Magnepan 1.7i Amp recommendations

I have a Hypex NC252 for my Ohm 1000s and it sounds great. I bought the amp from VTV, which is based in Ohio. The unit is under $600 shipped, so you might want to consider that option. They also have higher power Hypex units available as well as the Purifi amp.

(PS, I had a pair of Maggie 1.6QRs some years back which I really enjoyed, but they are so room-dependent that I had to replace them after a move to a new house. However, in the right space, Maggies are fine speakers.)

What is everyone's thoughts on Denafrips Hyperion? 80wpc 8ohm, 150wpc 4 ohms. It measures better than most Hypex modules and is class ab. Lovely chassis too.

@returntomusic

i am a big hegel fan, their amps simply sound great

i am also quite trusting of the gang at audio excellence in toronto, vilip, young j etc... they are able to extensively test what they are talking about in their shop, do proper a-b comparisons -- i have found their read on equipment VERY much on target

that been said, one should note that older hegels have quite obsolete onboard dac implementation at this point - if one buys a rost, h90, h160 much less even prior gen h100/300 amps, they will need to get a modern outboard dac to have top notch sound

the point of the latest line of hegel units - h95, 120, 190, 390 and so on is specifically to upgrade their dac sections

leaving aside the dacs, the preamp/amp sections of the older hegels ARE totally competitive and are truly excellent

Jjss49- Point taken, the DACs in the prior series were getting long in the tooth, and DAC refinement is a significant part of this last series improvements, (particularly in the H-190, 390 & 590). That is the disadvantage of a built in DAC, as digital technologies rapidly evolve.

Dealer feedback specific to lower powered Hegel compatibility with the 1.7i can be found at https://www.audioemporium.com/good-reputation-poor-sound/ , also on Audio Emporium’s general site in the Magnepan and Hegel sections, as well as the owners’ recommendations- “Dave’s Faves”
Audio Excellence has several entertaining YouTube Videos on the subject. Most of the “lower” powered Hegels spec at 75 watts into 8 ohms, 125 watts into 4 ohms. The H-160, 190 & 195 are about double that.