cd player & amplifier for Magnepan 1.6
kenowine -- Sat, 07/12/2008 - 23:57
I have 10 hrs on new Magnepan 1.6s. I am using a Micromega Stage 3 cd player and Tandberg 3012 integrated - 100 wpc at 8 ohms - both of these units are 20 years old. Any ideas on cd players and amplifiers that would match up well. The Nad 372 integrated versus the Vincent 331 power amp or the rotel seperates. The Maggies sound better after I installed the 1 ohm resistors - anyone use the 1.5 or 2 0hm resistors? Any info appreciated - thanks. :? kenowine :arrow:
You might consider the Cambridge Audio Azur 840A integrated amplifier and the Cambridge 840C CD player. The 840A should drive the Maggies well, and the 840C CD player is a great bargain.
Incidentally, Cambridge is just about to ship a separate preamplifier and amplifier in the 800-series.
Kenowine,
I'd tend to go with a more powerful amplifier with the 1.6s--something like the Parasound Halo A21 with 250Wpc into 8 ohms and 400Wpc into 4 ohms (or, if you have the dough, the Parasound Halo JC1 which offers 400Wpc into 8 ohms and 800Wpc into 4 ohms). The new Parasound JC2 preamp is simply superb.
Jon
thanks for the info - I haven't made a decision but an old Maggie dealer told me the best amp he heard with the Maggie 1.6 was the AR D200.
don murdza
Uh, did your dealer friend mean an ARC HD220 or a Reference 210, because Audio Research (if that's what the AR stands for in your last post) hasn't made the D200 since the early 1990s?
The dealer said the D200 would be used - and hard to find - although one just sold in the New Jersey area for $800. That amp with an Audible Illusion preamp - was the best he heard with the Maggies.
don murdza
Don,
As long as we're talking vintage equipment, the best I ever heard the 1.6s sound--and, to my knowledge the best that Magnepan's own Wendell Diller heard them sound (or so he told me when he came to hear them in my home)--was with Goldmund SRM amps and an ARC Reference One preamp.
Jon
Is the McCormack DNA 225 a good match for the 1.6s?
thanks
People think I'm crazy, but I use a Benchmark DAC 1 Pre digitally sourced by an old California Audio Lab cd player and an I-Mac AIFF music file. Then directly to two Outlaw 2200 monoblocks. Hooked them up while looking for a new amp; that was several months ago. No delicate classical, but rock and blues... volume and quality amazing. 2 sealed subs to support the bottom end.
I own a pair of maggies 1.6 and the maggies CC3 for center channel. I'm driving them with the Outlaw 990 Preamp, Emlotiva XPA 2 (500wpc at 4 ohyms) an Emotiva XPA 3 three channel amp for my rears and center (400 wpc at 4 ohms) A Sony Blue Ray DVD player(the first one they came out with., which I have updated 5 times already), and for CD's the Marantz 5003., A Polk SW 1000 crossovered at 40 HZ. and timed delayed so that the woofer fires before the maggies. (time delay will depend on speaker palcement. When done properly there is not a hint of discontinuity. The bass is full, deep and powerful. The dynamic range is incredible and the sound stage and liafe live like sound is the best I've ever heard heard. the Maggies 1.6 sound. I owned a pair of Tympani 1's bi-amplified using 2 Dynaco 400 and the AR SP31a and they never sounded as good as the Maggies I have now..
Here's my 2 cents worth. In my opinion, Maggie 1.6's are all about musicality. Without trying to sound like I work for Linn, they speak of the tune. If I were you, I'd not worry so much about power but rather find an amplifier that speaks of musicality. Something that is true in the temporal domain, and a slave to the midrange. The midrange of these speakers punch way, way above their weight. Oh, and enjoy....
