Rotel RB-991 200wpc, audiogon, $450-550, see them about once a week.

Just read about your amp choice. Seems very interesting.

Every amp I've ever heard with a switching power supply has added a very disagreeable hash and blur to the sound. I don't even try to listen to them anymore. Perhaps, one day, one of them might surprise me. But not so far. I've filtered and filtered and filtered and filtered switching power supplies but I've never got one to sound good yet.

But maybe that's just me, as I am ultra-picky.

I love the idea.

The MMGs are incredible for the price.

I have not heard the other components you are considering and cannot directly comment, but what you are considering makes sense.

I agree that switching mode amps can sound harsh. This may be actually caused by their tendency to put electronic hash back on the line, thereby effecting other components. But I have also heard such amps that I like such as Bel Canto.

I just bought a Velodyne DLS-4000R sub ($350.00? at Audio Advisor) which I am using with Adam A7 nearfields with great success. I mention this as the Adams have a ribbon tweeter and a 6.5-inch Rohacell/Carbonfibre woofer cone, both of which are "quick."

I have always been curious as to what acoustic treatment is best behind Magnepans and similar designs - my guess is that they do not need to be as far into the room if the back wave is effectively damped.

I hope this helps. Your generosity in helping others and suggestions are always excellent and well-thought out. You deserve some effort from the rest of us.

As someone who has owned nothing but planar speakers since 1976 (new MG-1's). I have developed some opinions through experience that apply even though I currently own ESL's instead of Maggy's.

No amount of treatment can cure having them too close to the wall. If you go this route a combination of absorption and dispersion is the best way. Even then, too close means not worth having them. The rear wave is essential to panel (Maggy) sound. Most rear ported "monkey coffins" (boxes) need a foot or two behind them. Add another foot and you're in Maggy territory!

MMG's with a sub(s)are not in the same league as Martin Logan CLS's with a sub(s). You may be spoiled by listening to them. Given that the Maggy 1.7's are just being released, looking for a used or NOS pair of 1.6's may be a good idea. The price should be very good now and in the next few month's

Great info and ideas, JoeE

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The rear wave is essential to panel (Maggy) sound.

Do you know how/why? I've never given it much though until now, although I have liked the Magnepan sound every time I have heard it - especially with tube amplification.

The easiest and most trite answer is, the sound comes also and equally out of the back. I have used planar's as close as two feet from the wall. I was able to get away with it by using a combination of absorbtive, reflective and dispersive devices. That would be paperback books in shallow bookshelfs with various chotchke's and miniture stuffed animals randomly distributed. The sound would have been better with a distance of three feet and the same wall treatment.
In actuality, turning most Maggy's around and listening to the backside sounds better. The sound doesn't have to go through a perforated metal plate. This is especially effective on all the Maggy's with quasi-ribbon tweeter's. There is less of the perceived HF roll off listening from the back. The midrange will also be cleaner and clearer. The models with full ribbons will not show much if any HF difference backwards but the midrange will be better for the same reasons.

My current ESL's are 49" from the wall on the inside edges. The outside edges are 50 1/2" from the wall. The wall has shallow bookshelves, paperback books, lots of cotchke's and a choice selection of Beanie Baby type "thingies".
Someone gave me a "Splat the Roadkill Cat" several years ago. Since then others have given me thingies ranging from a Borg christmas tree ornament(It plugs into a light string and yes it says the standard Borg line) to Fowler from Chicken Run.

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The face of my current speakers are about 5 feet from the back wall (ala Cardas) and I'm essentially sitting in the nearfield. So, if I can take the MMGs back to three feet from the wall I'll get back more than 2 feet of my room. I originally thought I'd just remove the panels behind the MMGs, but I'll get to play with that when I get things in place. Thanks for the info.

I just saw this. Maggy's or planars of any type will be no problem. You could start 3 feet from the wall and shorten it by trial and error. Of course 3 feet sounds like a good distance. I imagine it will be nice to get some of your room back.

Thanks for mentioning the Le Amp II. I'm thinking of buying two because of your mentioning them. I have been doing some research on them. At the price I can't lose.

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The easiest and most trite answer is, the sound comes also and equally out of the back.

It does, indeed.

Exactly out of phase from the front. Which sounds like a headache waiting to happen.

So do we want this sound to bounce of the back wall and reach the listener or is it better to absorb it or completely diffuse it so it does no harm?

I have assumed that Maggies need to breathe so that the backwave doesn't create problems and that it is simply one aspect of living with the speakers.

