Magnepans for the Blues?

I've only tried the 2.6's and based on those I'd say no way. They are very inefficient, rattle on any serious bass note and sound vague unless your head is stapled in one place it took hours to find. Maybe other models are vastly better, but think about your priorities, what you are after, and look for speakers with those strengths, because many designs have compromises to accomplish a unique effect in some area but your ears will find the flaws eventually. Satisfaction is when you enjoy the sound without analyzing it and being "impressed" in one area. You may give up something you want to chase an elusive quality in another area. Adventurous Listening, JAY

You're going to get completely different and diametrically opposing opinions about this. Some listeners prefer the propulsive slam of traditional enclosed cabinet speakers. The larger radiating area of a panel speaker is perceived as a more diffuse, less dynamic type of reproduction by many. Maggies sound different, only you can decide if they are your cup of tea. Personally, I prefer their particular virtues to dynamic speakers I've heard within my budget. I eventually had to add a subwoofer to supplement my 1.6's bass extension and achieve the sound I desired. In the end, the combined cost of 1.6's and subwoofer would have allowed a more expensive traditional speaker. I listen to Rock, Alt Country, Jazz, Blues, & Classical, so a speaker has to strike a good compromise in all parameters to make me happy. The main thing I don't like about Maggies is their power hungry appetite and unremarkable performance when driven by many amps that are apparently excellent performers with less finicky speaker loads. Your Rotel delivers 225 watts into a 4 ohm load, which should be sufficient. But you'll need to remember that all watts are not equal in the eyes of Maggie. Two amps rated the same output wattage may sound quite different and be more or less adept at handling the Maggie's load. If at all possible, I'd advise making the effort to hear a pair of whatever model you are interested in before to taking the plunge.

Very good insights guys. I listened to the 1.6's sometime ago so my memory is vague. I've been experimenting lately(which isn't cheap) with dynamic speakers and was curious about the highly rated 1.6's. Many highly accurate speakers to me have sounded boring. I've yet to hear a pair of B&W's that excited me for instance. The best sound to my ears to date have been from some less expensive speakers, Quad 22L's for instance.That's what makes this a great hobby, we can all agree to disagree.
Beernut