Basic question about power/watts

I’m afraid at a $1000 budget you may be doomed to failure.  Not only because of the amp, but also because you apparently also need a preamp — do not neglect the importance of the preamp.  Your most cost-effective option is probably an integrated amp. 

I know Maggies fairly well and I own a pair of .7s.  I've used a lot of different amps on various set-ups with Maggies. The budget solution is a Musical Fidelity integrated.  A M3si will work but a M5si would be better. Don't let the 85wpc of the M3 scare you away, they have good reserve power. The buy once cry once option is the M5si. 

Terry,

Your dam reasoning does not equate to the lost electricity converted to heat, unless the not used water is just being spilled onto the ground and wasted.

I own Maggie .7s and drive them with a Rogue Sphinx (100w@8 ohms and 200w@4 ohms). I bet you could get a used one for $1,000 or less. You could always get something with more wattage, but I will guarantee you it is a good combo enjoyed by many others. Trust me, you probably want a good Class D amp that won’t break the bank or heat your room. I also added a sub, an REL 9i I found at a good price, and the results are very satisfying. Last, be sure you have a good clean source (a DAC, it sounds like in your case) feeding your amp, because you WILL hear from the Maggies what your source gives them. I can recommend the Musical Fidelity V90 DAC at $299.I owned one before I got my (budget-busting) PS Audio Directstream, which I bought in a moment of profligacy. But it sounds really good.

Hey everybody!! 

Thanks so much!

Frantically looking up all the eqpt that has been recommended..

So much great advice.

@russ69.... I loved the "buy once, cry once". Perfect! I think I will shed some tears but you just made a heap of sense to me🙂

OP,

I would take your time and enjoy the process. Don’t be in a hurry. It is important to read through the hype and think about what you value. Make it a fun and calculated  process. There is a lot of ambiguity in what vendors are selling, what you want, and how it will work together.

Slow, thoughtful decisions are the way to go. As you develop a solid sense of what you want, your ability to differentiate subtleties in sound quality will develop. So, for instance, adding a subwoofer could be a great solution for you… for now. Then 10 or 15 years from now that would be something that doesn’t work at all for you.

Read, read, read… think about what you are hearing and what you want. When you are sure you have found a match… act. Then evaluate, did what you expect happen? Listen for a few hundred hours. Then plan you next step.