MMGs

Given that you like your MMGs but are moving to a 13x22 listening room, your situation practically screams for the Magnepan 1.7 or 1.7i.

I have been enjoying my 1.7s in a 16x18 vaulted ceiling living room (plus front hall and dining area in an open architecture) for 3-1/2 years. I like 'em better every time I fire up the stereo.

I must have gotten lucky, but high current MOSFET amps make driving the Maggie 1.7s easily. Here are some candidates:

Parasound Halo A23: 125/200/400 wpc into 8, 4, and 2 ohms respectively. All the power, current, and stability you'd need. $995.

Parasound 2125v2: 150/225/225 wpc into 8, 4, and 2 ohms respectively. $795. Really cool feature: High pass filter settable to 20 or 40 Hz. This can be a help to the Maggies by not feeding them a deep bass signal. Especially handy for getting a smooth blend with a subwoofer should you go to that later.

Odyssey Khartago: 110 wpc and stable into 2 ohms. Considered a major overachiever at $999. These amps are used for testing and voicing the highly regarded Magico loudspeakers.

If you sell your MMGs and GFA-555, it should mkae it easier to get the 1.7 or 1.7i Maggies and a Parasound or Odyssey amp.

Johnnyb53, there is a Parasound Halo A23 for sale on here at $50 less than original list for a four year old unit. Does that seem reasonable?

I saw that A-gon listing and it had me scratching my head. You can get a brand new Halo A23 from AudioAdvisor for $995 with free shipping, probably no sales tax, and a 5-year factory warranty. When you add the A-gon listing’s $944 plus the vendor’s shipping ($37) for $981 total for a 4-yr-old unit, the $14 saving hardly justifies the risk differential.

I’d go for AudioAdvisor or any authorized dealer’s new-with-warranty Parasound Halo A23 over the A-gon listing, no question.

If the 4-yr-old unit was $795, then maybe.

Johnnyb53,

If I pick up the Halo A23, what preamp would you suggest? I am currently using a Schiit SYS passive amp because the Onix XCD88 CD player has a high gain.

Is your CD player your only source, or do you use FM, satellite radio, laptop, streaming services, etc.?

If it’s just your CD player, you could stick with your passive SYS and see how it works out. If you want a broad scope of capabilities, you might want a matching Parasound Halo P5, which has a phono pre plus several line level analog inputs, plus Toslink, S/PDIF, and USB digital inputs, plus bass management and subwoofer outputs, but at $1095.

In between those extremes, you could upgrade to a Schiit Saga, which provides several line level inputs, passive and active modes, tube buffering, and remote control all for $349. And if you don’t think it’s worth the extra money, you’re protected by that 15-day return period (minus 15% restocking fee).

Here’s another thought: jhills’ suggestion of the Rogue Cronus Magnum is an excellent one. It matches very well with the Magnepan 1.7. In fact, The Absolute Sound reviewed the Cronus Magnum and Maggie 1.7 together, and gave enthusiastic recommendations to both of the components.

The Cronus Magnum is an integrated amp, so it takes care of the power section *and* the preamp. And the preamp has both line level and a phono stage, so you have room to expand into vinyl if you’d like. In my own experience, good tube components add another level of "magic" to the 1.7s in palpability and a more satisfying musical experience.

Right now there’s a Rogue Cronus Magnum with new power tubes listed on Agon for $1650. Remember, that’s a power amp and full-functioning preamp in one chassis.