Integrated amp recommendation for Maggie .7's


As the title states I'm looking for an amp recommendation for my Magnepan .7's.

I'm currently using a Belles Aria Signature pre with a pair of Signature monos.

@jjss49 recently described the Belles sound thusly:

"i have owned the belles aria (twice), along with numerous hegels, ayres, some upper older musical fidelities

david belles’ aria is a nice integrated, powerful, very stoutly built, nice phono stage in it too (the remote control is downright cheap though)

sonically, i found the belles to have a little more of a brash personality - more treble energy, some sizzle, a little grain, compared to the more refined hegel and ayre sound... so it depends if you want that or your speakers benefit from a little more sizzle up top...

the ayre, hegel and top flight retro musical fidelity amps (a308, muvista etc) provide a degree of treble sophistication of even higher tier solid state amplification (ample detail and soundstaging free of attendant electronic harshness)"

This seems to jive with my own feelings as well. I've owned probably a dozen different pairs of speakers and the Belles gear has always been the common denominator. 

I'd love to keep my budget to $5k new or used. I don't think I can get an Ayre that will mate well with the Maggies at my budget. It's possible that I can get an Aesthetix Mimas used around the $5k mark. 

Hegel is a brand I have absolutely no experience with. 

Much appreciated!

128x128audionoobie

The Rogue Pharaoh will be paired with Maggie’s next month at Axpona.  Wait a bit and see if there are any reviews about them being paired together. 

I had the Pharaoh in my system for a short time several year ago.  Being the “big brother” of the Sphinx I expected it to deliver substantially better performance. That was not the case in my particular context. I actually preferred the Sphinx. Your mileage may vary. As always, keep an open mind and trust your ears. They seldom lie. :)

Sphinx V3 on the way along with a pair of LRS.  I have an Audio Research VSI-60 that I didn't think would work but after reading positive results with the I50, makes be wonder since they are probably pertty similar, so I will be able to try both. 

I have a Musical Fidelity M6si, black, with all original everything available well below your $5k budget. Contact me through a DM.

Look for a used BMC s1 or BMC m1 monos (unfortunately used ones are quite rare). Or even M2. I have the s1. Close to 100 lbs. Perhaps the most beautiful amp I’ve ever laid my eyes on. Enough current to jumpstart a spaceship. I think BMC amps are a hidden gem in the audiophile world when paired with the BMC dac.

Avoid the c1. I apologize in advance for recommending power amp but if Maggie is your thing, this amp can power even bigger Maggies and is worth mentioning.

If integrated is a must, look for the c2 used