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Active Biamping of Your Dreams for Magneplanars

I have been thinking about upgrading my system a bit and searching the archives for threads on amplifiers to use with my Magneplanar Tympani IVa's.

Most of you seem to suggest that you could never have too much power for Maggies -- not to mention the greater demands of the three panel per side design.

Therefore, I am wondering how I might make a significant upgrade, without spending shocking amounts of money.

One idea is to buy another ML 23.5, use the pair for the low end, and actively crossover to a tube amp for the highs.

Good idea?

Next idea: same thing, but upgrade to a pair of 20.6 monoblocks.

Or a pair of Pass Lab monoblocks?
Aragon Palladiums?

Would like to spend < $10,000 and retain the reliability and slam of solid state in the low end please.
cwlondon
gmorris
351 posts
 
I disagree with Zt1000. Have you tried active bi-amping?

I am actively bi-amping my Magnepan 3.5 with a Tube Marchand electronic x-over. The results are spectacular.

See my review at the following site:

http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.pl?forum=MUG&n=72187&review=1
lazarus28
339 posts
 
wait - how can it be active if you're using the maggie's internal passive crossover?
cwlondon OP
1,210 posts
 
Perhaps I am using the expression incorrectly, but I was assuming I would abandon the internal crossovers and use an "active" crossover, perhaps an Audio Research or Pass Labs.

My understanding is that the signal is then split at the external crossover, so the power amp in question only receives the lows or the mid/highs and each amp powers only its respective bass or mid treble panels.

Did I say that correctly?

Possibly elaborate and definitely expensive, but intuitively it seems like it would be pretty good.
lazarus28
339 posts
 
well, that's an active design, alright! i didn't know you could bypass the passive crossover network on the maggies. that's gotta be difficult, no?

anyhoo, the are a lot of benefits to active crossovers. i use active speakers, as well.
zt000
30 posts
 
Gmorris, you have one of the best active x-over box money can buy and the panel speakers are much easier to do active bi-amp than conventional speakers. So, what you have is a winning combination. I was speaking in general terms. Yes, I've done active bi-amping, vertical bi-amping and horizontal bi-amping. Now, I simply have no x-over speakers. No signal spliting in my system at all. Transport to digital volume control to DAC to SET to no x-over speakers. As pure as I could make it and the best sound in my thirty years of experimentation.
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