This is an interesting question. I have had a Marantz four channel Class D 450W amp on the four subs in my system for some years now. I often wonder if the sound would be better with a good quality 250 to 275 W Class AB amp. One of these days I will try swapping out amps and see if it is worth the upgrade cost.
Class D vs Class AB - Looking for best used budget amplifier for Magnepan MG12
I am in the market for a budget used amp for my Magnepan MG12.
I tried Parasound classic line, model 2125 and currently using Parasound model 275. Both amps can easily drive the maggies up to 90db without any audible distortion.
I am considering a budget class D amp like Crown, Behringer etc. or a class AB amp with MOSFET output stage, like B&K or other options like, Parasound, NAD, Anthem, Sunfire etc.
Price range $300 - $600 for a used unit.
What I’m looking for is an improvement in power, soundstage and detail to get best performance out of the Maggies MG12 compared to current setup with Parasound 2125 or 275.
Amps came into my mind in that price range so far:
B&K ST125.2
Parasound HCA 1500A
Crown Pro XLi1500
Crown XLS2502
Questions:
1- Can Crown modern Class D-Drive Core Technology like Crown Pro XLi1500 or Crown XLS2502 with lot of power sound as good or better than a class AB amp with maggies?
2- Is B&K ST125.2 a good match or better than Crown XLS2502 - Crown Pro XLi1500 for the MG12? Which one does sound better with the Maggies?
Thanks