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Best Cheap Amps for Magneplanar Speakers

I want to drive some medium sized to large Maggies (1.7 or 3.7) with the cheapest possible amps that will still let them sound great.

I prefer monoblocks and by 'cheap' I mean a kilobuck or so, tho less would be fine too.  I do NOT want to spend 4 thou...
randy-11
czarivey
5,946 posts
 
used bel canto ref1000 will do the best trick, but i'm more agree with cedargrover towards maggies. i also like krell integrated amps nearly with all speakers and speaker types.

ejman's avatar
ejman
62 posts
 
I agree with frogman's post.  I've been listening to Maggies since I bought my MGI Imp  back in 1980 ( still own that pair) but currently listening to 1.7's.  I have owned and used a variety of high power SS amps ( Yamaha, Emotiva, Conrad Johnson) but my favorite by far is my current Jolida 502p with Tungsol KT 150 output tubes.  It just sounds more realistic and full bodied than the SS amps I've tried and with 60 watts per channel is quite sufficient for my listening tastes.  I've owned for 2 years now and frankly I have no desire to look elsewhere.
randy-11 OP
1,913 posts
 
Are there any solid-state designs that will give a similar sound to what frogman describes for tubes?  (I have a tube pre if that helps).

I know there are MOSFET amps that are designed to simulate the circuit topology and sound of single end triodes...

I think NuPrime is one (?)
cedargrover
302 posts
 
Two such options would be Pass or Ayre, but both are likely out of your price range.
bradf's avatar
bradf
329 posts
 
http://emotiva.com/products/amplifiers/xpa-1

http://www.mccormackaudio.com/index1.html

Other entry level high power amp you may want to research
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