2. amps-preamps
  3. 179032-174629

Basic question about power/watts

Hi everyone - I have a question that I can't seem to wrap my head around.  

I purchased a pair of Magnepans a few months back. Honestly, I do not like them. They have their moments but overall, pffft.

So, related to this, I keep reading from various Maggie owners you need TONS of power to make these things sing rather than squawk. I bought a new amp that is rated at 80 wpc at 4ohms. This, I realize, is low power when I see these guys saying they are running some crazy amount like 600 watts per channel. Here is my actual question:

When you are listening to your speakers at a normal volume, the wattage you are using is not near the POSSIBLE output, correct? My 80 wpc is unbearable with the volume at the 11 o'clock position. Why does a person need or want 600 watts? I suspect I am missing something here. Maybe this has to do with why I dislike my Magnepans. Somebody take a moment to set me straight?

Thanks! 

timintexas
jfuquay
107 posts
 

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.

timintexas OP
18 posts
 

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🙂

ghdprentice
7,038 posts
 

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.

charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 

@ghdprentice 

+1, good counsel.

Charles

brummgon
8 posts
 

Dear Tim in Texas,
Yep, a little too late, yet . . . Maggies in general are very sensitive (fastidious) to the choice of amplifier. I also owned the Magnepans .7 (+ two REL's 'Quake') and fed these with the power of a 4 Ohms 500 Watts Dussun V8i. An absolute great combination sounding absolutely great too. As an ESL-lover I later switched to Martin Logan Vantage. I was shocked. An absolute mess! Boomy, harsh and loud. Even at low volumes. So I changed my Dussun for a 'Luxman L-120A'. 2x 160 watts at 4 Ohm with a great multi Hz tone control. What a relief! Music like live. So the Maggies are never to blame. A bad combination of speakers and the amplifier is. So, no worry. No hurry too. Just try and listen before you buy and you certainly will find the Maggies-amp combination that will make you extremely happy. Good luck!

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