Rhanson, before offering some suggestions....
* What brand/model amp are you using right now.
* How does your current amp fall short of expectations?
* How should your ideal amp sound like?
* What is your budget?
* What mix of music do you listen to?
Best, Guido
* |
Hi Rhanson, in other words.... What is your upper spending limit on the amp project? I have a few amps in mind from some of my favorite manufacturers that I am confident have more than enough grip in the lower impedance handling required by Maggies, but it all depends on your spending expectations.
Guido |
Hi Rhanson, I have a couple of good ideas... I'm going to make a couple of phone calls and find out if the amps I have in mind match your Maggies for power handling, and whether they can come within your pricing needs... Will let you know soon.
Guido |
Excellent point ZD'... Furthermore, Rhanson, what is the power output into 8 and 4 ohms of your current amp.... And its peak current if known?
G. |
Rhanson, looking at the specs you posted, you might be using an amp powered with an Anaview module... True or false, the obvious problem I can see, regardless of relia bility of your particular implementation, is that the Maggies are primarily 4 Ohms speakers, and the amp you use has only a moderate rise in power from 8 Ohms to 4 Ohms... If nothing else, the match is potentially sub-optimal.
If you are keen in changing amp, and are fond of well implemented class D amps -- Yes I am by the way -- I would suggest amps based on Pascal M-Pro2 modules or NCore NC1200 modules. Typically, these amps deliver 400W/8 and 800W/4 and I fully expect to match the Maggies with aplomb.
In the Pascal M-Pro2 arena, I recommend the Rowland Continuum S2 integrated: $9500. Yes, there is a very knowledgeable Rowland dealer in NC. I checked with the Rowland factory... Continuum S2 is compatible with Maggie 3.7. And yes, I have heard the amp... It's quite amazing... Rowland reliability by the way is legendary... There are Rowland amps still making music that have rolled out of the factory in the mid to late '80s. Roy Gregory has reviewed Continuum S2 for The AudioBeat. His findings match my opinion exactly:
http://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/jeff_rowland_continuum_s2.htm
On the NCore NC1200 side, I recommend the Merrill Veritas monoblocks. Merrill sells direct from his factory in N.J. List is $12K... Yes, price is high in absolute $$$$s, but the amp far outperforms its price point. Power rating is 400W/8 800W/4 with 38 Amps peak current. I have reviewed this marvellous amp for Positive Feedback:
http://positive-feedback.com/Issue68/merrill_audio.htm
Best, Guido |
Rhanson, the Rowland dealer for NC that I mentioned in my previous post is:
Liquid HiFi
Charlotte, NC
United States
Tel: 1 704 953-6034
ronaldbuffington@msn.com
www.liquidhifi.com
Regards, Guido |
Hi Rhanson, in most cases, you would observe that bass control is sub-optimal, and dynamic of transients are less than realistic... You also migh have to raise volume on theamps or DAC higher than what seems reasonable in order to get desired gain.... Your amp(s) might end up working harder than they should, lowering their reliability.
If you were experience some unreliability from the amp, it might because it works too hard to drive the 3.7s.
Neither the Merrill Veritas nor the Rowland Continuum S2 would suffer of this problem... They are made for compatibility with speakers having variable or lower impedance.
BTW, I tried to send you a PM, but did not find a link for that in your profile page... Want to try from your end?
G. |
Hi Rhanson, I finally managed to send you a PM. G. |
Hi Rob, many earlier class D mps sounded a bit sterile, or perhaps hi-fiish. New designs based on Pascal and NCore tend to sound like... Music!
G. |
Hi Richard, rest assured, CS2 sounds amazing regardless of meds *grins!* |
Mr.D, RHansen's amp appears to be prone to failures. The tendency to such behavior has been remarked elsewhere and elsewhen on Agon for the Kryptobrand in question. It is unlikely that such regretable disposition is influenced by room geometry or other acoustic properties of his listening space. Furthermore, the amp has a high damping factor commensurate with the requirements of Maggie 3.7.
G. |
Yes Mr.D, prima face encounters with reality can be on occasion subtly deceptive. In our particular instance, the taxonomy of the device under consideration would place it withinthe the citrus family of fruiting plants, and most likely to that genus well known for producing oblate globes sporting bright yellow bumpy rinds.
Regardless of any marginal acidulation of the sound, which I have encountered more than once with this amp, the creature appears to be radically flaking out, hence Rhansen's quest for an operationally reliable alternative to the lemon.
G. |
Exciting... Rob, keep us posted! G. |
Oh boy... Wrong twice in one single day... I must be getting old *grins!* G. |
Hey Rob, I do pride myself to guide my friends on an audiophilic path of financial irresponsibility *grins!*
Both Rowland Continuum S2 and Merrill Veritas are valiant contenders with similar power dlivery.
The Rowland Continuum S2 in your system has probably a good four weeks of signal grinding in front of it before it is completely stabilized. |
Hi Norm, Rhansen's speakers are the Maggie 3.7. I believe their efficiency being 83 or 84dB.
G. |
Hi Rob, thank you for your kind words... As you know, I just love driving my friends into financial irresponsibility *grins!*
you had some great contenders in your thorough in-home audition... Merrill Veritas monos, Rowland Continuum S2 integrated, and Bel Canto Ref600 monos are all "performance heavies" in their own right!
Saluti, Guido |
Thank you Norm, I'll visit College Station as soon as the Texas DOT issues me a driver's license... Have to wait until I can obtain an ocular transplant... The Dinosaurs at DOT insist that they won't take action until I can see the road in front of me.
But there are rumors that there might be a Fall expedition to College Station courtesy of Nick Schultz... Could be loads of fun!
Meantime, I am confident that H-Cat sounds wonderful... Rest assured that so does the Rowland Continuum S2 selected by RHansen.
G. |
Norm, the descent of the Northern Brbarians on College Station was mentioned as a possible interesting excursion sometimes in the fall... The topic was mentioned as a "BTW" for approximately 10 seconds... It might involve possibly visiting you... I have no further information.
G. |
