Amp for Magnapan MGIIIA's


Just picked up a pair of MGIIIA's used and am wondering what would be a good amp. Right now i'm running a Denon PMA 2000R integrated (80W at 8 Ohms, 160W at 4 Ohms). I'd Like to go with seperates but budget will be limited for a few months, (maybe 1K-2K range).
klutzcfb9
Have used various Maggies since 1984, WARNING!, once you live with planar drivers- NO cone speaker will ever satisfy! Recommend high current amps from Threshold, Bryston, Classe, Krell. These speakers love strong transistor amps and since they are fuse protected you can crank till the fuses blow! Remember to keep the fuse ratings and types as Magnepan designates. THE MAGNEPAN TRUE RIBBON TWEETER IS THE FINEST HIGH FREQUENCY DRIVER IN THE WORLD! ENJOY!
I had a pair of smg's (never should have sold them) and a high current amp is what you need. I have a aragon 4004 and it is a perfect match. Actually any aragon amp will do well. Enjoy.
I have owned Maggies, various models since 1982, and this is what I have found, albeit limited amplifier experience, various integrateds, GAS ampzilla, Adcom, Hafler, and various Classe' models. The bass panels require a good quality amp with decent current upon demand for that special maggie magic. This does not equate to watts. However, that can also depend upon the size of your room. Remember, although they are not the most efficiant speaker their load is not too terribly difficult to manage. I believe they are 4 ohms across the board. In conclusion, I would recomend high current solid state, unless you can afford the higher powered CJ's or ARC's. Therefore, I would have to recommend Classe', Bryston, or Aragon. Finally, watts are only as important as your room size and listening habits. If you do have to spring for lower price solid state, ie., Rotel, Adcom, NAD place a lower value fuse in line with the tweeters ribbon. These amps seem to stress the tweeters more and replacing the ribbons can be costly. Although, Magnapan is very good about repairs. However, I would recommend the prior amps. They truely bring out the best in Maggie. Does anyone use McCormick's amps with their Maggies? I have some experience with the .5 delux. However, I never listen to them paired with Maggie. One last suggestion. Although the BK140's sound good with certain speakers, they are not a good match with maggie. Enjoy!
Regarding Ramstl's comment about Bryston: I used a previous generation 4B amp and found the results to be good. But Bryston electronics (amps and preamps) can be a bit bright and hard although their control, bass and dynamics are great. I moved to high-power VTL tubes which made them really sound georgous although a little loss of "punch". My experience owning two different Maggie models also showed they are sensitive to cables so try a bunch (I ended up with Trasparent bi-wire).