Good luck finding a high power tube amp. in your price range it is not feasible. Go with a SS amp and a Tube preamp. youll love it.
MM
MM
Building a Magnepan System, Please Help...
Hello everyone,
I am going to be shortly building an audio system, my first high end set up ever. I have decided on Magneplanar 1.7 speakers. The reason is that everything I have read seems to indicate that they are the best deal in audiophile speakers and the sound signature appeals to me. But since I have never built a high end sound sytem before, I need some help in picking components that match up well with the Magnepan speakers.
I am on a budget here. I want to get the best quality I can for the lowest price. I will even get the Magnepan speakers used if I can find them. I would like to be up and running for somewhere in the $3000 range but I can stretch that if need be.
I have all but decided on an Emotiva amp as they seem like a good deal and others have said they match up well and have enough power to drive these speakers.
So lets start out with saying that I bought a used but good condition Magneplanar 1.7 speakers for under $1500.
Then I bought an Emotiva XPA2 for around $700.
What else do I need to have a good startin system?
I have no intention of buying a subwoofer at this time. Maybe I'll add that later.
Do I need a pre amp to pair with the XPA2? I don't know too much about high end audio. What is the precise function of a pre amp and do I need one? Please recommend one for this set up.
As for the source, I would like to get into vinyl but I will hold off on that for the present. But bear in mind that I would like to be able to incorporate a record player into this system without much trouble in the future.
Instead of purchasing a high end CD player or SACD player, I though it would make sense to get a high end DAC for a computer source like a laptop so I can store my audio on my computer.
Can you recommend a good DAC that would be not too expensive but good enough to get the most out of the rest of the components I have selected?
So far I have, Magneplanar 1.7 speakers, Emotiva XPA2, maybe a pre amp and a DAC for running digital audio from a computer source. Not counting the cables to hook everything up, this is basically what I need right?
One final question. Should I also get a power conditioner to protect my components from surges and also to "clean" the power from my home outlets? I don't want to spend this much money and have my components damaged. If I should get one, please recommend one that is inexpensive.
Thanks for the help.
I am going to be shortly building an audio system, my first high end set up ever. I have decided on Magneplanar 1.7 speakers. The reason is that everything I have read seems to indicate that they are the best deal in audiophile speakers and the sound signature appeals to me. But since I have never built a high end sound sytem before, I need some help in picking components that match up well with the Magnepan speakers.
I am on a budget here. I want to get the best quality I can for the lowest price. I will even get the Magnepan speakers used if I can find them. I would like to be up and running for somewhere in the $3000 range but I can stretch that if need be.
I have all but decided on an Emotiva amp as they seem like a good deal and others have said they match up well and have enough power to drive these speakers.
So lets start out with saying that I bought a used but good condition Magneplanar 1.7 speakers for under $1500.
Then I bought an Emotiva XPA2 for around $700.
What else do I need to have a good startin system?
I have no intention of buying a subwoofer at this time. Maybe I'll add that later.
Do I need a pre amp to pair with the XPA2? I don't know too much about high end audio. What is the precise function of a pre amp and do I need one? Please recommend one for this set up.
As for the source, I would like to get into vinyl but I will hold off on that for the present. But bear in mind that I would like to be able to incorporate a record player into this system without much trouble in the future.
Instead of purchasing a high end CD player or SACD player, I though it would make sense to get a high end DAC for a computer source like a laptop so I can store my audio on my computer.
Can you recommend a good DAC that would be not too expensive but good enough to get the most out of the rest of the components I have selected?
So far I have, Magneplanar 1.7 speakers, Emotiva XPA2, maybe a pre amp and a DAC for running digital audio from a computer source. Not counting the cables to hook everything up, this is basically what I need right?
One final question. Should I also get a power conditioner to protect my components from surges and also to "clean" the power from my home outlets? I don't want to spend this much money and have my components damaged. If I should get one, please recommend one that is inexpensive.
Thanks for the help.
- ...
- 23 posts total
I am going to play contrarian on this issue. I believe that the issue of Maggies needing tons and tons of power is overblown. If one prizes natural timbres, dimensionality, and is willing to live with moderate volumes and less than plaster cracking bass something like this will sound fantastic driving a pair of MMG's (no affiliation with sellers): http://app.audiogon.com/listings/tube-quicksilver-m60-60w-mono-blocks-2013-10-23-amplifiers-83651 For even less money, and taking into account the issue of reliability due to age this is even better. I have heard this amp with smaller Maggies and the difference between it and something like a high powered Adcom is laughable. Tubes and Maggies with this budget is possible.: http://app.audiogon.com/listings/tube-audio-research-d-76a-tube-stereo-75-watt-audio-amp-2013-10-23-amplifiers-60 |
What Frogman is saying should not be dismissed. However, The difference between a McCormack DNA 0.5 deluxe and a high powered Adcom is also laughable. Forget Adcom. It is not necessary to have 1000 WPC to get decent sound from Maggies. I drove my 1.6's for a long time with the 100 WPC McCormack DNA 0.5. They sounded a lot better with 300 WPC McCormack DNA 1.0 monoblocks. Also not to be dismissed is the room placement issues to get the best sound. But---- Maggies not optimally placed, not optimally driven, maybe doing 85% of what they are capable of, can still sound better than most other speakers in a comparable price range. All speakers, planars or not, dipoles or not, boxes or not, rear vented, bottom vented, transmission line, accoustic suspension, horns, you name it--- respond favorably to careful system matching and room placement. Things get blown way out of proportion with maggies. Start somewhere then tweak, adjust, experiment-- it's what we all do, and what can make this hobby rewarding. My current set up with my MG 3.7R's is heavenly. But it didn't happen in a day. |
I used 360 w/ch Carver m4.0t (SS amp with tube amp voicing, not particularly high current)for many years with very good results with my late 80's vintage Maggies. Same amp did not fair nearly as well with similarly inefficient box designs with good bass extension that tend to like a lot of current as well. The Maggies were a much better match. ALso the best sound with Maggies I have heard in recent years has all been off tube amps typically 80 w or more. Soft clipping with tube amps may buy you more per watt than typical hard clipping SS amps, but better to stay away from clipping altogether. You need a lot more power with a SS amp in general to do that and avoid serious effects of hard clipping on sound quality. So for Maggies, I would go for as much power as needed to avoid clipping at target listening levels. Budget may limit options, but you may well get more than your moneys worth out of an otherwise lesser amp with the Maggies. |
- 23 posts total