Any thoughts on passive v. active speakers?

On average, I would guess that an active speaker outperforms a typical amp + passive speaker combination. But seldom does an active speaker include amplification at the same level as what a specialty amp manufacturer can deliver.

Imo you're already WELL ahead of the game with that amp, which is the stuff many audiophiles dream of. Wilson, Magnepan, SoundLab, DeVore, and Coincident are among the many top manufacturers offering speakers that work very well with the MA-1.

What speakers did you have before, and what improvements are you looking for?

Duke
dealer/manufacturer

"Next I'm going to throw my Braun L200s onto of my ADS810s and run them in parallel to get to 16 Ohms."

As Almarg pointed out, series rather than parallel connection will give you a nominal 16-ohm load (assuming the Braun and ADS are both 8-ohm loads).

One thing you need to be aware of: Unless the impedance curves of two speakers connected in series are very similar if not identical, their impedance curves will modulate one another's frequency response. I have designed speakers with series connection in mind, and the specifics of both speakers' impedance curves matter, FAR moreso than when paralleling speakers.

You don't have to go with expensive speakers to get really excellent sound from a system with MA-1s. Toss out a ballpark price range and see what bounces back. Or maybe run the question past the OTL forum over on Audio Asylum.

Duke