I was a happy man Monday when I was able to listen to a pair of MG 20.1s connected to a Pass X250.5. First, I have owned a pair of MG1.6s for 10 years and have never heard (or seen) the 20.1s. Then, when I saw the Pass amp connected, I was thrilled. It was a great few minutes of listening. I only wish I could have taken the set home!
Thanks to Nick and Greg at Audio Connection for letting me listen www.audioconnect.com.
Nelson, great products and thank you for your support with the DIY audio community.
Dave
PS, My Zen amp does not do much for my Magneplanars...but does great with my Tannoys upstairs!
Thanks to Nick and Greg at Audio Connection for letting me listen www.audioconnect.com.
Nelson, great products and thank you for your support with the DIY audio community.
Dave
PS, My Zen amp does not do much for my Magneplanars...but does great with my Tannoys upstairs!
Speaking as an owner of an older set of Magneplanar Tympani IVs, I would suggest that you consider building a set of Alephs. For better or worse, the Magneplanars are not paragons of efficiency; they take more power than a standard Zen can produce. Depending on your desired listening levels, you might also take a look at Nelson's A-75 and some of the First Watt designs. I can't see anyone getting by with less than 50-75W on Magneplanars. At least, not for anything more demanding than a string quartet or solo vocalist.
Grey
Grey
I agree with Grey. I own a pair of Magnepan 1.6QR's and just love them! Simply amazing speakers.
I drive mine bi-wired with a stereo A30. Nelson recommends the A-75 for Maggnie's in prior posts.
One of my best friends has a facory Aleph 5 with his Magnepan 1.6QR's and they also sound great. The additonal power is nice for his larger room. After listening to his set up, I simply had to have a pair. Once listen to a baffless set-up, I could not go back to my Vandersteen 2ce's. The poor Vandy's are just decoration in the corners of the room.
My own listening room is ideal for my set-up 12x17 feet. The room is lively and did not require as much power.
The Zen is definately under powered for Maggnies. I've heard the larger Maggnies sound wonderful with the larger Pass Labs X amps.
-David
I drive mine bi-wired with a stereo A30. Nelson recommends the A-75 for Maggnie's in prior posts.
One of my best friends has a facory Aleph 5 with his Magnepan 1.6QR's and they also sound great. The additonal power is nice for his larger room. After listening to his set up, I simply had to have a pair. Once listen to a baffless set-up, I could not go back to my Vandersteen 2ce's. The poor Vandy's are just decoration in the corners of the room.
My own listening room is ideal for my set-up 12x17 feet. The room is lively and did not require as much power.
The Zen is definately under powered for Maggnies. I've heard the larger Maggnies sound wonderful with the larger Pass Labs X amps.
-David
I'm glad to see a couple of responses here.
I use a pair of 115W DIY Aleph-X monoblocks with a pair of stock MG3.6's and I'm very happy with the sound. (See the AX100 thread). If you go over to the Audioasylum and Audiogon forums the prevailing opinion is that you need a lot more power than I'm using in order to achieve optimum results with Maggies. Maybe so. But so far I'm happy. Yes I would love to hear my speakers with a high powered Passlabs solution. But then again that just might make me unhappy with what I have.
At last years Burning Amp event Nelson told me that he too had once owned MG3.6's. (Maybe he'll add a comment here.) At the time we were talking about active crossovers. I for one am very much looking forward to the upcoming Firstwatt crossover offerings/projects.
Graeme
I use a pair of 115W DIY Aleph-X monoblocks with a pair of stock MG3.6's and I'm very happy with the sound. (See the AX100 thread). If you go over to the Audioasylum and Audiogon forums the prevailing opinion is that you need a lot more power than I'm using in order to achieve optimum results with Maggies. Maybe so. But so far I'm happy. Yes I would love to hear my speakers with a high powered Passlabs solution. But then again that just might make me unhappy with what I have.
At last years Burning Amp event Nelson told me that he too had once owned MG3.6's. (Maybe he'll add a comment here.) At the time we were talking about active crossovers. I for one am very much looking forward to the upcoming Firstwatt crossover offerings/projects.
Graeme
Big power is right. I listen to all types of music and power is a must. I use updated original Ampzillas for my 1.6s (bi-amped). [People have mixed opinions about these amps, but I did the updating and have not had any issues, plus they look cool.] I would like to build an Aleph or one of Nelson's other designs, but time does not allow at the moment. (I like tube stuff as well and time does not allow for much of that either).
I agree about looking forward to possible crossover ideas / projects. I have seen posts around about modifying the 1.6 internal crossover, but I have not done anything. Have any of you? My opinion (for what is worth) is the best way to tweak crossovers is with a very good outboard unit adjusted to your individual listening room. Since I don't have a very good crossover, I have left my internals alone. I do wish the connectors on the rear panel were made of a better material. I have notice over the years mine have tarnished a bit.
Dave
I agree about looking forward to possible crossover ideas / projects. I have seen posts around about modifying the 1.6 internal crossover, but I have not done anything. Have any of you? My opinion (for what is worth) is the best way to tweak crossovers is with a very good outboard unit adjusted to your individual listening room. Since I don't have a very good crossover, I have left my internals alone. I do wish the connectors on the rear panel were made of a better material. I have notice over the years mine have tarnished a bit.
