Powering my Magnepan 3.7i speakers.

It has taken since February to get my power amp recapped and repaired at a cost of a little over $800.  Of course it was worth about $800 when working. Only $100 of the bill was repairs, the remaining $700 was an extensive recapping including the two huge coffee can size capacitors. I never thought the Yamaha could be hurt but the repair guy asked me: “You didn’t use this on any 4 ohm speakers because that’s what it looks like and it tore up the insides of your Yamaha”? I didn’t lie but tomorrow the Yamaha will only be used for 8 ohm loads. I still have my restored Dahlquist DQ10 speakers and the Yamaha will drive those exclusively.   I will get the replaced parts and I look forward to inspecting them.

So I have been using a Sanders Magtech to drive the Magnepan and been happy with 900 wpc.  I now listen at lower sound levels because I can find the sound I was listening for at those lowered levels.  With the Yamaha I was searching for something, with the volume knob, that I was never going to get at any SPL.

I still have the ambition to replace my Rotel pre amp. A Parasound Halo JC Preamp leads the list of candidates.  Also on the list would be a Hegel P20 and a Naim NAC N 272 preamp/streamer.  I can pick up the Parasound locally and hopefully listen first. I don’t think I have local sources for Hegel or Naim and the musicality is far more important to me than streaming.

The Parasound retains it value so well I don’t see the value in buying one used? I did have an issue with speaker placement. My Magnepan speakers were on my long wall, 4’ from the back wall and too far apart.  Now the speakers are the same distance from each other as they are from me and they sound much better.

I think that is how my system will shake out.  I wanted to share an update with the group as a way of thanking folks for all their kind contributions.