I have not used the Plinius amp but they are said to be pretty rugged. Since the maggies are a 4 ohm load the amp has to deliver more current and you are going to get more heat. If the amp shuts down that is one thing but being warm to the touch is likely fine.
If you like the combination you have you may want to try an autoformer ($450) which will make the maggie look like an 8 ohm load to the amp. |
What size room are we talking about here? What speakers are you using now? |
Room Size is 14 x 19 and I was using MG1.6QRs but not happy with the construction quality ... thus testing out the 3.6Rs. To clarify, the amp runs warm when at modest volume but becomes "hot" when at higher volumes. I can hold my hand on top of the unit and not get burned, however it does seem warmer than I would expect. I guess the question is .. how hot is too hot?? |
Does the Plinius 9200 run in class A or AB? |
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If you can hold your hand to the fire [sorry], that sounds about right for a typical Class A amp. A less subjective measure would be to procure a digital or analog meat/oven thermometer and place it on/near the heatsink. 120F is the maximum value I'd want to see. My 35W class A Death of Zen runs there or slightly higher when pushed, which is rare as the speakers are high-efficiency and thus tax the amp that much less. Some feel No amp should be driven hard, but with Maggies the point is academic. That said, nearly any modern, well-designed [for 4 ohm loads] amp should work well. The Plinuius certainly falls in this category. If the PLinius is brigeable, perhaps a second one might solve the dilemma. But that's a lot of money to throw at this potential non-problem. Keep us posted and good luck. |
UPDATE: I found out after talking to Plinius that their amplifiers run in class AB but in a very high bias mode (nearer to that of Class A than Class AB). They say it is normal and preferable for this to be the case and that provided no clipping/distortion is present, the amplifier's performance is not based on volume level, etc. just how cleanly it can drive the load. Apparently, Magnepans are basically purely resistive in load (easy to drive) as opposed to some boxed loudspeakers which have varying impedences (between 8 all the way to <3ohms) over the frequency spectrum. So ultimately, the trade off for me is efficiency. I will continue to auditon and make a decision based on my newly gathered information from all of you and Plinius (thank you!!). |
I have a Plinius 9200 also and I was thinking of getting the Magnepans 1.6.I wanted to know if you had any problems driving the 1.6 .I would like to also know what was the sound quality. |
Hi. I had a Plinius 8200mk1 and was using it with the 1.6QR. I have a large room (20x21x9) made even "larger" with opening to one side and it's very taxing for the amp. The 8200 doesn't have enough power so even if your 9200 is more powerful, I serioiuly doubt you could drive the 3.6 well at all. IMO, you either keep the 1.6QR with 9200 or get a bigger amp with 3.6.
As for volume pot location not an indication of how hard you are pushing the amp but use clipping as an indication instead. I got similar answer from Plinius (but did say 1-2 o'clock is o.k.) and from Krell (my present 400xi and had tried 110 out of 150 digital volume).
My 2 cts. |
Plinius is not the answer for Maggies. Just not a good match. Try Parasound JC-1 monoblocks, or any of the Bryston amps that produce more than 400W at 4ohms. But the big bad boys your really want are Innersound. Read some reviews, you will realize they are mades SPECIFICALLY to drive this type of difficult load. No heat from the amp as well. Mono 800's, or the ESL 300's great amps.
Good luck |
Sorry, Krell's as well, can't leave them out. McIntosh's do not match. Even the 500W boys. I don't know what, but they never sounded right to me. |
Hi Mac, have you tried and compared the Krell (specifically the 400xi) and the Innersound ESL300? If yes, would very much like to hear your comment esp. the midrange. Thanks. |
RFstock,I wanted to know what was the sound quality of the Plinius and the 1.6 |
IMO, the Plinius 8200 was a good match except for 2 things, namely relative lack of power in a large room but I think a smaller room might be o.k. Secondly, the Plinius might be a tad slow.
The Krell integrated are better because it addressed the 2 short coming, i.e. power and speed. It's also slightly more detailed and goes lower in the bass. Beside these issues, the main differences is in the midrange. The Plinius more lush and euphonic (some may say it's colored) and the Krell more neutral and it's up to each persons' preference. |
Sorry it took me so long to get back. I have used a buddies Krell 400cx to great effect. Loved the sound. That said, I like the Innersounds much better. Much great bass extension and overall definition. Plus, the Krell was HUGE and ran hot in comparison. I don't even turn on my cooling fan for my cabinet anymore. I love the Innersounds. I actually test drove the new much more expensive Innersound 300 amp, and couldn't hear any improvment over the MKIII, plus, I like the look of the older ones, albeit those without the switch on the front.
Good luck.
PS - we're all just a bunch of dorks aren't we?? |
