Best Preamp/Amp Combo for Maggie 1.6QR's?

The 1.6s don't need the current of the bigger 3 series maggies and are happy with 100 or so tube watts. This is where they shine, IMHO. And since you said "I will trade VOLUME for MUSICALITY!", this is definitely the route you need to take.

Oz

Let me offer a suggestion based on what's worked for me with my own Maggie 1.6's.

First, as you've discovered, Maggies love current. The best high-current amp I've found so far for mine is Roger Sanders' amps -- either his current one or more likely a used Innersound ESL 300 amp. The Innersound amp really delivers what Maggies hunger for, and it's clean and strong. Paired with a musical tube-based preamp, it's pretty damn nice.

Of course, the Maggies can be strongly improved if you go the route of bi-amping them and doing away with the internal crossover, but then they are "modded" and much lower in resale value. I've had mine for seven years, and they've evolved to a bi-amp setup with an Innersound ESL 300 Mk II driving the bass panels and a homemade tube amp (75wpc) driving the tweeter/mid panels. I'm using an active Linkwitz crossover that exactly matches the factory curves, and I love the sound that I'm getting. A vast improvement in detail and bass drive compared to stock. But you certainly don't have to go that far to get a huge improvement. The Innersounds/Sanders amps will carry you a long way there for not a huge investment. And they are a great match with Maggies.

Hope this helps!

solid state amps and panel speakers is a recipe for disaster. why ? magnepans are known for their ability to resolve subtle details. they are not attenuated in the treble region. solid state amps will accentuate the flaws in recordings. why be a masochist ? get tubes. you don't need more than 25 watts, as long as you don't need to generate more than 85 db in a moderate size room.

if your room is bigger, 75 to 100 watts may be required.

my suggestion is based upon personal experience. i am currently using a 25 watt amp on 1.6s . it is sufficient for my needs.

With all due respect, my long experience owning Maggie 1.6's was different from Mrtennis' in that I do find the 1.6's rather attenuated in the high frequencies. (Yes, I've had my hearing checked, it's excellent.) Admittedly, everything is relative to price and the competition at hand. I didn't think that there was any defficieny in the highs until I replaced them and had the advantage of hindsight. I went through three solid state amps and had the same dismal experience Mrtennis describes. However, the PS Audio HCA-2 was a completely different animal from all the predecessors. A sweet treble that was nuanced and detailed, great bass, not much to quible about. My point being, generalizations about product design categories are like other stereotypes, there are exceptions to every "rule." The Spectron Musician is another solid state amp I'd not hesitate to try. If you're inclined to go the tube route, I believe Ozzy had very good results with Music Reference's large tube amps. Check them out, they are a great design.

I don't agree that the 1.6s don't need current to shine. I tried a Music Reference RM-200 (great amp) and was extremely disappointed in the result. I switched to a pair of Portal Paladin monoblocks and the speakers really sing. I use a VTL 2.5 tube preamp.