Best Cheap Amps for Magneplanar Speakers

Randy, I am no expert on ss amps I can’t possibly claim to have heard every ss amp in this price range in order to give you a specific recommendation. What I can tell you is that the most recent good quality ss amp that I tried on my Maggies was a Levinson 23.5. It was a very good amp, but still sounding like the ss amp that it was. In fact, I personally have never heard a ss state amp that sounded like a tube amp. Some do have qualities that are sometimes considered tube traits like fullness of individual images and absence of hardness in the upper frequencies. Of the things that are priorities for me, what tubes do that I have never heard affordable ss amps do is give a sense of dimensionality and separation front to back and not just side to side, a sense of aliveness by way of subtle dynamic gradations and not just the ability to play really loud, and inner detail in the texture of the sound of instruments. To me, most affordable ss amps still sound a little mechanical. While I am sure some will disagree, in this price range the general differences in sound between tube and ss are still pretty significant, imo.

"a sense of dimensionality and separation front to back and not just side to side, a sense of aliveness by way of subtle dynamic gradations and not just the ability to play really loud, and inner detail in the texture of the sound of instruments."

frogman,

I have achieved these results by introducing a ModWright 5400ES (tubes in power supply and player) into my otherwise SS equipment chain. IME, the better SS gear can partner with a great tube front-end to deliver both the realism and musicality you describe while also providing transparency and the current delivery to really wake up the most difficult to drive speakers, even at lower volume.

Best to you frogman,
Dave

My pair of MG 3.7i are being driven by an AVA Fet Valve 600R, at $3199, which has the hybrid technology of both high current MOSFETs and tubes for the voltage amplification, a step up from what yogiboy referred to above and it is the perfect complement for them.  The attention to superb power supply design given to it pays ample dividends.  Have owned nothing but Magnepans since T-1A days, suggest you at least try to audition one if you can.

I have a pr. of Maggie 1.7s and drove them for a while with an Ayre V5 xe ss. amp @ 150w per side @ 8 ohm and 300w per side @ 4 ohm (even used, probably a bit more than you want to spend for just one) Even though I liked the Ayre very much, I finally settled on a Rouge Cronus Mag. II, a 100w per side, integrated tube amp and am most happy. With the Maggies, I like the sound of the 100w tubed Rogue even better than the 300w ss Ayre and at half the cost. I am using just a single amp to drive the 1.7s and it drives them very well at any volume I care to listen at, although you may need more if going to the Maggie 3.7s. In all I have to agree with others that tubes just sound better on the Maggies.
Good luck with your quest
Jim 

"With the Maggies, I like the sound of the 100w tubed Rogue even better than the 300w ss Ayre and at half the cost."

A very strong endorsement from someone with direct experience with fine exemplars of each type. Sounds like the Rogue is worthy of serious consideration, Randy.

Best to you Randy and Jim,
Dave