Powering my Magnepan 3.0's

I really don't know from Carver. My 3.6s LOVE the InnerSound ESL amp (600WPC @ 4 ohms). Clean, very open at the top and control at the bottom, it runs hot when I'm cranking but never a problem. I've seen used for $1500. HTH.

I had Maggies.Rotel are good if you are looking for a modestly priced amp.B&K's work well as that is what I used,but I had mine modified and you could buy one used then have it modified by Musicalconcepts,com.

CODA's might work well.Aragon,Thresholds.Pass Labs also work well.ARC Amps are great with them.I always tell people to go to AR to look at owners reviews and what they say works well also.Look at previous equiptment they owned to see if they know what they are talking about is a good rule of thumb whenn researching over there.

Good Luck!

I have heard good things about the InnerSound ESL (but don't own & haven't actually heard). I am using a Plinius 8200 integrated which does just fine. Sheer rated watts on a spec sheet probably doesn't tell the whole story of compatibility, as Maggies are a more difficult load to drive than, for instance, a typical dynamic box speaker.

I am told it's not the watts they need, but the current - especially dynamic passages (ie, the cannons in the 1812 overture, a loud cymbal crash, etc.). Something about the impedence dropping dramatically and the amp needing to be able to pony up a lot of current instantly on demand. Higher quality amps with a large power supply will have the reserve capacity to deliver instant power on demand, while others will stagger and fail.

I have no personal experience with the Carver but I haven't heard from any other Maggie owner that they're using one. Other amps Maggie owners have suggested include Bryston, EAD, VTL, as well as the Aragon, Threshold and Pass that Abex cites above.

Best of luck!

Tim

Thank you everybody for your responses. I guess the problem is with the amp. I willo try to upgrade to a more compatible amp.

Thanks Again!

James Hughes

Augeanpoop -

While the Carver amp is able to deliver enormous power short-term, it doesn't have the heat-sink area necessary to deliver high output long-term, so it's going into thermal shut-down. At least that's my guess.

I peddle the InnerSound amp, and it's a pretty rugged little beast. It's stable into a .3 ohm load, and it should be quite capable of driving your Maggies. I have several customers who drive Maggies (and worse) with their InnerSounds, and so far no one has managed to blow up their amp. If you get a used ESL amp, try to get either a Mk II, or an amp delivered since January 2002. Those dating later than January 2002 have a minor circuitry upgrade that makes 'em sound better - the upgrade is of course also incorporated in the Mk II amps, but was actually introduced a bit before the Mk II designation was introduced.

Best of luck to you!

Duke