I will offer different advice. Upgrade your LRS to a bigger model. Even the 1.7i will be a huge upgrade, more than you will get from an amp upgrade. I believe the 3.7 is the sweet spot in the Maggie lineup.
Need Amp Advice from the Collective
What amps are a synergistic fit with Maggie LRS+ that won't break my 76 year old back? I am currently using a Bryston 3B3, which at ~300 watts > 4 ohms has gobs of power, certainly more that I use, but it is a bit clinical, lacks midrange magic, is a tad bright, and could image better. See my profile for the rest of the system.
Pass Labs XA30.8 or X150.8, or Coda No.16 are obvious choices, and I'm certain they would sound great. But they are all 90-110 pounds! I wonder about some of the lower powered Coda's (S5.5, S150, S20) if they would have enough to fire up the Maggies? Comments?
I have been down the Class D road, and while they certainly have their charms, I don't think they will produce the magic I want.
My room is kind of large at 25 x 25 x 8, but the listening area is about 1/4 of that with the speakers about 8-10 feet from my listening position.
Thanks in advance!
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@billstevenson @avanti1960 I used too be a proponent of class D. I have owned a number of newer class D amps (AGD, Jeff Rowland, Orchard Audio, Atmasphere, and a few others), and they do indeed have their charms. But what none of them has been able to deliver is the kind of sonics and imaging (high current?) of class A or high bias A/A-B amps. I am intrigued by the Rogue hybrid amps (I had their RP-7 pre and enjoyed it), and would like to try them. But again, I have never met a D that could deliver the kind of goods that these seem to need. I wish there was a lending library for audiophile hardware. @signaforce @easystreamer I assume the Simaudio is an A-B design? I also have a pair of KEF Ref 1's and they seem to have the same high current needs as the Maggies, so good advice. And the Accuphase is worth looking into too. Speakers? Thanks. @celtic66 Yes, Sugden is intriguing. I wish, but I am afraid ~30 watts is just not enough unless it switches to lots of A-B when it starts to run out of steam. The Pass XA25 is similar. Wish I could get away with something that low wattage. What speakers are you using with the Sugden? @kofibaffour Afraid we will have to disagree on virtually every point you made. And yes, I do have a subwoofer.
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@boxcarman @dgibans I did have the 1.7s here on a trial and they sounded wonderful. But the physical size! They dominate the room! This is my living room, not a dedicated listening room. And the area where I do listen is fairly small - I'm about 9 feet from the speakers. The Bryston would drive them, no doubt. It has plenty of power and grip on the speakers. But it is too clinical for my taste. I can see why Bryston is used in studios. |
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