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... I, like you my friend, am searching for a New (meaning new piece of equipment) or New-To-Me Integrated, and there is a plethora of stuff out there! I am presently using a Phillips High Fidelity Labratories Pre-Amplifier (c.1980) with an Onkyo A7 Integrated amp (c.1978) as power ( about 65w/c/8 ohms); I enjoy the Onkyo straight as an integrated but get more definition and depth with the seperate pre... (speakers: Vintage JBL L25 creatures (c. 1972); new-vintage-on-the-way Gershman Avant Garde RX-20s (c.2000) Being recently retired, and looking to consolidate, I want a higher powered integrated that could possibly be my last "power" purchase, and then spend the rest of my life swapping in and out with other speakers and sources (TT and CD/DACs)... Am investigating the GamuT Di150 ($9800) or their Limited Edition (+$2000), but after reading so much of the Gurus opinions here, I may reconsider my price point and look into the Primaire and others, less expensive, like the Hegel and Parasound. Thanks for your questioning - it many times helps alot of others out, without you The Questioner knowing it... |
If you have room for 1.7s, then you probably have room for 3.7s I would make that change before changing your integrated as the difference would be night and day in terms of low/mid performance You can find 3.7s used in the 3K range and 1.7s will bring around a grand, so there's 2K, leaving you 3-5 for an integrated....... I've owned both 1.7s and 3.7s and I'm telling you that half your music is missing... Whether you did that, or stayed with 1.7s, Maggies need a lot of juice to really start to sing (I have Bryston 28BSST2s driving my 3.7s) Forget about class A, the penalty in wattage versus any perceived benefit is not worth it, you need high quality class a a/b watts...... I would strongly consider the Parasound Halo integrated......@ 240W into 4 ohms, it's got the juice, it's also got a dsd dac built in and the price is very reasonable new at 2495 list.....I've heard it on 1.7s and 3.7s and it will not leave you wanting for anything....... Hegel H300 used at under 3K would be a great choice, those amps are so musical it's crazy......or move up to a new H360 you can probably get new at under 5K if you negotiate a little both Hegels also have DACS so that saves you some $$ going forward If you want to move off the usual path, I would also consider the Conrad Johnson CA150 integrated.......Magnepan exhibited the .7 with this amp at CES last year and the results were fantastic.......here's a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYPKzZRl6cM There's something very musical about everything CJ has ever done, this amp probably puts out about 200WPC into 4ohms.....and the amp can be gotten for under 4K brand new There are SO many other choices, but these are amps I've actually heard with Maggies and you should look at the combo as a single component, not two........Maggies are magic with certain integrateds and sound very uninvolving with others that would look to be better fits by the specs...... Good luck..... |
- 94 posts total