Amplifiers for 3.7i, what's your suggestion?

[DonH50]

Mark -- My viewpoint differs but I am tired and have way too much personal stuff going on to engage in the subjective vs. objective debate. Never solves anything anyway.

Myles -- My ears and measurements of the same speakers driven by different amplifiers reached a different conclusion. Time and frequency response measurements showed clear differences between several tube amps and several SS amps at the frequency extremes (the ribbon's impedance drops fairly low in some models) and listening backed that up. My experience with mods has generally been benign, no real improvement or degradation. I used to do a lot of them (mainly for other people), and went through all the various cap and inductor of the month clubs, but quit long ago. I got in trouble a few times for demo'ing pairs without mods and listening to folk rave about the difference. A lot (probably most) of the time I think the biggest difference they heard was because I set them up properly in their room when I brought them back. The only really significant audible change I found with a crossover modification was when I took it out and actively bi-amped.

 

[arteck]

I'm with you on the magtech... it appreciates a really good power cable as well tho I think Roger Sanders might see that as somewhat heretical.

Yeah, Roger doesnt belive cables in his White Paper. But cables do make sense. So I wonder if he has good judgement on his amplifier sound tuning...

 

[Whatmore]

Yeah, Roger doesnt belive cables in his White Paper. But cables do make sense. So I wonder if he has good judgement on his amplifier sound tuning...

have you heard his amps?

 

[DonH50]

Yeah, let's just automatically malign and condemn anybody who doesn't worship at the purely subjective altar.

What exactly is "amplifier sound tuning", BTW?

 

[arteck]

Yeah, let's just automatically malign and condemn anybody who doesn't worship at the purely subjective altar.

What exactly is "amplifier sound tuning", BTW?

Well, sorry if I have said something wrong. Here is no judgement or comment actually, I'm just wondering because I'm the one who believe (maybe subjectively) I have heard the differences among cables.
I haven't got the chance to hear Magtech, and I'm eager for a chance, for it's on my short list of amp.
Sorry for my bad English, I meant that a designer should have gold ear to tune his amplifier for perfect sound signature.
No offending from me, maybe I cannot express myself well.

 

[DonH50]

You said this:

So I wonder if he has good judgement on his amplifier sound tuning...

Which to me calls into question his judgement. His "good" may not be your "good" but that does not mean either of you have "bad" judgment. The same could be said of anyone and anything.

I am not sure a "gold ear" is required unless you are trying for a specific sound signature. The normal goal of an amplifier is to just amplify the signal and not add or change anything. However, this is the audio world, where amplifiers are routinely designed to have a particular sound, so maybe you are not far off after all. However, if you are depending upon a designer's ear, that means you are choosing the design for how well the designer's ear matches your own tastes rather than how accurately the amplifier reproduces the source material. That in itself contradicts the idea of a "perfect sound signature" to me since you are redefining "perfect" based upon what you hear. That is a preference, and there is nothing wrong with choosing an amplifier that way (most do, including myself), but the sound signature of an amplifier depends upon a myriad of things including the speakers and the room (which dominate the sound in the vast majority of systems, at least in my opinion).

 

[skljesus]

amp with maggie 3.7i

What amp(s) can drive the Magnepan 3.7i with controlled deep bass and musicality? Both SS or Valve will be okay.
Please be kind to share your idea.
Thanks
Victor

hi I have used Maggies continuously since around 1975 or so. I had a Valve Audio Genesis from South Africa. Schalk Havenga makes them on orders. Absolutely amazing and stunning. Breath taking if you need a one word description.

But the 3.7i ate mounted on Vander Grant Mye stands, Stillpoints SS Ultra, sand filled struts. Guess all this makes a difference.

 

[marty]

Maggie has shown with Bryston for at least 20 years!

+1 Why try and reinvent the wheel? Maggies and Bryston are a made-for-each-other combo. Use them with a good tube preamp and a small JL sub and you have an instant world-beater system.

