Tube Amps from China

Magnepans love power...

Back when I had 1.6QRs, I hooked up a "50" (more like 25-30!) watt EL34 Yaqin MC-10T amplifier. It sounded pretty good - provided you didn't listen at loud levels or any music with deep bass.

Perhaps a Ming Da MD75 would work...

but as someone already said, look in the used market first - VTL, Conrad Johnson, even Audio Research come along under $1k once in awhile.

Other option: get a good SS amp and run a tube preamp with it?

I thanks for the replies , right now I have Adcom 5802 to power my speakers with a Harmon Kardon receiver as a pre amp. I wanted to try a tube amp to get a better sound .

I also have a Sony 55es I might use as the preamp too.

Why don't you try a tubed pre-amp? I use a Conrad Johnson PV3 with a solid-state amp and it sounds wonderful!

Alphaattitude06,

Better sound is not just a matter of tube vs. solid state. More important is matching your amp and speakers. IMO, due to the higher cost per watt of tube amplification and the Maggies well-documented need for power you will have a much better range of options if you look in the solid state arena.

It isn't that you can't run tubes with Maggies, it is just that the tube wattage needed for Maggies will cost more than your stated budget.

It is all about synergy, especially between amp and speaker.

For example, when I had less efficient speakers (SP Tech Minis) that were known for liking power, a Butler hybrid amp was a great solution for me. When I moved to more efficient speakers (Von Schweikert VR-4s) I got a Rogue tube amp. Driectly comparing the amp & speaker combos, the hybrid amp sounded better with the SP Techs, while the Rogue was preferable with the VR-4s. The other combos lacked something. FWIW

Roscoeiii,
Makes a good point along with others here.I love tube power amplifiers but you'must' match them to an appropriate speaker or disappointment will be the result.
Your current speaker is`nt ideal for the lower cost tube amps you`re seeking.
Regards,