Amp help for the Maggies?

I have had approx. 15 different amps on my old 3.6's in less then a two year time period. From that experience and all of the other's I have come to know in the maggie community over the past few years really seem to agree on one thing, the more power the better. Yes you can achieve high level's with low power(I never tried anything lower then 60 watts) but the soundstage shrinks, dynamics are virtually non-existant and bass suffers dramatical- both in quality and quantity. If you don't listen to "complex" music, low wattage MAY work, but your limiting your potential right from the start. The factory uses 7B-ST's last I knew(usually bi-amping), so there just MAY be something to needing a bit of power on newer magnepans to play a wide variety of music.

Gregadd- On the 19th of this month you said this and now THREE days later your engaging in the very thing you found fruitless then- what gives? If you feel low power is the ticket that's great, I am really happy for you, but I have tried more amps then most on these speakers and EVERYTIME high power allowed me to get closer to the music then there lower power counterparts. This is one of the reason's I decided to move on from my beloved maggies, wanted more amplification choices. So you have your experiences and I have mine, I have NO desire in investing any time in changing your mind, but please understand your not going to change my mind either- I trust my ears.

tireguy- "...but the soundstage shrinks, dynamics are virtually non-existant and bass suffers dramatical- both in quality and quantity. If you don't listen to "complex" music, low wattage MAY work, but your limiting your potential right from the start The factory uses 7B-ST's..."

It's clear I'm not going to change your mind which is why I wrote the anecdote of the "housewives and the recipes" and abandoned that thread. It just seems that the misinformation keeps growing like some mutant desase.

Pay attention. I recomended the 7B as an ideal amp for MG. 3.6 which I repeated in this thread. In the threads where I approved what you call "low power" it was in reponse to parameters set by someone else. Last I checked $1000.00 will not get you a quad of Bryston 7Bs'. On the other hand someone was thinking about 1.6 or 3.6 but was wedded to the Forte 50 watt which I thought was borderline but they might get buy since it doulbed down at 4ohms. They last one was the guy was already considering a premier 11a for 1.6 I think and I told him it was working perfectly for me. ( I don't have a 1.6 but likened that speaker to be the current model closest to what I have. I have no interest in having a system with shrunken soundsatge, non-existant dynamics or severely restricted bass. Nor would I reccomend it to anyone else without severely qualifying my reccomendation.
As for power look at this thread. I provided a link regarding the need for 3db of headroom. You'll see that it takes quite a bit of power to accomplish that.
Just to let you know my point of reference I heard the 3.6 at Gifted Listener Audio in Crewe, Virginia when I was considering bying it. I listened to it with both the 7b and the vac 70/70. To be honest I prefereed the Bryston but the vac acquitted itself quite well. The vac was quite a bit more expensive than the cj and the bryston.

I tried to exit this thread gracefully.

I say it again those who are neither intereted in or can't afford hgih quality mega watts, fear not. You can swim in the shallow end of the magnepan pool and enjoy yourself quite well. When you get the money you can if you are so inclined move into the deep end. After you reach a certain depth however you are just kidding yourself.

I think I have said all I have to say on this issue. However I will continue to respond to any misinformation on this subject. The potential purchaser can make his/her own choice.

Gregadd...."shallow end of the magnepan pool". A very appropriate description.

This is one of those threads we can go over and over.

The biggest problem I see with the Magnepan speakers is that they put out so much musicality for the money. But their dynamic weakness forces many of us to try and get more and more punch out of them and only more power will do this ..... well, to a point. I feel it is the fault of many designed amps that causes us to think that a higher powered amp will solve the problem.

If all you can afford is a mid-fi priced amp, you truly are better off with a number of other speakers that do not have the weaknesses of the Maggies. Speakers like B&Ws and Vandersteens would be far more "able" to deliver the performance with such amps.

As for power, like Tireguy, I have tried many amps....not 20 different ones, but enough to know that throwing more power does help in some cases. Of the "conventional" designs out there, my experience have indicated that 200+w was needed to make these speakers come alive. But a recent experience with the CAT JL-3 amps, rated "only" at 150w, tells me that the max output rating is only part of the picture as the ARC Classic 150 monos, also rated at 150w, fell flat on their face when attempting to drive the Magnepan series 3. So 150w does not equal 150w as the CATs drive these speakers to a level of dynamics and authority.

And after hearing the 100w JL-2 stereo amp last month, I have no doubt it would control the Maggies like few of the mega powered amps, often discussed here as needed to drive these speakers, could match. So I have to believe that Greg is onto something when he talks of the first watt or so of the amp's driveability and the remainder is headroom. But throwing lower powered "midfi" or the vast majority of 100-200w amps out there will simply not work as my own experience has shown. And again I think it has much to do with the amp's design to deliver that first watt.

And Ken, nah, don't worry about becoming a Maggie follower. I think you will become a Soundlab guy once you hear those. Trade in that Jetta and get yourself a pair!