maggies are usually closer to a 4 ohm load than an 8 ohm load, so its a good idea to use an amp that allows you to more closely match impedance. Also the stand design is kind of floppy, so additional panel bracing is a good idea to keep your transient response from "flapping in the breeze"
Any tricks to firing up a pair of Maggie IIa's?
A good friend offered me a pair of Maggie IIa speakers that he bought new in 1980. He had the tweeters replaced in 1988, and said they were last played in 2010 at which point they were working fine. However, they haven't been played regularly for about twenty years.
I am curious to hear how they sound. I've always read good things about Maggies but have never had occasion to listen to a pair. I understand they can be a bit temperamental as well as difficult to drive. Anything specific that I need to be aware of? It was a very generous offer and I don't want to fry them on start up.
Also, any thoughts on tubes with these speakers? I have a Cary V12r running in UL with 6550 tubes - that's about 100 watts. A lot of people seem to think they thrive with big solid state, but it also seems that they were quite popular with ARC tubes when they were new. I also have some solid state amps handy to try, but nothing more than about 150 w.
Any thoughts are appreciated.
I am curious to hear how they sound. I've always read good things about Maggies but have never had occasion to listen to a pair. I understand they can be a bit temperamental as well as difficult to drive. Anything specific that I need to be aware of? It was a very generous offer and I don't want to fry them on start up.
Also, any thoughts on tubes with these speakers? I have a Cary V12r running in UL with 6550 tubes - that's about 100 watts. A lot of people seem to think they thrive with big solid state, but it also seems that they were quite popular with ARC tubes when they were new. I also have some solid state amps handy to try, but nothing more than about 150 w.
Any thoughts are appreciated.