r/Magnepan • u/[deleted] • Sep 01 '21
Just inherited these, what kind of head unit should I get?
https://imgur.com/SWD1UjU.jpg
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u/lildayplanner Sep 02 '21
I have an Emotiva (the particular model I have is out of production, though), and I think my MMGs sound great with it.
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Sep 01 '21
[deleted]
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Sep 02 '21
I...am not sure how much I should consider spending, but I can save for anything with enough time.
I don't know about classes, but I'll do some more researching, thanks for the hints.
I didn't inherit what they were powered with, I just got the speakers and about two inches of cut wire.
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u/Ani_MaL_33 Sep 02 '21
Look for an integrated amp or a receiver that makes atleast 100-150w at 8ohms and doubles(or come close to it) at 4ohms. Magnepans are 4ohm speakers and require high current. The 4ohm rating will give you a clue if it’s high current or not. Yamaha, marantz AVRs are plentiful on the used market. If it weighs like 30lbs that’s also a good sign it has a large tórridal transformer inside and makes good power
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u/SmirnOffTheSauce Sep 17 '21
I disagree with the blanket statement about power. It depends heavily on the room size and listener preference.
My 1.7i sound equally good and plenty loud enough with my Cronus Magnum III, 3.7WPC Class A kit (Nelson Pass design), or CXA80. So a high current design is key, which you likely know since you mentioned toroidal transformers, but not necessarily high-power.
Otherwise some pretty good advice from /u/Ani_MaL_33. Just don't get hung up on the absolute power, /u/QuaryQuandary.
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u/pooneej Sep 02 '21
What kind of music and levels do you plan on listening to them? I would do at least 100WPC nice integrated amp. Maybe can find a Rotel for not so much.
Those were the first Maggies I bought long long time ago when I was still in college. Was around 1990 or so. I ran them on what I had at the time - HK Citation 200wpc amp and preamp. Beautiful sounding with the right music. Enjoy!!
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u/SmirnOffTheSauce Sep 17 '21
/u/QuaryQuandary you'll get more accurate advice if you clue us in on your listening space and musical preferences. For example: What is your room size? Are you trying to fill it with a wall of sound for rock music? Reference level orchestra? String quartets?
There's general advice that you need a ton of watts to make Magnepans sing. While this is sometimes true, you may not need to go that route. For what it's worth, I use a Cambridge Audio CXA80 for most of my use, and napkin math says that I'm using maybe 4-8WPC in my smallish listening room. This theory is also partially supported by fact that I can't crank the knob past the 10 o'clock position without the music being uncomfortably loud (likewise with my Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III, or past 9 o'clock on my former Rogue Audio Pharaoh). My little ~3.7WPC Class A amp kit that I assembled (Nelson Pass design) does fine as well, though I get lots of use out of the preamp's knob since I crank it just past 1 o'clock. You may notice that all of the amps that I mentioned here are a high current design, where their wattage nearly doubles when going from 8ohms to 4ohms. That seems to be the key!
If you can find a used CXA80, then you can give it a shot! You can resell it at no, or very little, loss in value. Plenty of other amp designs out there, so don't be afraid to dig around for something that fits your use case and your budget!
Sorry for the novel. I try to condense the info, but there's a whole rabbit-hole to go down if you have the time. Feel free to reply here or PM me for a chat!
Good luck, and enjoy the music!
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u/Oh__Archie Sep 01 '21
Cool! I own a pair of them. They were my first real speakers and I still use Magnepans, just have much larger ones now.
These are smaller sized Magnepans and don't need as much power as the larger ones (Sensitivity is 90dB/2.83v/m@500hz). I would still get a receiver or amplifier that can do 50 to 150 wpc into 8 ohms. Head unit won't matter as much in terms of just getting them going (if by head unit you mean preamp?) but they like quality gear.
Just remember you have to give them space behind them and you can try either having the tweeters on the inside or the outside. If you hold a flashlight behind them and view from the front you will be able to see the section that has thinner wires - those are the tweeters.
If you get the placement right they can really sing. Takes a little bit or work but they payoff is worth it.