Best Amp for Magnepan 1.7?

Clavil, having owned DCS equipment, as well as Jeff Rowland equipment, several Class D amps and many brands of speakers (including maggies, but not at the same time), I can confidently say that the DCS equipment was very likely a strong contributor to that set-up!

As somebody who has been pretty much across the board unimpressed with class D amps (versus my class A amps running box speakers - Wilson, Thiel, VS, Gemme, B&W, Totem and others), I can say I think they are a much better match for the maggies than everything else I have ever heard them with. But then, I am no magnepan expert, having just picked up a pair because they were so cheap.

Maybe in the next week or two I'll get around to hooking them up to a Class A amp and see the comparison. But my initial thought is that they make my class D amps sound better than they ever have before (which admittedly isn't that tough to do).

I drive my new 1.7 with Spectral DMA 150S2 directly coupled to a Berkeley Alpha. MIT Magnum M1 (interconnect and speaker) as cables. The result is fantastic. I compared it to ASR Emitter I, the Spectral is better in all the spectrum. Spectral are great machine and is curious which Are not so well considered in USA.

I have been using the Wyred 4 Sound STI-500 with the Magnepans for about 6 months. Initially, I would have agreed with some who shun the Class D amps. I was not initially getting the sound out of my system. It was a little off, not as detailed as expected, and diffuse imaging. So much so, that I was about to contact Wyred 4 Sound to see what could be done.

Then, I started making small changes. Changed the Digital cable from the W4S DAC2 from the inexpensive Better Cables Silver Serpent to a pair of Xindak cables. Big difference. Instruments came into better focus.

I then unplugged my STI-500 from a large UPS backup and filter and plugged it into a $50 simple unit, filter only. Another big change with detail improving and now, for the first time, I was getting a sense of depth.

Placed all equipment on rubber absorber feet with some weight on top of each piece of equipment (W4S StI-500, W4S DAC2 and Netgear 9150 music server). The ever so slight splassy sound in the highs was now eliminated.

Finally, I tested an inexpensive, but well made TOSLINK cable with the W4S DAC2 and a final change occurred. The clarity took another slight move forward and a sense of real performers increased significantly.

The point of all this is that the Class D amps get dumped on in these threads and it could be for one or more of these very simple reasons. They do seem to be sensitive to many changes, but you don't have to feed them megabuck cables, power supplies, etc. to make them sound fantastic.

They seem to mate with the Magnepan 1.7s in a way I have not heard before. Loud music is not strained, but I find due to the immense detail that you get from these amps that you get amazing satisfaction at low levels. It really is incredible. All that for only $2K for the STI-500 integrated! A terrific deal to try out before you decide on going more expensive.

i use two bat vk-55 tube amps all this talk about watts is only part of the solution current matters more i use to drive them with one bat vk-55 sounded great however i use a rel t1 sub the combination sounded detailed smooth and musical airy with my 450 watt solid state sounded harsh dry thin with good bass after 10 minutes had to turn it off was going to sell the maggies until i tried the bat now i'm in tube and maggie heaven.

Then, I started making small changes. Changed the Digital cable from the W4S DAC2 from the inexpensive Better Cables Silver Serpent to a pair of Xindak cables. Big difference. Instruments came into better focus.

class D are extremely sensitive to power cables ... that's also why Jeff Rowland developped the Power Factor devices

I heard the 1,7 with Jeff Rowland's 312 ... I couldn't believe my ears, how good it was (huge & deep soundstage, hearing things out of my Cds I had never heard before !!! ... even on 50'000 $ speakers !

In fact I want to hear the 3,7 which is said to be even better than the 1,7 and then ...