Short answer..........."NO." But, Wouldn't it be loads of fun if the 20.7's could be bi-amped!!!
Can single ended 211 or 212 amplifiers drive magnepan 20.7?
Dear All
I have been reading up about maggies and am chasing after a huge immersive soundstage that the maggies provide, and would like to combine them with a sweet and musical sound that single ended tube amplifiers provide.
I currently own the cary 805 ae mono blocks which uses a single ended 211 class A output of ~25watts, and am wondering if an amplifier like this or something much bigger like the 212 single ended tube amplifier with 40-50w of class A1 output can drive the magnepan 20.7s?
Cant seem to find much info on the web, or people with any experience. Would definitely appreciate any advice or sharing of experiences here! :)
Thanks in advance!
Cheers,
Thegreenman
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- 39 posts total
I can't answer your direct question, but I did try to use a 45 watt SET (JAS Array 2.1) using 805/300B's to power the ribbon section of a pair of BG Corp Radia 520's while biamping the woofers with a TEAC AI-3000. I also did this a pair of VAS Citation II's monoblocks. The VAS made it work at, up to, moderate levels and sounded delightful in the process. Rated at the same power, the SET could only muster a diminutive sound. It simply did not work. I don't know if the Carys could do any better, but my 45 w SET would not drive the panels to more than a low background listening level. |
No direct experience with the Maggies, but having a sensitivity of 86 dB...I wouldn't think what you're proposing will work, either option. I once drove a 90dB set of speakers with 60 watts of (KT88) tube power. Sounded..wonderful..but volume-wise..I could only get to moderately (low-ish) volume. By all means pursue the Maggies, but you'll need a tube preamp and some real power. My current system, due to change completely in a couple months, runs a tube pre into a McCormack DNA1 power amp into 86dB speakers. It totally works. I've enjoyed this system for 10+ years..no complaints. |
@kennymacc hahaha exactly right! tubes for tweeters and mids, large beefy solid states for the bass! |
- 39 posts total