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Class D vs Class AB- Looking for best used budget amplifier for Magnepan MG12

T

thxbest

New Member
I am in the market for a budget used amp for my Magnepan MG12.

I tried Parasound classic line, model 2125 and currently using Parasound model 275. Both amps can easily drive the maggies up to 90db without any audible distortion.

I am considering a budget class D amp like Crown, Behringer etc. or a class AB amp with MOSFET output stage, like B&K or other options like, Parasound, NAD, Anthem, Sunfire etc.

Price range $300 - $600 for a used unit.

What I'm looking for is an improvement in power, soundstage and detail to get best performance out of the Maggies MG12 compared to current setup with Parasound 2125 or 275.

Amps came into my mind in that price range so far:


B&K ST125.2

Parasound HCA 1500A

Crown Pro XLi1500

Crown XLS2502


Questions:


1- Can Crown modern Class D-Drive Core Technology like Crown Pro XLi1500 or Crown XLS2502 with lot of power sound as good or better than a class AB amp with maggies?


2- Is B&K ST125.2 a good match or better than Crown XLS2502 for the MG12? Which one does sound better with the Maggies?


Thanks
 
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The Parasound A23 is on sale now at Audioadviser. It is A/AB with jfet input stage and mosfet output. I picked one up a couple weeks ago.It sounds incredible, big step up from the amp in my Yamaha RS 700.This amp is very conservative in it’s power ratings.Lab test rate it 145 to 150 watts at 8 ohms and 230 into 4 ohm. There is a great review on it with the lab tests from Australia.Hope this helpsi
 
thxbest said:
1- Can Crown modern Class D-Drive Core Technology like Crown Pro XLi1500 or Crown XLS2502 with lot of power sound as good or better than a class AB amp with maggies?
Click to expand...
Through the midrange, yes. Switchers do well in the middle. What will suffer is top end transparency. I used an XLS1500 for a while in one system.

Determine your priorities. AB alternatives will likely do better at the top but have less power.
 
how about something new and price appropriate, albeit this suggestion is a few years late.

currently testing: topping pa5 amp and ex50 dac (both trs balanced)
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/topping-pa5-review-amplifier.28512/
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/topping-e50-review-balanced-dac.26219/

after a suitable burn-in the detail and low frequency ability is more than noteworthy. current they sell for 350 and 270 normal pricing on amazon. add some 10ga speaker cables for optimal power transmission. results are enjoyable depending on how much the neighbors will tolerate.
 
indeed, maggies are hungry but they are also an easy load typically resistive and therefore any amplifier that can dump high amperage out the speaker terminals would be a suitable candidate. the pa5 is a minimalist go anywhere physical footprint that wont burn the house down like a class-a design.

the dac complements the amp since both have the same style trs in/outs although the multi component interconnect solution i pieced together on amazon might make some laugh and others inquire as to what insane asylum i escaped from.

in term of an advert, i have nothing so sell other than experience derived from an idea that became physical reality. if you demo the amp typically retailers have a returns policy if it fails to impress or has a metaphorical "intermittent" dysfunction. at such a low retail price buying new and having a warranty by an established hifi brand is worth considering. i am not a salesperson for topping or polk or any brand, just a specification junkie who is tired of over-hyped overpriced pump and dump garbage.

the performance results i am hearing when driving polk L800 to their peak suggestion healthy power and control.
https://www.polkaudio.com/en-us/product/floor-standing-towers/l800

if you want to go the next step up then here is a possibility:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...pping-la90-review-integrated-amplifier.33374/

d-demo.jpg
the long white things are 10ga speaker cables (amazon)

the L800 are being exercised next to R700 polk and some martin logans in the corners.
https://www.polkaudio.com/en-us/product/floor-standing-towers/reserve-r700

test chamber is about 19 feet wide and 33 feet long. i forget what the ceiling height is, measured it once. listener position slightly forward of room center. this is a business suite so concrete block walls and solid floor. neighbors never complain, truly a bonus when at 100+ db of clean performance. i really need to do close-ups of the little monster test rig and the interconnects. the little amp will light up four inefficient 10's to just under migraine inducing levels and yet stay clean and articulate all the way up.

obviously there is the potential for distortion when going too far. either the speakers cant handle the power or the amp run out of juice.

food for thought and perhaps some speculative engineering.
 
sae-7125 said:
in term of an advert, i have nothing so sell other than experience derived from an idea that became physical reality.
Click to expand...
Interesting this thread needed to be exhumed before the post as it was 3-1/2+ years old before you posted and I hope the OP has been enjoying speakers, even the 12s during that time. That is what lead me to question this post. It might have been a good thread started with your discussion of the amp/DAC and sonics with the gear you use.

My Maggies have a 90s era adequate class a/b amp or some tubes if I can live with the 4dB drop in max volume.
 
have you tried conrad johnson pv5 tube pre with phono stage? the pair of 12ax7 give the phono considerable gain in addition to the 4 line stage tubes. converting the phono into an aux input via the reverse riaa filter is favorable.

cj-1.jpg
cj pv5: power supply needed some love and then a recap happened.

cj-2.jpg
cj pv5 sitting atop the cj mf2200 (200w x2) specs at: https://conradjohnson.com/vintage-conrad-johnson-products/

sae-2.jpg
or if sae is familiar, the amp has some guts for bass thrashing especially after being recapped and inspected. still working on the nixie tuner.

for the reverse riaa filter (sometimes called inverse riaa filter): http://www.tubes4hifi.com/pre11.htm
*at the bottom of the page

works good for testing phono inputs on receiver or integrated without hauling out a table. smartphone+aptx bluetooth receiver= music source.
 
OK, I'll continue playing. Who in this thread was needing to try the PV-5? I'd entertain it here but it has some work to do to be top shelf. I do like the big honking film caps in the front right corner. If you have enough line level inputs, just leave the phono input as is. Plug your 3rd or 4th phono into it...my first two are already going to phono amps and into line level inputs.

That SAE stack is sweet. Had SAE driving some Ohm Fs in one of the college off campus houses I lived in back then.
 
you had mentioned "4db drop in max volume" and my recent experience with the pv5 came to mind, with the phono mod. if zero volume, on the knob, is at 7 oclock then loud is at 10-10:30 which leads me to estimate high noon equals deaf. an example of excessive gain perhaps.

ohm speakers are an interesting experience especially with original omni driver. have to careful about woofer excursion otherwise imaging goes out the window. pretty cool to see they offer an "in the field" driver upgrade albeit somewhat expensive.

https://ohmspeaker.com/legacy-products/f/

edge.jpg
 
ohm does a nice job of providing service/parts for older speakers. the F is changed but some folks can still rebuild it.

The 4 dB difference between the tube amps and ss amp was guessed at based on the power output difference. The tube unit has an input level control, the ss amp does not.
 
"I tried Parasound classic line, model 2125 and currently using Parasound model 275. Both amps can easily drive the maggies up to 90db without any audible distortion"

You need a bigger amp that puts out a lot more current than either of those amps as the 275 only puts out 20 amps, and the 2125 maxes out at 35 amps. The larger (and more expensive) New Classics 2250 produces 45 amps and is good for a 2 ohm load. An amp with sufficient power to drive them properly is going to cost money, either with a brand new amp or a recapped older model.
 
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