Dave
i know this is an old thread but just wondering if anyone has any further thoughts on running maggies with pass amps.
Iam running mgII's rewired and sitting at about 5.1 ohms, they are powered with the venerable Pass A40 which is of course all bipolars not a mosfet in sight. Would like to run something more up to date . don't get me wrong the old A40 does quite well with my 12b4a line stage . but you know how it is the amps are allways greener in the other pasture.
Iam running mgII's rewired and sitting at about 5.1 ohms, they are powered with the venerable Pass A40 which is of course all bipolars not a mosfet in sight. Would like to run something more up to date . don't get me wrong the old A40 does quite well with my 12b4a line stage . but you know how it is the amps are allways greener in the other pasture.
You kinda missed the point...an Aleph-X is a bridged Aleph.
Big hardware? No more so than regular Alephs. The usual class A stuff applies. No more than. No less than. The Aleph-X runs with lower rail voltages, but with higher bias current. All in all the heat sink and power supply requirements are the same once you factor that in.
Grey
EDIT: Nelson, I don't know that the Magneplanars require something new, per se, given that you've got plenty of power in the X amps. That said, any excuse will do if you've got some idea you're wanting to trot out as new product. The AX series is...what?...six or seven years old now? Hmmm...okay, maybe it is time, after all. Hadn't thought of it in those terms. Then there's the pricing strain due to the collapse of the economy and...okay, yeah...probably time.
In my case I'm still running my (modified) Tympanis quad-amped, although I keep threatening to back up to tri-amp status just to simplify things a bit. (Passive between RD-75 mids & tweeters.) A heavy hardware solution--at least for me--is more likely to see duty in the subwoofer realm than on the 'planars. They're not efficient, but then I don't listen as loud as I used to, either.
Big hardware? No more so than regular Alephs. The usual class A stuff applies. No more than. No less than. The Aleph-X runs with lower rail voltages, but with higher bias current. All in all the heat sink and power supply requirements are the same once you factor that in.
Grey
EDIT: Nelson, I don't know that the Magneplanars require something new, per se, given that you've got plenty of power in the X amps. That said, any excuse will do if you've got some idea you're wanting to trot out as new product. The AX series is...what?...six or seven years old now? Hmmm...okay, maybe it is time, after all. Hadn't thought of it in those terms. Then there's the pricing strain due to the collapse of the economy and...okay, yeah...probably time.
In my case I'm still running my (modified) Tympanis quad-amped, although I keep threatening to back up to tri-amp status just to simplify things a bit. (Passive between RD-75 mids & tweeters.) A heavy hardware solution--at least for me--is more likely to see duty in the subwoofer realm than on the 'planars. They're not efficient, but then I don't listen as loud as I used to, either.
Nelson Pass said:I've run into so many Maggie enthusiasts lately that maybe I need to design
something bigger for them, not all these single-ended girlie-man amps for
Lowthers...
Thankyou kind sir!
I would like to get another pair of 1.6's for a second system.
SMGA's would get my innersound esl to go flat.
A set of 600w monoblocks would be like candy.
The first XA product was shipped over 6 years ago, but you will recall that
the products were updated to ".5's" about a year ago. It will be quite some
time before a major revision in products. Currently a Maggie enthusiast
should be happy with any of the current X or Xa's.
I was referring for the potential for a DIY design. The last DIY I did with
real horsepower was the A75, which was 16 years ago. The "Pass Monster"
was floated on this forum a couple years back, but nothing came of it, and
I took the position that "if you guys aren't following through, then you must
not want it that badly".
That's OK, but it perhaps points to the need for me to do something with
high current - I have a bunch of Apogee guys wanting to drive .3 ohms with
a voltage source.
the products were updated to ".5's" about a year ago. It will be quite some
time before a major revision in products. Currently a Maggie enthusiast
should be happy with any of the current X or Xa's.
I was referring for the potential for a DIY design. The last DIY I did with
real horsepower was the A75, which was 16 years ago. The "Pass Monster"
was floated on this forum a couple years back, but nothing came of it, and
I took the position that "if you guys aren't following through, then you must
not want it that badly".
That's OK, but it perhaps points to the need for me to do something with
high current - I have a bunch of Apogee guys wanting to drive .3 ohms with
a voltage source.
I built a pair of your Aleph 2 and love them. I am currently using them to drive a pair of full range stats which could always do with some more power. I would be most honored to follow a new high power diy project if you were so kind as to start one.
Thank you for your time and wisdom
Cheers
Greg
Thank you for your time and wisdom
Cheers
Greg
Nelson Pass said:I've run into so many Maggie enthusiasts lately that maybe I need to design
something bigger for them, not all these single-ended girlie-man amps for
Lowthers...
yeah no girlie- men in this thread.
but what would we call this he-man-amp? maybe the "Arnie"
or how about just "terminator"
seriously though I don't need 600 watts but around 100-150 watts into 5 ohms would even get Sarah Conner groovin.
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