 

[skljesus]

stillpoints

+1 Why try and reinvent the wheel? Maggies and Bryston are a made-for-each-other combo. Use them with a good tube preamp and a small JL sub and you have an instant world-beater system.

hi marty,

thanks , noted contents. yes good pairing.

any experience or advice on stillpoints under components

i have the 3 box dcs dac upsampler & clock

 

[mullard88]

My personal favorite amplifier for Magnepan speakers is Spectral. Spectral no longer markets their smaller amps and their bigger amps all exceed the budget given if bought new. Perhaps used Spectrals will be within the budget constraint.

 

[Big Dog RJ]

Greetings from Melbourne, and our next premier is... still counting the votes... it's never ending, well getting back to maggies;

I have used several iterations of maggies starting with the MGIIIa, all the way up to the MG20.1. What I noticed is that depending on the room and your listening tastes (soft to moderate/loud/late night easy listening...) you can custom make the maggies to suit your preferred type of sound. For example, I really enjoyed live fusion type Jazz from Yellow jackets, Spyro Gyra, and Fourplay, hence with the MG3.5 & 3.6 I used big VTL monoblocks. 350w designer reference series, brought the best of the maggie bass with 16 KT90 tubes. They used a superb cj premier 11A with the MG3.5 and enjoyed this combination very much especially during late night listening sessions. Ended up using cj right throughout since cj amps are well capable of superb drive yet smoothness and relaxing sound. Came full circle and ended up with Quad stats with cj amplification, since to me this combination is pure 100% musical relaxation and at soft to moderate levels.

Having said that, it all depends on what type of sound you're after, ss richness, or that warm tube sound which makes the soundstage seem to expand in full 3D. SS such as McIntosh, Bryston, Pass, Magtech, CJ, ARC, Krell, Class'e, Bel Canto, Parasound, Adcom, NAD, Musical Fidelity, Rotel, and the others around that 300w/ch mark & over would be fine with maggies with a tube preamp to give you that warm slight touch and take the ss edge off the graininess. Any tube amp with 100 plus watts will drive the maggies beautifully but like I said, I like to listen to soft to moderate and my room is just average, nothing big. Therefore, I drove my last pair of MG3.6's with the cj premier 11A and cj PFR preamp (at just 70w/ch) the sound was marvelous, way more musical compared to the might VTL's at 350w/ch...

If you can get your hands on a cj ss or tube, try it with maggies and you will be super surprised at the soundstage, musicality and nuances/details of all the ribbons in their full glory. I recently heard a MG3.7i and MG20.7 driven with cj ARTsa and GAT preamp, simply superb! Would have been a good match for any cj tube pre-power amp combination. The MG3.7i is easier to drive compared to the older models, plus the MG20.7 is even easier, it can handle far greater input and requires a very large room to due its magic.
The MG3.7i or 3.6/3.7 (nearly all with similar characteristics) can be tamed with smaller power tube amps, and placed with the tweeters "inwards", the soundstage can be customed to a very detailed intimate soundstage. The moment you place the tweeters to the "outside" the stage expands requiring for a larger room to make the panels disappear.

At the end of the day, YOU have to try different combinations with your maggies, just because we say this brand is better than the other YOUR own ears may not like what we suggest. Therefore, before purchasing, try nearly even kind of combination you can possibly try at home, then also consider the after sales service because there are some real cow boys out there you claim their service is the best, and when you actually have a problem they can't do a dam thing right...
All the best and good luck! Cheers,
RJ

 

[marty]

hi marty,

thanks , noted contents. yes good pairing.

