Boulder 866 Driving Magnepan 20.7's

[hongkongfoufou]

Due to my personal experience with the combination. Thought I had recommended it to you on another forum but maybe was confusing you with another user.

Thank you.
I have listened Magnepan 3.7i with Audio Research Ref 75 and I am very disappointed. I have tested it on my system. I am very happy with this combination: Jeff Rowland Corus and Model 625 and 3.7i.
They are very sensitive with power cable too.
I am curious to test them with Boulder amplifier or TotalDac Amp1..….I never heard Magic M6 singing like that with this amplifier (TotalDac). It was in Munich (2019).

 

[Ron Resnick]

Thank you.
I have listened Magnepan 3.7i with Audio Research Ref 75 and I am very disappointed. I have tested it on my system. I am very happy with this combination: Jeff Rowland Corus and Model 625 and 3.7i.
They are very sensitive with power cable too.
I am curious to test them with Boulder amplifier or TotalDac Amp1..….I never heard Magic M6 singing like that with this amplifier (TotalDac). It was in Munich (2019).

In my opinion a 75 watt stereo amplifier is not remotely enough watts or current to drive properly Magnepan 3.7i loudspeakers. If someone advised you toward that combination, I would cease taking advice from such person.

A proper comparison, I believe, would require tube amps in the 450 watt (such as VAC 450 monos) to 750 watt (such as Audio Research REF 750 or VTL Siegfried II) range. Aesthetix Atlas mono hybrids are also a great, and much less expensive, option.

 

[hongkongfoufou]

In my opinion a 75 watt stereo amplifier is not remotely enough watts or current to drive properly Magnepan 3.7i loudspeakers. If someone advised you toward that combination, I would cease taking advice from such person.

A proper comparison, I believe, would require tube amps in the 450 watt (such as VAC 450 monos) to 750 watt (such as Audio Research REF 750 or VTL Siegfried II) range. Aesthetix Atlas mono hybrids are also a great, and much less expensive, option.

Thank you all for your advices. I think I should go in USA to have good demonstration with Magnepan. No demonstration in Europe, even in Munich for the High End.

 

[Big Dog RJ]

Thank you all for your advices. I think I should go in USA to have good demonstration with Magnepan. No demonstration in Europe, even in Munich for the High End.

No proper demo in Europe or Munich... doesn't make sense. There are appointed Maggie dealers all over the world, I'm surprised there's no proper demo in these two places, simply can't be.

You would need to contact Magnepan and ask or just do a google search for appointed Magnepan dealers and representatives. I'm sure you'll find plenty, it's not like Out Back Aus!

All the best, RJ

 

[Hasse]

I heard the 866 on Diptyque 140 (planar magnetic speakers with ribbon tweeters, 86db)
Compared it to a Pass int250.
IMO the Pass was a better match.
Arier, more fleshed out and sounded more powerful with a fuller bass.

 

[Hasse]

Depends how far away you are from them and how loudly you listen, but it's hard for me to imagine 400 W at 4 ohms and peak power of 700 W at 2 ohms wouldn't be enough to drive your Maggies to ear-splitting levels.

Maggies are line sources and the difference is very small If you sit 7 or 14 ft away.

 

[Alrainbow]

Maggies are line sources and the difference is very small If you sit 7 or 14 ft away.

Not true in all but Maggie’s not really a line source but close if tall models
as for sound levels typical point source are 6db per meter
where line source is 3 db per meter so where maggies fit in im not sure
but it’s clear distance will have a large effect on dynamics

 

[hongkongfoufou]

I heard the 866 on Diptyque 140 (planar magnetic speakers with ribbon tweeters, 86db)
Compared it to a Pass int250.
IMO the Pass was a better match.
Arier, more fleshed out and sounded more powerful with a fuller bass.

Magnepan has another sound than Diptyque....

 

[DonH50]

Maggies are line sources and the difference is very small If you sit 7 or 14 ft away.

They approach a line source above the bass region (or so) where wavelengths become less than the panel dimensions, transitioning to quasi-point-source below (most will not reach "true" point-source frequencies, not a big deal since by then the room is dominating the bass response anyway). They do not reach the ceiling (in most rooms) but at (seated) ear level are pretty close to a line source above the mid-bass regions (depends on the panel). And as always you have to watch the back wave and the comb filtering it causes (I usually damped the wall behind to kill the comb filtering, I really dislike that, but you give up some of their "ambience").

 

[StickMan451new]

Another very good option for Maggie’s are Bob Carver’s 350 Black Beauty mono blocks; they will drive ANYTHING. Six KT 120’s per side and they won’t break a sweat driving 20.7’s to very loud levels even in a large room. They won’t have the resolution of the big Audio Research 750’s or the big VTL’s but they are damn good for $9,500 retail…

 

[StickMan451new]

Forget to add above; the Black Beauty 350’s are not as good as my VAC 450IQ’s (some of the finest tubes amps made today) but they are close and they don’t cost $88,000 retail!

 

[ozzzy]

Thank you StickMan451new for that info. I own the Craver 350 amps, and I am using them with Sopra 2's. But I have always wondered as to how they would perform with Magnepan 3.7i
ozzy

 

[Don C]

The 20.7 goes down to 25 Hz in the bass. I see no need for a subwoofer at all.
Most all subwoofers are box speakers and mate poorly with Magnepan‘s excellent natural bass sound quality IMO.
Perhaps you like dry punchy bass.

 

[hongkongfoufou]

I own Magnepan 3.7i and I don't need subwoofer since I have Hijiri Million Kinawi XLR between my preamplifier and my amplifier. This cable has better bass than my others cables...and since I have Furutech Pure Power 6 E NCF, I have more bass too. This Furutech Pure Power 6 E NCF is incredible, very expensive, but I can say I have changed my system with it.