2. amps-preamps
  3. 172369-91258

Solid state amp recommendations for Maggies?

I am looking for another amp to drive my magnepan LRS, looking for a solid state amp to deliver more detail than my current tube amp, but don't want to give up (much) of the soundstage and depth.

I have a small listening room with a near field set up, so I don't need a ton of power for ear piercing volume. I listen mostly to acoustic rock, acoustic jazz and female vocalists.  I want more the guitar on Keith don't go and hotel canifornia intro from hell freezes over to  to sound... better...

at the risk of sounding stupid, I am driving these $650 speakers with many thousands of dollars of electronics.  The amp is a Primaluna HP (80wpc using 4 EL34s per channel), CJ ET7 preamp, PS Audio Direct stream DAC and a Naim digital source. All with MG audio silver interconnects and speaker wire. Even the interconnects cost more than the LRS.  

I am very happy with my current set up, but would like to grab another amp to a change of pace.

My budget is $5-8K, used or new.  My room is such that mono blocks set up well, but that is not necessary. 

thoughts/recommendations?

 

 

meiatflask
jon_snow
4 posts
 

I have tried various amps and preamps with my Maggie 1.7s over the years. 
I agree that high current is important as is high wattage.
 

I moved from 300w McIntosh to Musical Fidelity M6 500i rated 850w & 100amps (peak). Fed by a Prima Luna preamp. The sound is sublime. 

maholl50
51 posts
 

I've enjoyed my LRS with a Luxman 505uXII ,added Magna Risers.

meiatflask OP
134 posts
 

From the several people recommending the Pass Labs amps, is there a strong preference for their class A versus their class AB amps?  Also- the pass amps are quite monstrous in size. Do they kick off a lot of heat? I recall hearing that class A amps tend to run hot.

sgreg1
612 posts
 

You can buy another amp just to buy another amp but don't be supprised when you don't hear what you discribed you want to hear better. In you intro what you are asking to hear is not there. A new or different amp will not change the way the recording was produced. Good equipment only makes bad recordings sound more bad. The Eagles have some of the worst sound production in existance. They were penny rich and dollar dumb business people. They cut every corner they could out of greed for green and their record production took the bigest hit.

jdpalmer1's avatar
jdpalmer1
28 posts
 

If you can find an Audio Research DS225 or DS450 you'll be in good shape. So much of the Maggie sound was developed with ARC gear.

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