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New to Magnepan, a volume question

Hello, new to Audiogon and Magnepan both.  I just acquired a pair of used MMG's and I'm really enjoying them, especially on certain types of music; acoustic jazz, vocal, and small to mid scale classical.  My problem with them is that I run out of volume knob with my current set up.  It is:  Schitt Saga preamp and Adcom GFA-555 amp.  The Saga is basically a passive preamp, it doesn't add any gain to the signal, and though I love the sound, full volume with this pairing gets me to just below an average listening level, no where to go when I want to push the envelope.  Will I get to higher SPL's using the passive with more wattage as long as the amp is a high current design?  The amps I'm considering are McCormick DNA-500, Bryston 7B ST or SST, and Bel Canto REF600 or REF1000 if I can find them.  I'm looking to build a better power amp foundation for the system of the future, as I can see now I may very well be heading toward larger Magnepans or electrostatic speakers in time.  I have a other preamps that will add gain, but they don't sound as good as the Schitt, and do push the Adcom to flashing lights when I get closer to where I want to be volume-wise.  Looks to me like the Adcom, as much as I have loved it, doesn't cut the mustard with 4 ohm loads.  I have heard that Bryston is a natural match for Magnepans, and also the they sound somewhat dull or flat.  Good reviews from users for the McCormick, and yes and no about class D amps (the Bel Cantos) with Magnepans.  I admit, I'm all at sea...  Any advice appreciated.
dprincipato

Showing 1 response by johnnyb53

johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
How about throw a Hail Mary pass and get a Parasound Halo Integrated amp? 160 wpc into 8 ohms and 240 wpc into 4 ohms, which is Magnepan's native mode.

Plus, it's a Class A Stereophile-rated component. Its phono stage accepts both MM and MC cartridges, it has a built-in DAC, AND it has analog bass management. Add a subwoofer to your MMGs, use the bass management to route the high pass signal to the MMGs, and they will sound twice as big and dynamic.

True, $2495 is a bit of money, but it's by far the least expensive Class A component in Stereophile's list of recommended integrated amps. Plus, you will get much better sound and way more gain than you can get from your present setup. The Adcom 555 was a good value for its time, but this Parasound will redefine *your* sound, and your passive line stage is *literally* not helping.

Also, to save some money, get AA's sale-priced demo.
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