any experience or advice on stillpoints under components

i have the 3 box dcs dac upsampler & clock

I'm hardly a Stillpoints fan, but I would make two points. 1) There seems to be 2 basic approaches to putting devices under components a) use some sort of hard coupling device that presumably shunts away some vibrational badness or b) use some soft dampening thing which absorbs the vibrations. In either case, my experience is that each piece of gear on it's specific shelf or rack is hard to predict a priori as to what will work the best. You just have to try stuff and see if it makes a difference in your specific application. This is also an area roamed heavily by snake oil salesman so be careful out there. You really don't have to spend a lot of money here to get good results.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I'm hardly a Stillpoints fan, but I would make two points. 1) There seems to be 2 basic approaches to putting devices under components a) use some sort of hard coupling device that presumably shunts away some vibrational badness or b) use some soft dampening thing which absorbs the vibrations. In either case, my experience is that each piece of gear on it's specific shelf or rack is hard to predict a priori as to what will work the best. You just have to try stuff and see if it makes a difference in your specific application. This is also an area roamed heavily by snake oil salesman so be careful out there. You really don't have to spend a lot of money here to get good results.

agree.

of course; any passive decoupling footer is affected by the rack and floor. you have three compliant variables. ideally you would use a Stillpoint on a solid grounded rack on a concrete floor.

so every unique combination of rack and floor will result in a unique result with that footer. then you take the unique voicing of the particular piece of electronics and add that to the variables.

you must listen and decide without any expectations and an open mind. what is it making better? what might it take away or what distortion might it add?

I have found that Stillpoints seem to compliment gear which likes a more linear type sound. sometimes they can push things into hardness. I've had Turntables voiced with Stillpoints which did not work with any other footer. and other gear where the Stillpoints reduced the naturalness. they have a character....which fits lots of gear....but not all.

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

I have had good experiences with Magnepan over the years.. From the smallish ones (SMA?) to the 20.1. One thing I'm certain of: Maggies crave power. Lot of it . In a very small room, something I wouldn't recommend a 3.7 for, perhaps one could get away with les than 100 w/ch else 200 solid wpc is IMO, the minimum to extract the optimum from those.
Coupled with subs "swarm" such as Duke Lejeune's, a pair of Maggies 3.7 will compete with the best out there.

 

[skljesus]

You mention high powered class D

Can you share the brand name
Thanks

 

[bonzo75]

Also contact Joel on this forum, he is a 6 moons reviewer and has good experience with the Maggies and different amps.

 

[Mobiusman]

My personal favorite amplifier for Magnepan speakers is Spectral. Spectral no longer markets their smaller amps and their bigger amps all exceed the budget given if bought new. Perhaps used Spectrals will be within the budget constraint.

I have had a Spectral DMA 260 that I traded in to Overture today when I got a 300RS. While the 300RS is clearly better top to bottom, in fact substantially better, but dollar for dollar, the 260 is a winner. Terry tells me that he will probably be selling my amp for about $5k to $5500 and it would drive the Maggies to perfection.

 

[limniscate]

I don't have a ton of experience with amps on my 1.7i's and 3.7's but can say that the Sanders Magtech was quite a bit better than my Odyssey Kismet in Stratos monos. The Magtech was way smoother and less grainy and didn't sound harsh at all even as the volume was increased. The Odyssey Kismet in Stratos monos could not hold a candle at high volumes. The only thing that the Kismet in Stratos arguably did better than the Magtech was on micro details and maybe the "boogie" factor. The Magtech seemed a little more neutral.

 

[soundcat]

Hi there
I've grown up with Maggies. My dad already had them in the 70ies. I myself had every model from the small smg (?) up to the 3.7i. I use them with an Unison Research Performance amplifyer (pure class a, 40 w, single ended) and it sounds very good in my 40 m2 living room - even if listening at quit high volume (but not very very loud). But got to admit, that with my dynamic power booster unison research upower (which multiplies power by factor 4 and I admit, is an audiophil sin), I got a little bit more bass.
??

 

[KeithR]

I recently heard Maggie's on top line Mac gear which was a good match. That said, I'd get ARC Ref 250s to drive a pair if I ever bought them. ARC still uses Magnepan to design gears.