Hi jimbones, You will love the 3.7i ! Although I would prefer more power your Wells will do fine up to around 90 dB. Sonically it will be fine. If you ever decide to get subwoofers your headroom will increase to 95 dB. I have set up two 3.7 and four 20 series speakers with subwoofers so if you ever get to that point I would be happy to help.
Having reviewed and owned the Innamorata, and reviewing the .7, and owning the 1.6, I suggest that while it would be ok, it would not be the most advantageous combination. No fault on either part, just imo too laid back. Maggies are not the last word in presence and dynamics (I am not interested in debating that with anyone).
If your budget permits, I would put an amp like the Innamorata with a speaker like the PureAudioProject Trio15 Horn 1, also reviewed for Dagogo.com. You would have a great deal more presence and dynamic action with that setup. The open baffle of the PAP Horn 1 would be similar in some respects to the Maggie.
I could make either one work fine with the Innamorata, given source, cabling, etc. but the Maggie would sound laid back and lacking in impact compared to the Horn 1. Legacy Audio (reviewed several times for Dagogo.com) speakers also sound very good with the Innamorata.
Many other options abound, and you will have no shortage of recommendations, even from people who don't use the gear.
I dont want to hijack this thread. So may I talk to you to get your thoughts on the PAP vs the maggie 1.6's......please? jimbones I am SO jealous that you have new 3.7's AND the cool Gr Reaseach subs!! Best to everyone Charlie
A little late to this game, but I have used an Innamorata with Maggie .7s and the sound was hardly "laid back" as Mr. Schroeder suggests. I think vivid and robust would far more accurate adjectives.
ps, feel free to read my review of the Magnepan .7 at Dagogo.com for a more complete understanding of my comment above. But, I will warn you that it may upset you if you think Maggies are the end all and be all in speakers. :)
@douglas_schroeder I haven’t heard nearly enough speakers to have the remotest clue of what "the end all, and be all" might be. :) But I will say that I am quite fond of my new-to-me pair of Sonus Faber Guarneri Homages. They’re kinda special, I do think.
With the GH's especially, it’s fun to simply listen to music and not think about the gear. Sorry for the potentially off-topic aside.
A rhetorical question Douglas: I happily OWN a pair of .7’s, why would I want to read your review, :)
ps, I presumed that you own the .7, and was attempting to share some wider experience with the amp and speakers. Some reviews are read for enrichment, not merely preparation for purchase. YMMV
"enrichment" "wider experience" aaaah, there are the tickets to ride that I must have been missing. But at least I now have a couple of new terms to add to the old audiophile lexicon. :)
After decades of fiddling with this and that component, at this point, I greatly prefer to hit play, sit back, and enjoy. But then again, I’m not a reviewer, nor do I enjoy obsessing about much of anything these days. I do, however still worry about the world my two beautiful daughters will inherit.
My .7s sounded just fine powered by the Wells amp, either with a Luminescence tube preamp, or the Wells Commander.
One can mix and match until one can no longer mix and match.
YMMV.
Enjoy your reviewing. BTW, didn’t you write somewhere that you regretted selling your Wells amp?
One fundamental principle in evaluating any and all levels of audio gear is to avoid using the plague known as "smooth jazz" as any kind of remotely useful indicator.
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