how does current work in an amplifier?

I hear about few people who have Mac/Maggie. Not to say it wouldn't work or isn't a great combo.....just not 'common'.
Expensive, too, if you go to the MA6900 / MA7000 level.

I had a Rotel RB1070 of 130x2 @8 with NO factory 4ohm rating. That should have been a 'clue'. The amp simply didn't have the guts at higher levels. The Rotel was also 360 'bridged' to which I took to imply 180@4.

When I pulled the trigger on an upgrade I went with nearly 3x the power in a 'd' amp. Even though 'd' amps are time limited at max power, the dynamics are there, which is all that really matters, as far as power goes. IMO.

My local Magnepan dealer demos his speakers with Mac amplifiers. I haven't really listened carefully there for many years, but I don't recall hearing any obvious issues with the pairing. Presumably, the dealer (Shelley's Stereo in Woodland Hills, Ca) doesn't either, since he's paired the brands for quite a while in his showrooms.

Marty

If I'm ever up in LaLa Land, I'll be sure to drop in. Woodland hills is a nice place.

I'm way South down the coast in SD. It was where wife and I could afford to buy when we got hitched....back in '86. I love it down here.

Martykl,

There is a Magnepan dealer in Columbus, Ohio who pairs the speakers with McIntosh as well.

The last time I was there, they had 3.6's with something like 400 watt monoblocks. Very real sounding without too much high end in the treble decay.

Another question that comes to mind when selecting an amp is Total Harmonic Distortion.

I read on another Audiogon thread about what amp for Magnepan 1.7's. One suggestion was an Emotiva Audio XPA-2.

The EPA-2 is advertised at 300wpc @ 8 ohms and 500 wpc @4 ohms - at less than $1000!?!

However the THD is listed as less than 1% compared to Mac's, for example, which are listed at less than .004% THD.

So what's up with THD? When can you hear it? How do you hear it?