Budget amp that will give Magnepan 3.6Rs better depth of soundstage

[cdavis2260]

I don't know if this posing should be in amps or loudspeakers. Let me know if posted incorrectly.
I have 3.6Rs and using Emotiva UMC200 pre/proc and an Outlaw Audio 7100 in a 14 by 14 foot room. So I don't need to turn the volume up to massive levels. The amp will do 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 165 watts per channel into 4 ohms. I have been thinking of getting a separate two channel amp for the 3.6Rs. I have read that it takes lots of current to get the best soundstage with instrument placement and depth. I am getting wide soundstage and good sound, but the depth is somewhat muddied enough to not get instrument placement. I am looking for a two channel amp that will give me more of the potential of the 3.6Rs, but be able to be purchased for less that $750 used. Is there any amp that will be worth upgrading to for that kind of money or do I need a new pre/proc as well?

 

[highfigh]

The room, speakers and speaker setup create the depth- improve that and I think you'll find that most amps work very well for those speakers.

 

[Mikado463]

The room, speakers and speaker setup create the depth-

agreed, but given the OP's square room(never good) other challenges surface.

I think you'll find that most amps work very well for those speakers.

I love Maggies, owned IIIa's back in the day and will attest to their love of power and current capable amps.

 

[shadyJ]

Amplification has nothing to do with soundstage. Whoever wrote that has a very active imagination.

 

[highfigh]

agreed, but given the OP's square room(never good) other challenges surface.

I love Maggies, owned IIIa's back in the day and will attest to their love of power and current capable amps.

A friend had Magnapans in a room that was really not great for them, but the sound was great because he placed them away from the walls and the money seat was centered on the direct and reflected sound. IIRC, he was using a Hafler amplifier.

 

[ski2xblack]

Linkwitz suggested minimum distances for his dipole designs, and the Maggies, also being dipoles, should follow suit. In a nutshell: dipoles need a lot of breathing room; reflected rearward directed sound needs to be attenuated and delayed for maximum stereo illusion; that demands at least 4' distance between the speaker and the wall behind it, with less distance failing to provide the requisite delay and attenuation.

The Maggies may well demand an amp with low impedance drive capability, but that has little to do with the unique placement demands, and such an amp won't add depth of field to the soundstage of improperly placed dipoles.

 

[Mikado463]

Linkwitz suggested minimum distances for his dipole designs, and the Maggies, also being dipoles, should follow suit. In a nutshell: dipoles need a lot of breathing room; reflected rearward directed sound needs to be attenuated and delayed for maximum stereo illusion; that demands at least 4' distance between the speaker and the wall behind it, with less distance failing to provide the requisite delay and attenuation.

The Maggies may well demand an amp with low impedance drive capability, but that has little to do with the unique placement demands, and such an amp won't add depth of field to improperly placed dipoles.

agreed, whether it be Maggies or Logans, they gotta breath and when set up correctly it can be magical !

 

[Eppie]

Magnepan 3.6 manual recommends 75W to 250W. The Outlaw amp is pretty good and I would expect at moderate sound levels that 100W would be sufficient. I also had a friend in WI who had those speakers but he spent a lot of time experimenting with placement. The front panels were a good four feet away from the wall and he placed artificial trees behind the speakers to act is diffusers. That system still remains one of the best that I have ever heard. He was using Odyssey mono-blocks though which would be outside your budget.

I would agree with the others that placement will have the biggest impact with those speakers. The manual has some recommendations but you need to experiment from there. I don't think throwing money at amps will solve the issue on its own. If you want to play with amps for fun, an affordable option would be looking for a used Crown amp with a good 200W-250W per channel, but it won't be transformative. If you are looking to push the Maggies hard and get them loud, then some more power may be in order. The impedance specs are 4.7 ohms for the bass, 4.2 ohms for midrange/tweeter and 3.3 ohms for the ribbon tweeter, so you definitely want an amp that is capable of handling low impedance speakers and supplying plenty of current.

 

[TLS Guy]

I don't know if this posing should be in amps or loudspeakers. Let me know if posted incorrectly.
I have 3.6Rs and using Emotiva UMC200 pre/proc and an Outlaw Audio 7100 in a 14 by 14 foot room. So I don't need to turn the volume up to massive levels. The amp will do 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 165 watts per channel into 4 ohms. I have been thinking of getting a separate two channel amp for the 3.6Rs. I have read that it takes lots of current to get the best soundstage with instrument placement and depth. I am getting wide soundstage and good sound, but the depth is somewhat muddied enough to not get instrument placement. I am looking for a two channel amp that will give me more of the potential of the 3.6Rs, but be able to be purchased for less that $750 used. Is there any amp that will be worth upgrading to for that kind of money or do I need a new pre/proc as well?

Magnepan speakers are planar speakers and have a tight figure of eight response. It is quite impossible for Magnepans to have any significant depth of sound stage, no matter what amp you use.
If you do like the presentation of those Maggies, then you need to speaker shop and not amp shop. Looking for an amp to increase the depth of stage is a total waste of time and money. That is the absolute truth.

 

[mono-bloc]

I really think if your intending to use / own Maggies, then Tube amplification is the way to go. It's all very nice having a sp-called high output amp, But it's the quality of the signal that's important.

 

[TLS Guy]

I really think if your intending to use / own Maggies, then Tube amplification is the way to go. It's all very nice having a sp-called high output amp, But it's the quality of the signal that's important.

Tube amps are not superior to solid state amps, in fact the reverse.

 

[Mikado463]

I really think if you're intending to use / own Maggies, then Tube amplification is the way to go.

as a 'general statement' I have to disagree ........

 

[TLS Guy]

as a 'general statement' I have to disagree ........

Yes. As I pointed out the problem the OP is complaining about is generic to all planar speakers except, the Quad ESLs with the built in delay lines on the membrane. The OP can NOT change the physics of his speakers no matter what he does.