on a level of musical enjoyment beyond the Counterpoint, but the Counterpoint did everything very well. I still have my NPS400 as it's just too good to sell compared to other amps out there at the same price. There's one on A'gon and this is a steal of a price. What a great start with a new pair of Maggies.

I see a lot of systems here where members have these speakers and the rest of their system is mid-fi. This is a true hi-end product that just simply has a mid-fi cost. Without doing it right with the source and electronics, the owner will miss much of the investment.

I have recently decided to go with Soundlabs and another amplifier so my Wolcotts are now for sale and my Maggie 3.5s will soon be for sale. Contact me if you're interested in additional information here.

John
I've tried a few different amps with 3.6's:

McIntosh MC252
Belles 250i
CJ CAV50
McIntosh 6900
Perreaux 2150b
Perreaux 3150b
Cary V12i Monoblocks
Krell FPB200
Carver Pro ZR1600
Carver Pro ZR1600 with EAD mods
Krell MD300 monoblocks
SimAudio W10 Monoblocks

I may have missed a couple, but in my opinion, the only amps that have come close to extracting the true potential from these speakers are the SimAudio W10's....with 1400 watts into 4 ohms.

You can get away with tube amps in a smaller room, but I used the Cary V12's at 200w per side and although the tone/timber was nice, the soundstage was very narrow, and as soon as I turned the volume up toward the 90db mark, the tweeter fuses would blow.
I should say that my room is larger than average though.

I would also think about modifying the speakers at some point....you haven't heard what they're capable of until you bypass those crappy fuses and attenuator links (make sure you have a powerful amp in place first).....then later, there are some things you can do with the crossover that can take them into another league.

Good luck

Rooze