Tri-amping 3.6R's; what amp for the ribbons?

Bill,

Thanks for the advice. Until recently, I had the crossover closer to 300hz. But I experimented with it a great deal, and putting it at 200hz seems to make for a much tighter and faster bass. (That's also the crossover freq used by Magnepan.)

I'm amazed to hear you suggest the ribbons should be crossed at 10khz. I was thinking something around 1.7khz, which again is what the factor setup uses.

Have you tried this?

BTW, I really like the Class D technology, and would be reluctant to move to Pass amps. I think Class D sounds great with Maggies, and I like the lower power bills, less heat, smaller size, etc.

PS - I just figured out your name isn't Bill...

Gahh... typos.

"factor setup" -> "factory setup", meaning Magnepan's own crossover point is 1.7khz between the ribbon and mid panel.

I was just floating the idea that power needed is related to the crossover frequency. 10k was an extreme example and used to illustrate how little power is needed above very high crossover frequencies.
If you had the perfect amount of power per 'way', they'd all redline about the same loudness.

I'd generally stick to the stock crossover points. The folks in WhiteBear Lake spend a bunch of time getting that part right.

You say you like 'd'amps. I have one, too. So, I've got to ask, what do you NOT like about your current setup? Why do you think tubes are the 'cure'?

Several higher power tube amps may do. ARC would be on the short list, since many panel owners use and like them.

Well it's not that I don't like my current setup, just trying to improve on it. I thought there was a big improvement when I moved to a bi-amp setup, and I'm thinking tri-amping would be another step up.

It's my general impression that tube amps are known for their sweet highs.

I totally get the point about less power being necessary for the higher frequencies. I was thinking I wouldn't need anything near 125 watts, even with the crossover at 1.7khz.

And do you really think I'm underpowered with 500w per channel on the mids/ribbons right now? I'm surprised to hear that.

BTW, re the "farting" -- if you turn up the volume loud enough, peaks in bass will cause the panels to "rattle" or emit an unpleasant "thwapping" sound. At that point, I know I have to back off, and that's as loud as I can go.

I'm about to move into a bigger room. Wonder if I'm going to need to upgrade to the 20.1's...