Reference Amp Suggestions?

[HCMarkus]

Cberg, if you really want to improve the sound of your speakers, consider bi-amping with an electronic crossover, thus eliminating your speakers' passive x-overs and their inherent non-linearities. The distortion passive x-overs add is, like the speaker drivers themselves, orders of magnitude great than that generated by any reasonably-designed power amp driven within its linear range.

By the way, unlike speakers, the output of power amps can (fairly easily) be accurately measured.

Another by the way, referencing the aforementioned solid speaker wires... I recall reading about a test in which Home Depot orange extension cords (yes, cberg, stranded AC Extension Cords ) outperformed Big Buck$$$ Monster Cable in a variety of attributes considered pertinent by audiophiles. I'd guess no one could hear any actual difference in an A-B-X Test. Just sayin'.

The above stated, I won't deny that bragging rights can be important in many situations. So can warranties. We vote with our dollars, but some can afford to cast more ballots than others, and may thus have different priorities when selecting gear.

[daniel.sneed]

+1 on bi-amping.
Better control, more power, better low frequencies damping, cleaner high end.
And yes, I do have used the exact same speakers in passive then active mode.

[mikehalloran]

Monster Cable originally was a way to re-sell welding cable at exorbitant prices.

A friend of mine who makes ultra-high end boutique speakers will argue at great lengths the advantages of solid wire over stranded. According to him, solid silver cable out-performs everything and solid copper cable is next best.

I am of the opinion that, as long as it is heavy enough to show minimum signal loss, everything else is snake oil, smoke and mirrors. In other words: Marketing!