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Plinius 9200 Driving Magnepan 3.6Rs

Hi .. I am fairly new to this site, however I do have a question that is on my mind. I own a Plinius 9200 Integrated Amp ... and am auditioning a pair of Magnepan 3.6R speakers. My question/concern ... when driven to acceptable volumes (volume control to around 11 o'clock or slightly greater) how hot should I expect this amplifier to run with the Maggie's load? It would seem to me that it's rather hot after about 30 minute's use, but I have no reference to compare it to. Should I choose more efficient speakers with a higher impedance?? Or is the Plinius a normally hot running amp. It is located in a well ventilated in an open rack. Any comments/advice would be much appreciated!!
rfstock

Showing 3 responses by rfstock

rfstock OP
4 posts
 
Room Size is 14 x 19 and I was using MG1.6QRs but not happy with the construction quality ... thus testing out the 3.6Rs. To clarify, the amp runs warm when at modest volume but becomes "hot" when at higher volumes. I can hold my hand on top of the unit and not get burned, however it does seem warmer than I would expect. I guess the question is .. how hot is too hot??
rfstock OP
4 posts
 
The Amp runs in Class AB
rfstock OP
4 posts
 
UPDATE: I found out after talking to Plinius that their amplifiers run in class AB but in a very high bias mode (nearer to that of Class A than Class AB). They say it is normal and preferable for this to be the case and that provided no clipping/distortion is present, the amplifier's performance is not based on volume level, etc. just how cleanly it can drive the load. Apparently, Magnepans are basically purely resistive in load (easy to drive) as opposed to some boxed loudspeakers which have varying impedences (between 8 all the way to <3ohms) over the frequency spectrum. So ultimately, the trade off for me is efficiency. I will continue to auditon and make a decision based on my newly gathered information from all of you and Plinius (thank you!!).
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