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In Reply to: Anyone using EVS500M ICEpower amps with their Maggies? posted by salijema on April 15, 2007 at 20:59:15:
You should check out the Murano amps. Same 1000ASP modules, $900 for the pair.
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Thanks for the suggestion. But it looks like the Muranos are $899 for each monoblock, putting them a couple hundred bucks less than the EVSs. I'd be interested in your thoughts if you have heard either of these driving the Maggies. For all I hear about the Magnepans being current-hungry, I just don't know if this format can put out the current that linear topologies can...or maybe they put out enough current to get the job done without being overkill.
OK, Everyone Listen UP!Maggies like power b/c they are just VERY INEFFECIENT! 82-83dB for 1 Watt! 1.6's impedance drops to like 3.5 ohms minimum - even under high drive conditions - actually the impedance rises from small signal conditions and the impeadnce. So let's figure out how much 1000 watts peak power gives you...
83dB for 1 Watt, 93dB for 10 Watts, 103dB for 100watts - now you can see why the maggies need power. With 100 Watt Peak power, you'll get peaks of "only" 103dB, while that would be enough for most program material, but with some very nice recordings the dynamic peaks @ 103dB means that the average pressure level in the recording might be around 80dB or so... not that loud! and certainly many of us like to play a bit louder than that - at least at times....
What about Current: POWER=CURRENT SQUARED*IMPEDANCE so for 100 Watts you get the CURRENT = Square Root (100/3.5)= 5.3AMPS Peak. That's a bit of current - but that's an instantaneous peak value - with the average value at least 1/10 that value with typical program material. Note also that the Reactance of a Maggie 1.6 is relatively low - it presents a mostly resistive load - which means when the current and the voltage track each other somewhat closely - an easy load for almost any ampilfier that is designed to deliver power into 4 ohms or so.
What about at 1000 Watts! It will deliver healthy 113dB Peaks out of the Maggies... with a peak current draw of SQRT(1000/3.5) or a peak current of a little less than 17 Amps and the average program material current at or less than 2 Amps. BTW, the peak voltage out of the Amp will have to be almost 60 Volts!
This is why the Maggies sound pretty good on pro-power amps as well as nice audiophile gear.
Oh, and for those that wan't to bring up that the line source has enhanced efficiency b/c SPL drops of less with distance than with a traditional two or three way "drivered" design. You are right - but I've compensated for the numbers (82-83dB efficiency) already for a traditional listening position with stereo speakers 2.5 meters listening position.
The becomes an issue with digital amps. I can't say it's true for the ICEPower design, but my Bel Canto 200.2 wasn't able to drive my 1.6's properly. It sounded great, but there just wasn't enough power. This meant that I had to turn it up past a certain volume to get full dynamics. With more power you shouldn't need to do this.
When you say you are turnibng up the volume to get full dynamics - that means either (1)the noise floor in you listening room is high - maybe caused be the amplifier having less gain compaired to the comparison amplifier - if that's the case - rotating the volume control clockwise a bit more corrects the problem. or (2) The amplifier has a high noise floor - this should not be the case for any amplifier that calls itself hi-fi. Or (3) the amplifier you have is actually significantly cleaner in sound than the comparison amp - but the comparison amp is prone to distortion and sometimes (no accusations here) some listeners perceive distortion components as a more dynamic sound (when it is actually a compressed signal).
I used the same amp on MG12's, MG10's, SL3's and Requests all in the same room as the 1.6's. Worked well on all of them, only the 1.6 gave it trouble. I experienced the same issue with my 2.7's until I bi-amped them (using 2 of the same amp), at which point they no longer had that issue.Maggies are power hungry, they need current. If you don't have enough you will notice the difference. I found it easiest to identify on low-volume dynamics.
Overkill a maggie?
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