Difference in Using Mono-blocs with Maggie 20.7's

@raysmtb1 Yes, I’ve heard them.

What model?

@normantaylor 

I have a pair of MC 611s, and for the first time in many, many years, I find no need to upgrade (I am rarely satisfied with anything!). However, as sunshdw stated, the move to MC 611 will be slightly incremental with better of everything though. A move to the MC 1.25KW should be much improved over the MC 462 and 611s. 

Alternatives would be to run the Luxman M10Xs as monoblocks. I did compare the sound of the M10x stereo to the MC611s. The 611s produced better mid-bass and bass, while the Luxman bested the MACs from midrange upward. But, a pair of Luxmans will run $40K while the MC611s are $16K. I can only imagine what the bass response of the MC 1.25KW would be. I would think that this amp would be the sweet spot of all mentioned here. 

Also, the best value/performance would be a pair of Rotel Michi M8s. Enough power to supply your neighborhood! The sound of the McIntosh products and Luxman is sweeter, though, in my opinion. 

Lastly, don't rule out the contributions that a good preamp will make in addition to the amps!!

Yes, I’ve heard them. I almost lost a friendship over this whole conversation. We put a set of them up against a set of my new speakers. blueprintacoustic.com There was a huge difference in the low end. My new ones only have a 12 inch woofer and we used the same amplifier with a remote control AB switch. There was a big difference. My friend was not happy ….  It ruined  the whole night.

@raysmtb1   Save your money. Nothing can help the Maggies.

Have you ever heard any of the big Magnepan loudspeakers, because it sort of sounds like you have not. 

Save your money. Nothing can help the Maggies.

russ69

Why do you think I’d like the Parasound JC1’s? I looked at them briefly.  Nice price point.  What have you heard them drive?

My brother had them with his 3.6 Maggies. They mix really well with Maggies. Make sure you have a world class pre-amp. I ran some small Maggies with a 400wpc MacIntosh amp and I can tell you the Parasound is a giant step up the chain. 

@atmasphere 

+1 yes… this can significantly improve the sound. 

The advantage of monoblocks is being able to keep the amps very near the speakers so as to keep the speaker cable as short as possible. The lower the impedance of the speaker the more important this becomes- really helps when you want to get bass impact and greater vocal definition!

Maggies allow you to place the amp right behind the speaker so its possible to run speaker cables  that are only 6-8 inches in length. I've seen this transform the performance of the system- in particular when tube amplifiers are involved.

ghdprentice

Thanks for the great leads!

OP,

Then I recommend doing some auditioning: Audio Research, Boulder, Pass, and maybe Luxman. They will be very different… and you will get most of the difference because of the house sound from different companies more than mono-blocks… But mono blocks are the best.

Each of these companies are well established and know the sound they are trying to create.

russ69

Why do you think I’d like the Parasound JC1’s? I looked at them briefly.  Nice price point.  What have you heard them drive?

I have a wide variety of music taste.  I have a vast LP collection; large CD collection.  My turntable is a Linn with most of current components.  I have a Mc MVP 891 that I had upgraded with special caps etc.  My room is treated to my satisfaction with a combination of art and sound absorbing material.  Most of what I know I learned from people like you on this sight.  Much more to go.

I seek an observable improvement of sound to my liking to in just about any genre.

jjss49

I can see why you would say that.  Right now I'm looking for feedback on the differences mono's might have on my existing speakers.  As I said, I love my 20.7's.  They put out sound quality beyond their price.  If I'm convinced the mono amp is the route to I'm sure I'll enjoy my Maggie 20.7's for a few more years, then upgrade to a more expensive speaker.  Not too many studios around to hear great speaker anymore.  Must travel a lot.  Axpona would be the ideal scene.  I know they have a show coming up. 

op

sounds like you are a bit all over the place

you have truly great speakers in the maggie 20.7 - if you are committed to them we can suggest better amps than your mcintosh, be they stereo amps vs monos (this particular distinction being a minor one in my view)

but if you’re going to buy new speakers, discussing amps is a waste of time until you have determined what is your future speaker choice

in all this, there is also no discussion at all on what you are seeking as the nature of sonic improvement you seek, your room, your choices of music, your sources etc etc... problems are solved when the problem definition is stated precisely and cogently... otherwise it is just burning $ while shooting in the dark

My next big improvement to my system will be to invest in speakers in about the $50 to $60K range.  And, I would definitely want mono-blocs for them.  My estimate of range of cost came from Paul McGowan's book on sounds systems.  He suggests 40 to 50% of the total value of your system be invested in speakers.  I have found him to be a reliable source of information.   

You would really like Parasound JC1s. 

Thanks peoples.  ghdprentice, (or anyone else) what would be your idea of a brand change that would produce a noticeable difference in terms of mono-blocs that are not McIntosh? and, why, of course.

stereo amp to mono bloc amps as a generality is essentially meaningless - what the to/from amps are, how they are designed and built, what specific stereo amp to what specific mono block pair is being considered ... those critical details are what matter

like asking, will i be better off going from a v6 engine in my car to a v8 model? well what v6? and what v8? what cars are we talking about? audi v6 to a buick v8? i’ll stick with the audi thank you very much ... you get my drift

I did not necessarily mean Mc mono-blocks.  

It's certainly worth a try those are as you know fairly power hungry speakers, and quite transparent. Some good advice above not to expect a sea change short of changing brands or going in a radically different direction. It should be asked what about the current setup do you think could be improved?

I agree with the above description. Jumping to the MC611 for instance would be a noticeable jump but not a "holy crap" moment. As long as you manage your expectations I think it would be a good jump, your Maggies will thank you.  

Did you mean MacIntosh mono blocks?

I have both Audio Research Reference 160m monoblocks and the Reference 160s stereo version There is a small but notable difference in sound quality.. a bit deeper soundstage with smaller and more spaced apart images, surprisingly the stereo version sounds more powerful. You can see my system under my UserID.

If the question is if you can make a big difference in switching to a different brand and monoblocks. Then, you can make a huge difference… depending on your taste in sound. I am familiar with an earlier version of the Maggie’s. Also I was listening to an MC462  this weekend.

For my tastes very large differences can be gained, for me it would be positive. More detail and better tonal balance (more detail and more balanced treble) which should make them image better, if that is what you want. But those would be brand changes… if it is simply the mono versions of the same amp, I suspect your experience would be similar to mine… small, but notable. But the actual cost may be very high if your decision is not choosing between one or the other at initial purchase.