@bdp24 : Yes, I bought a NOS RM-200II from Music Reference shortly after Roger passed. I had a few conversations with him over the phone prior to that purchase, and some more via email. He asked about my specific system, listening habits, room size & set up, and associated equipment. He was very generous with his time, answering all my questions, asking me questions, and it seemed like he was truly interested in getting me the right fit(s). He told me how he specifically created the RM-200 for Magneplanars and other such speakers. But during those conversations he hinted that he held the RM-10 in higher regard overall. He told me that the RM-10 should be fine driving my Magnepans taking all that I told him into consideration. It was hard for my brain to accept that the 35 w/ch RM-10 could drive my large speakers adequately. I did buy a used RM-10, but I used it in another system. A year later, I bought the RM-200II from Tony at Music Reference and I was very pleased. I lived happily with that amp in the system for awhile until a power tube went & I didn’t have matched spares (ALWAYS keep spares!). I put a vintage tube amp that I kept as a backup in the system as a stop gap so I could listen to music. The amp is a HH Scott LK-150 (~60 w/ch). It sounded awesome in place of the RM-200, and the 60 w/ch was plenty for my room. That made me feel compelled to place the RM-10 in the system. Could this little 14 lb amp drive these giant speakers? Yup.. sure did. And as wonderful as the Scott sounded, the Music Reference was even better! When the new tubes arrived for the RM-200, I installed them, biased the amp, and left it in the system for a few months. It, of course, sounded great! One week when I was on “staycation” I conducted a 3 way amp shootout. The 3 amps all sounded amazing to me, with the RM-200 on the “almost too SS sounding” side, and the Scott on the “almost too tubey sounding” end. The RM-10 was right between them… “just right”. I’ve used a bunch of amps with several Magnepan models over the past 35 or so years, and this is about the best sound I’ve had in my house. I once had a Krell KSA-250… I should’ve never sold that one. I’ve been chasing that feeling of satisfaction for years. I believe I have that feeling now. As I wrote earlier.. I bought the Speltz Zeros so I could “light load” the RM-10 as Roger suggested. In the end, the man was right on. I should’ve taken his hints as an endorsement. He was clearly not trying to “sell me”, but steer me in the direction he thought was right for me.
Primaluna Dialogue Premium Integrated driving Magnepan .7 with Bypassed Fuses
Hi everyone,
I am a relatively new audiophile, joined Audiogon 2.5 years ago, and this is my first post. I enjoy reading the forum very much, and would like to say thank you to everyone who has shared their knowledge, wisdom and humor with me. For this my first post I am looking for advice: I have a pair of Magnepan .7 speakers with bypassed tweeter fuses, and I am wondering if I can safely drive them with my Primaluna Dialogue Premium amplifier. The amplifier has 4 ohm speaker connections, and using KT120 tubes in ultralinear mode it produces 43 watts per channel (per specs). What I don't know is how much current it can provide the Maggies which I understand draw a lot of current (I have not seen an impedance curve for the speakers). My listening room (aka living room) is approximately 13' x 16' x 7', with partially treated walls and corners. The speakers are on the short side about 3.5' from the back wall, I sit about 7.5' away from the speakers, and I listen to music at around 60-65 dB (C-weighted), sometimes peaks in the low 70’s. So my question is: am I taking an unnecessary risk driving the Maggies with the Primaluna? Can I damage the speakers if I play them too loud? In case you are wondering, after I bypassed the tweeter fuse and attenuator connections, the speakers sounder much clearer and precise to my ears in my room with my system.
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Great post @krelldreams! I’ve heard of some guys using the RM-10 strapped for mono, in pairs. I went to the RM-10 release event at Brooks Berdan’s shop in Monrovia, where Roger discussed the design of his little amp. After the talk I spoke with him for a while, and asked him if he recommended a pair of RM-10’s for use with stacked Quads (which I at that time had), or a single RM-9 instead. He said the RM-9, for its’ greater headroom.. The next time I saw him he told me he had been thinking about my question, and had actually changed his mind; he now would recommend a pair of RM-10’s over a single RM-9. I think I remember @clio09 saying the RM-10 had become Roger’s favorite push-pull amp of his own design. I use one with my Quad ESL’s (a single pair, not stacked). Being a Roger Modjeski fan boy (a badge of honour ;-), I have all three of his push-pull amps: an RM-9, -10, and -200, all Mk.2 versions. |
@bdp24 : Yes, I’ve read many of your posts over the years. The RM-9 is an amp I’d love to try one day! Also, I’ve been considering possibly getting my hands on a pair of the ET LFT-8b speakers that you and others have written about… but I don’t have any complaints about my current set up, so why fix what ain’t broken? The RM-10 is definitely a special amp (imo), and I would recommend it to anyone who values quality over quantity. Within its limits, limits which have proven to be surprisingly broad, it’s hard to fault. The OP described what I consider to be a great environment for this amp. I’m sure the Prima Luna he asked about would be fine too (in terms of power), which is what prompted me to chime in. |
@classic8 : I’m very glad to hear that you’re enjoying the sound of your system. In the end, that’s the most important thing, isn’t it? I’ve found Magnepan speakers to be special… not everyone’s cup of tea, but special for those who appreciate what they do differently from conventional speakers. Also, after reading your initial post, I strongly believed your amp would power them well. Happy listening! |
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