What "bad things" did they do if you don't mind divulging. I will power them with my 7500 which is good for 300w to 4 ohms. I have heard they sometimes flutter when driven hard, doesn't really hurt them but but I guess it can be annoying.

I doubt that it will take them six weeks to re-stock after the interest list buyers get theirs. They already have the stock on hand for those initial buyers, and I think it's safe to presume they have additional units in production to replenish that stock. I'd guess closer to early June or mid June.

I seriously doubt we'll see a little brother to the BDP-83 by September. They've been heavily focused on the BDP-83 so far, and I'm not sure they've even fixed in on a specific feature set for such a player yet. They'll need to develop at least some new board designs, then test it. The quickest turnaround they've had between player releases was going from the 970HD (released in May 2006) to the 981HD (released in December 2006) - and the 981HD had a lot of its architecture carried over from the 971H.

You'll probably be safe with the 7500, but the NAD definitely caused some distortion at higher volume. The tubes produce a liquid midrange I doubt you could duplicate with a SS amp.

If you like the liquid midrange of tubes try a tube buffer between your preamp and power amp, or the disc player and preamp. I haven't regretted buying my Yaqin, or if you want to avoid Chinese-made eqpt the Musical Fidelity units are good.

What NAD amp were you using? What power output? I am somewhat concerned about overdriving the maggies since I have heard about the distortion at high levels before. As inefficient as they are, it should take a lot of power to overdrive them. I have seen some reviews which suggest the 7500 will put out significantly more than 300 watts rated before it gets to its THD rated level and even more before it clips.

The NAD was a T761, which turned out to be very poorly built. It was universally hated by its owners. I believe it had about 100 wpc. But all watts are not created equal. My Jolida puts out 70 wpc, yet it plays louder, with far less distortion, and much more bass authority and control.

A well built SS amp should not be an issue. It's better to run an amp well within its parameters than to push it to its limits. You can always ask the store to hook the maggies up to your amp and see what you think. If they won't, see if you can do a home trial. And do yourself a favor and listen to what they can do with a quality tube amp while you're at the store.

Thanks akiddoc,
Problem is, I am in Miami and believe it or not there is not a Magnepan dealer near here. Deerfield beach is as close as it gets. It sounds like the NAD wasn't up the the challenge. I don't normally listen to music that loud and I am sure the Outlaw would do well with the Maggies but without being able to audition them I may have to wait a bit before I decide.

That NAD amp was very generously rated at 100wpc @4ohms. Small wonder it got sloppy trying to drive the Maggies at higher volumes. The 1.6QR needs a LOT of power. I have no problems driving mine with the Outlaw 755 (the predecessor to the 7500). The sound is quite luscious.

I'm a little unclear on the utility of a "tube buffer," but whatever floats your boat. I used to have a pair of VTL Compact 100 mono blocks. And while the sound was good, I think even the best tube amps available have a higher noise floor and lower S/N than our Outlaw amps. Glad it turned out OK for ya.

Best,

Pop quiz: what do the Oppo BDP-83 and Outlaw 997 have most in common?

Answer: they are both made in China.

Which is really too bad - and the reason why I declined Oppo's offer to buy one - and why I won't be buying the 997.

How much equipment is really built in the US and is it REALLY any better or just more expensive?