David Wilson seems to prefer The Siegfrieds with his Alexandrias. |
I would recommend amps that are reasonably powerful whether tube or solid state, possibly Lamm Hybrids or Audio Research 110 or better. PASS amps would work fine as well any BAT Stereo or mono amp combination. VTL, CJ etc have also been used at dealers, shows etc. Essentially 100W or better is a good starting point. I recently heard them with ARC's new SS integrated amp and thought that combination sounded amazing. It is not necessary to break the bank for amps initially but they will respond to improvements anywhere in the system. |
Wilsons in general are very friendly to tubes. The national sales manager for Wilson ran a set of Atma-Sphere MA-2s on his Maxxes for quite a few years (Soundstage.com reported it was one of the best systems they had ever heard during a Wilson factory tour). In most systems using the Maxx, you will want some power to get the most out of the speaker, and you want something that is also revealing to take advantage of that aspect of the speaker as well. So whatever your choice, I would recommend something with at least 150-200 watts and more if you can afford it. So naturally I recommend a set of MA-2s :), but also the big CAT is an excellent choice as is the ARC 'T' series and the larger VTLs. The thing is- don't skimp- you've got a great speaker and it will really pay off to do it right! Have fun!! |
"Best" is such a hard thing to determine.... My Maxx 2's sound great with a pair of McIntosh monoblocks (MC1201's). They are capable of driving them very loudly, but it all sounds pristine and undistorted....kinda bad for the hearing loss, though, because one doesn't realize the decibel levels until someone tries to speak. Whaaaaat???? Whatever you get, make it a quality item, as these speakers truly adhere to the "garbage in- garbage out" adage. They will reproduce quality componentry with breathtaking sound, but will also reveal sub-standard equipment as well. Good luck and have fun. |
