Classe CAP 2100 for Maggie 3.6?


I have a Classe CAP 2100 (and numerous digital sources)that has been collecging dust and decided to set up another system.
I am thinking about getting a pair of planars, possibly Maggie 3.6. I have very little to no knowledge on what type of amplifiers would be upto the task. I believe that the voltage is what matters more than the Wattage for the electrostatic speakers.
Do you think the CAP 2100 would be a good fit for Maggie 3.6. (I am not dead set on the 3.6). Any constructive input would be appreciated.
kimf70

Showing 3 responses by brownsfan

Maggies are planar magnetics, not electrostats. They like high current solid state, although some swear by tubes. I have 3.7R's and use Cary 500 MB which are 1000 watts/channel into 4 Ohms. Several others around hear use these amps with 3.6's and 3.7's. I would look for an amp that doubles output from 4 to 8 Ohms, and at least 250 watts/channel into 4 Ohms.
You might provide more information about music preferences, size of room, etc.
Looks to me like you will be in good shape. You have a huge room, so you should be able to get the maggies out away from the back wall. I would guess the Classe will be OK at 200 WPC. In my opinion Maggies do very well with vocals and pianos. By all accounts the Oppo is a nice player for the price, so I think you will have a pretty nice rig when you are done.
Kimf70,
I have my 3.7's out 6 feet, as I did with the 1.6's they replaced. You can expect to loose some of the bass response at 3 feet, but its not like that is a complete show stopper in my opinion. Its like amplifier power-- less than optimal can still be pretty good. Its just that you know you can do a little better if you set them up optimally. Also, its not like the speakers weigh 500 lbs. You can slide them out a bit while listening, provided no one is watching. :) By the way, my wife prefers the look of Maggies to traditional box speakers. She says they look cool. So WAF is not always linear and predictable. With some effort (and money) one can decorate around the maggies and make the room look good even though they will inevitably be a focal point. You just can't make 6' tall monoliths disappear.