So is the back wave desirable or is it a consequent side effect preferably removed?

FYI, the amp is a switch mode PS but has a chip amp for the output section.

The RB-991 Rotel has a large toroidal transformer, vishay resistors in the input circuitry, DNM slit-foil capacitors in the PS, the big main caps (about $200 each, and their are four of them!!..if you tried to buy them from... anyone) and nichicon-muse capacitors (with no magnetically sensitive metals in the capacitors) in other highly sensitive areas, including the input section.

To put it into perspective, you won't find the DNM slit foil capacitors in most $10,000 amplifiers. Never mind used 200/wpc amplifiers selling for $450.

This is a gift from Rotel, to the audiophiles out there. Seriously. You won't find these sort of capacitors and resistor choices in any other amplifiers in their price range, that I am aware of. The vast majority of buyers have no clue that stuff is in there. It blew my mind. That shit costs serious coin, and the only way to bring the price down is to buy and use in the quantities they are. It still affects the $$ bottom line, and it very much tends to ~not~ impact on the consciousness of the end buyers... so few 'mid brand' companies do what Rotel has done. As a matter of fact, I don't know anyone else who has done this. MUCH respect to Rotel.

Originally, Rotel had Rubycon 'black gate' capacitors in their gear, all over the damn place until they stopped making them, Rubycon stopped - they were too expensive. The manufacturing space in the given factory was too valuable for them to continue to make the black gate capacitors so the best sounding electrolytic capacitors in the world stopped being produced as it was not profitable enough.

For example, the original and earliest examples of the Rotel phono preamp, the RQ-970..has capacitors in it that would be about $150-175 to buy. You can practically buy an old one and strip it for the capacitors, as most of them sell used for about $120.

Let me put this into perspective: This stack of amps is right now, for sale in Canada. It is 4 rotel RB-971MKII amps and 1 RB-970BX. $500 cdn for all five.

http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/156516-rotel_rb_971_mk2____have_4_of_them__1_rb970_bx/

Now, each amp uses FOUR DNM slit foil caps in the main PS. The amp is 'semi-dual mono' in design, one transformer, two taps, two separate rectifiers and separate PS caps for each channel. dual mono, except for the single transformer. Now, the capacitors are 8900uf, 50V. DNM slit foil types. Lets go look at their pricing.

Parts connexion:
http://www.partsconnexion.com/capacitor_ele_dnm.html

10,000uf/63V is the closest I could find..and a bit bigger, they be..and they are $80.00 US each.

This means that the capacitors in the given stack of Rotels would be about $59.00US each to buy, on the street. And there are four of them. Now, most amps in their price range and power range have capacitors you can buy for no more than $8 each, on the street. It is not that the DNM's would be all that much more to buy if they were produced in the same quantity levels as the regular capacitors,but, alas, they are not. Rotel is paying more than if they were to use 'normal' capacitors, I can tell you that much.

If you had to buy just the main PS capacitors in those 5 amps, right now..it would set you back: $1180, plus tax and shipping.

All this is moot, though, if the given amplifier does not perform well.

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although I have liked the Magnepan sound every time I have heard it - especially with tube amplification.

Have you considered the Norh tube integrated SE18 which might allow you to spend those extra $$$$ higher up the Maggie food chain?
You would have to live with the Sub controls effecting the integration but I think it can be done and the tube sound / better Maggies might be worth it.
Anyone heard this amp?

very gentle music.

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Just an update:
I have the Magnepan MMG loudspeakers, Emotiva USP-1 preamplifier and found a deal on a used Emotiva ERC-1 CD player. I have been using one of my Phase Linear 400 Series I power amplifiers with these other components and am pleased with this iteration of the system. The 37 year old Phase Linear 400 still can deliver, even at 4 Ohms.

I will be getting a pair of Emotiva UPA-1 monoblocks; a Rega P1, Pro-Ject Debut III or Music Hall MMF-2.2 turntable; and, am saving up the money to hopefully get the Magnepan MMGs to Peter Gunn this fall for Magnestands.

I'll finish up my room treatments with two GIK TriTraps to stack on top of the those I already have in the front corners, and four GIK 244s, 2 for the rear corners and 2 on the rear wall. The six GIK 242s I already have are deployed at the sidewall and ceiling first reflection points and on the front wall.

Nice!

I've heard "Gunned" Maggies and love what he does.

I would suggest saving for one model higher, and go for 1.6/1.7 models.

I know people who think Gunned 1.6's outshine regular 3 series speakers!

Cheers, man!