Hello,
I agree whole heartedly with Jonathan Valin in suggesting the Parasound A21 power amplifier with either the Parasound JC-2 preamp if you can swing the $4,000 or the Parasound P7 for $2,000 would still be fine. As for a CD player, perhaps the Marantz model SA-15S2 Reference Series SA-CD / CD Player for $2,200 or so. I just do not care for the sound of the Cambridge gear one bit, same with B&W. Hope this helps.
Tom
Hello again,
I forgot the following CD players as possible fits for you: (without knowing your budget) ... The Bryston BCD-1 or the Ayre CX-7eMP or the Marantz Ken Ishiwata Pearl version of the SA-15S2 Reference Series SA-CD / CD Player for about $3,000 or so for any of them.
I also agree with AudioPassion1's most recent comment about the maggie 1.6QR's being about musicality and the wonderful mids they offer. However, I have heard them with a very musical sounding Genesis KT88 tube integrated amplifier at a dealer in Whitehall, PA and they sounded terrible, dead, lifeless, slow, and flat with the most sluggish bass I have ever heard. Maggies, of all models and years, need lots of high current power on hand ... and preferably solid state. Period. Again, the Parasound A21 is a magnificent performer in all aspects for $2,300. Tubes may have this or that, and I love a good tube system ... don't get me wrong, but all Maggies love gobs of high current SS power to draw down on. Musicality is highly important in all systems, but sometimes, as in the case of using Maggies, you need sheer kahunas (with refinement obviously) under the hood.
Tom
Hi - Thanks for the info. What I finally ended up with were the Vincent Hybrids - A331 power amp with the A31 preamp. The amp does 300 wpc at 4 ohms - no hifi dealers where I lived - so used internet - a dealer in Campbell, Calif - Jeff Wells - told me the Vincents were wonderful. A few months later , he sold me the Music Hall dac 25.2 - but with the cheap Russian tube replaced by a Siemens. With JPS Labs cables and interconnects and Ixos Exotica between the cd player (rega appollo) and the dac - I have rich harmonic sound that with the best recordings (Diana Krall - LIve in Paris or When I Look Into Your Eyes) its hard to stop listening! I norticed a fuller base, and richer highs right away when I added the Music Hall Dac - and it wasn't broken in. I understand it takes around 100 hrs. to break in the Siemens tube. One more item - Jeff learned of a superb Chinese made power cord that was good as $2000 power cords - he sells for around $400. I demoed it in my system using Eva Cassidy's Songbird - and I did get richer, smoother highs, more bass and a more defined midrange. I added that power cord to my system. Without the imput from the internet - and out of town dealers, I would never have been able to put together this very musical system. Next I'll be adding a phono-stage and turntable - I have a large collection of vinyl.
don murdza
I recomend Radio Shack equipment.....Geek
I am new to the field of home entertainment, audio, amplifiers, a/v recievers etc. I am in the market to purchase the magnepan 1.6, and as I understand the Parasound Halo A21 (is the A52 a suitable alternative if need be?) My question for those who know-and it may sound dumb-is do i hookup the speakers directly to the amplifier in order to use them? Or perhaps better yet, if I need a reciever what is a decent choice for the "maggie" and how do I utilize the amplifier in conjunction with the reciever (if this is even necessary) to properly get the full sound out of the maggies? I simply don't understand how all the hooking up works and would like to get this clarified. Thank you for any responses!
At the bare minimum, use a good, beefy 100 watt amp with the Maggies. One who's power output doubles into 4 ohms, as the Maggies are a resistive, (read low impedance) load. I would only use a receiver if it had pre-amp outputs. Otherwise, forget it.
Resistive has NOTHING to do with hi or lo impedance.
Resistive means the load is not reactive. Reactive is either capacitive or inductive.
The 1.6 crossover has 1 inductor in the Lo crossover and caps in both the hi and low crossover.
But, while the Maggie is considered a bad load, it really isn't. Just bring an amp with some guts to the party and you'll be fine....
I use a 'd' amp using B&O ICE modules but if I had the $$$ and space, Bryston would have been on the menu. The 4bsst is a very good match with even more power available upline and in monoblocs.
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