How Much Push/Pull Tube Power for Maggies

gentlemen:

i will be getting roger sanders solid state stereo amp to try with my 1.6s --about 400 watts. i'll let you know what i hear.

i'm a bit skeptical, having lived with tubes for years. many posts have indicated the virtues of solid state with magnepans. i'm not convinced. we'll see when i hook up the amp.

Mrtennis...400 watts ought to do the trick. You have to quit somewhere, 600 watts did it for me, but Sean would you run 1000 watts or more...on several amps! When I went from 350 to 600 things got better, but that was also a switch from a conventional ss amp to the CarverPro ZR1600 digital amp, and the technology change probably had more to do with it than the power rating.

I was actually thinking of trying the MMG's. If you look at Magnepans site, the sensitivity is listed as 86 db 500 hz 2.83 volts. If you do the math, that is actually 2 watts. The sensitivity is therefore 83 db at one watt. I just bought a new amp. It's 100 w/ch at 8 ohms. I think it just won't cut it. I'm thinking a reasonable size amp for the MMG's would be 200 w/ch. Just remember, to increase the spl 3 db requires you double the power.

my only concern with solid state is running out of the room because the upper mids and lower treble becomes a pain in the ear.

does anyone have a problem with treble response when listening with a solid state amp ?? i have been spoiled by tube "softness".

my 40 wpc push pull tube amp drives them great. you guys must be getting the wrong amps

Cooch...Actually, Maggies, MMGs anyway, sound great, EVEN when driven by only 40 watts. But, there is more for you to discover some day.

it has arrived. it has been intrfaced. and.......

it's good solid state , but...... it doesn't sound like a tube amp.

its roger sander's ss amp designed for electrostatic speakers and other dipoles.

a noble effort it is and a product fairly priced. it avoids one of the flaws of ss designs i have noticed, namely, miniaturization.

i will give it more time.

i am not a fan of solid state, but this is certainly one of the better versions i have heard.

I started with Magneplanar MG-1Bs in 1980 and in the last 26 years have upgraded through MG-IIBs, MG-IIIa's, detoured into Apogees and Martin Logans, and finally settled into a pair of Tympani IVa's.

For amps, I started with a Hafler DH-200, upgraded to a DH-220 and a DH-500, tried an Adcom GFA 555 and now have a Mark Levinson 23.5.

They can certainly gobble up the power, and I am thinking now about upgrading to even more powerful monoblocks.

Nonetheless, I would agree that it depends on your musical taste and your room.

I imagine in a small room, playing not the most dynamic or bass heavy music that even modest amounts of tube power would sound great.

Good luck.