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Tubes for Magnepan’s.

I think next up on my acquisition list is a tube amplifier. I'm not looking for the be all end all, cause I don’t think there is a definitive "Best", so am looking for as good as I can get for $3-4k.


Because tubes drive speakers so much more efficiently than solid state I am only looking for 40-50 watts to drive my modded Maggie’s, 1.7i's. (Or what you have when you add a new crossover and planer tweeters to 1.7i's.) Maybe 2.7x? I haven’t settled on that yet. And I have some Zu Dirty Weekend's upgraded to the max coming in in 2 months to replace my KEF's.

Anyway, I haven’t had a tube device since my Halicrafter short wave radio, and reviews are not the same as advice from people that own something. There is a Rouge Audio dealer in my area, last I looked, (opps, they no longer carry them), so I may have to go to another market to hear something, or get a try before you buy from a manufacturer or dealer.

You folks have taught me a lot, and I think asking users is the right thing to do on this change in direction.

Thanks in advance.
william53b
ieales's avatar
ieales
1,201 posts
 
About 35 years ago I drove Tympani IV w a 70w tube amp for the mid tweet and 350wpc SS for the woofer. The system could raise the hair of the back of your neck, it was so scary realistic. Queen, London Phil, Ben Webster all 'lived' in my room. see  ieLogical Audiophilia Redux

Today, I have 150wpc driving the woofers, 125wpc tube [see ieLogical VTA M-125 ] for the mids and 36wpc for the tweets on Eminent Tech LFT-8b.

Use the right kind of power in the right places.
william53b's avatar
william53b OP
211 posts
 
@ieales

That's my kind of finagling. I find manufactures attempts to build homages to existing technological presentations often tiring when cross pollination can yield much better results.

Being able to afford 3 amps for a stereo that you can match to the drivers can actually save you a lot of money in the end.
ieales's avatar
ieales
1,201 posts
 
That's my kind of finagling.
I forgot to say Class D for the woofers and tube for the tweets.

I also have 2 subs and roll the bottom octave out of the woofers which is an effective 200+ watts for the woofers which being nominally ≈6.5Ω is a further 20%-ish increase.

Being able to afford 3 amps for a stereo
The amps cost less than some power cords. Really, really good can be had for reasonable expenditure. A 1 : 1  driver to amp ratio trumps passive crossover induced phase, impedance and driver interaction mayhem Six Ways to Sunday!
speakermaster
738 posts
 
In your price range you need to go with a solid state amp with maggies a fifty watt tube amp will not do well at all.
audiomaze
128 posts
 
OP
I have driven my 1.7i's with a mc250 and a Mc275. The 275 was very sweet for most jazz and lite rock at moderate volume but tried a parasound A21+ and which handles all kinds of music with ease and is much more dynamic. 
Hope this helps.
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