[Chiliman]

So, I was looking at some integrated amps on NAD's site. And I come across this when I am reading specs.

This is from C320BEE:
2 x 50W Minimum Continuous Power into 4 / 8 ohms
110W, 160W, 210W, IHF Dynamic power into 8, 4 and 2 ohms, respectively.

What does this mean?! If it pumps out 160w does that mean it would pair well with the Magnepan MMGs I have been fantasizing about for so long?

 

[zeppelin2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by http://nadelectronics.com/audio-topics/NAD-Full-Disclosure-Power Another aspect of power specification long championed by NAD is dynamic power. Since real-world program material requires short bursts of very high power rather than the continuous power normally specified, we also include dynamic power ratings at 8 Ohms, 4 Ohms, and even 2 Ohms!

Think of it as 'peak power' - high bursts of current for very short period of time.

 

[AlanY]

I believe IHF power is how much power the amp can maintain for 10 milliseconds. If you listen to music with a lot of dynamic range, it can make the amp sound more powerful than it is, but most mainstream music is so heavily compressed that it won't make as much difference as it might otherwise.

 

[Chiliman]

Can anyone comment on the MMGs with this amp?

 

[swt61]

That would be asking a lot out of the amp. If you don't need an integrated I'd suggest an NAD 2200 power amp. They can be had fairly cheap on ebay, and are rated at 100 WPC. They can also be bridged to 400WPC if you find a pair. I ran my old AMT-1D's off of a bridged pair, and they had gobs of power.

 

[Dimitris]

I think you will need more power from an amp in order to drive the Magnepan's to their performance level. All maggies are well known for that and the MMG's are no exception unfortunately.

 

[Wodgy]

The C320BEE I had was underpowered driving even fairly easy speakers. I wouldn't recommend it for Magnepans, though I have not heard that specific combo personally. I'm not generally a fan of the C320BEE in general. If you're going to get a NAD amp, get the C370 or its successor (the C350 was also fine). There are better choices in the lower end versus the C320BEE. Though my perennial budget recommendation, the A-35R, would also be underpowered for the MMGs.