2. amps-preamps
  3. 130492-99563

Amp recommendations

Hi all,

I'm fairly new to the hi fi world in general. I was recently drawn to the sound of a display Martin Logan Montis at a Bestbuy store even though I was there for something else. I never knew speakers could sound that good. I have since been doing lots of reading, on this site and elsewhere, and this week purchased a pair of the Expression 13A.

So far this is the only gear I have; just figured  I should start with the speakers. I just have no idea what amp to buy. Much less speaker cables/streaming gear etc. I think every time I heard Martin logan speakers demoed (I've visited several stores) they were hooked up to Mcintosh tube amps. I visited a local high end AV store yesterday and he was pushing real hard for me to get the Mac..particularly the MA7900. They're quite expensive though, are they worth the price premium over other brands? I'd really like to get an Integrated amp because I don't want a lot of gear and it seems like it would keep the over all price down some. I'd like to get something that would sound great for ~$5k give or take, new or used. I don't mind paying a bit more, however, provided the additional money makes a real difference in sound quality.

I must admit I'm not well versed on all the audiophile jargon and have no idea what ohms, impedance, crossover etc mean so it's a bit hard for me to even know what will power my speakers. I don't know if getting a tube or SS amp is better for my speakers. I just want an amp that's low maintenance and sounds great for a reasonable price.

I'd appreciate some recommendations from you guys so at least I know where to start looking. Please let me know if you need any additional info.

Thanks!
Chuck.
devlep
savdllc's avatar
savdllc
40 posts
 
Hi Chuck,

Have you considered the Arcam A49? It's their flagship 2ch integrated and features some of the cleanest, most powerful amplification around via their Class G topology, which runs in pure Class A for the first 50 watts of power with A/B power in reserve for a total of 200w at 8ohms and 400w at 4ohms. They are right in the price range you are looking for at $5750 and will drive your Martin Logan's with ease...
soix
9,456 posts
 
Congrats on your excellent new speakers.  If I'm you I'd call Martin Logan to see which amps they'd recommend that drive their speakers well given their fairly uncommon impedance curve.  I'd also read a bunch of ML speaker reviews to see if reviewers found any particularly good synergies with any amps.  This will at least give you a good starting point. 

Since you're relatively new to this I'd strongly encourage you to audition several amps (in home whenever possible) before making any decisions given the substantial outlay you've made on speakers.  Lots of amps will sound very good with your speakers, so don't marry yourself too quickly to McIntosh before you've heard others.  That could be a huge and costly mistake.  Take your time and get it right.  It'll be worth it in the long run. 

Lastly, are you married to an integrated or can you do separates?  Going with separates will open up your options considerably.  If you do go separates then the preamp you choose will become as, if not more, important than the amps.  Best of luck. 

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,806 posts
 
A set of ZEROs will allow most tube amplifiers to drive the MLs quite nicely. This is a good move, as the speakers are very revealing and you will enjoy the extra detail that many tube amps bring to the table (there is a reason that Best Buy showed the ML speakers with Macintosh tube amps). While it might be fun at first, you may find that the typical brightness of many solid state amps on the MLs will get tiring. If you do go solid state, the Pass Labs amps are some of the best out there.

But I suggest you try tubes- you may not want to go back. The ZEROs are so effective with this speaker that our amps work quite nicely with them.
gdnrbob
4,444 posts
 
+1 atmasphere.
Do you think the Zero's would allow him to use the integrated Mac's (that sounds a bit racist, doesn't it?).
B
gaal
64 posts
 
I own ML Ethos speakers and they are teamed with the following components - PS Audio Direct Stream DAC, M700 mono block amplifiers; High Fidelity Cables Reveal RCA interconnects; Audible illusions L3A preamp; and ANTICABLES L5 speaker wires. Good components and interconnects are very important to quality sound. However, I found spending a couple hundred dollars to treat your listening area made a tremendous difference to my listening experience. It is worthwhile to do some reading on room treatments. I have 2" pyramid foam on my front listening wall that improved my system more than any component that I purchased - the foam I purchased was just over $80!!
More to discover