Quote Originally Posted by nightflier
While I am fairly happy with what I have, I also know from hearing other systems, that this isn't anywhere near where I want to be as far as speakers. I haven't settled on a pair yet and one of the attractive features of the Maggies to me is that when not in use, I can push them against the wall, which is not so easy with my current speakers. What is not attractive is having to power them with amps that take up more floor space than the speakers themselves (not to mention suck electricity right out of the wall and act like furnaces to boot). Your choice of Monarchy amps is a refreshing alternative opinion.

As far as your taste in music, your room, and the price point, we probably have a lot in common. I guess what I was asking is how do they really sound? Do you hear the limitations of the amp during passages with a wide dynamic range (e.g. Hovhaness, Strauss, Khachaturian)? Have you experienced any clipping? Is there compression in the frequency extremes?

As a side issue, did you try any class-D type amps? Of so, what did you or didn't you like about them?
nightflier,

The qualities of Magneplanars are apprciated by a lot of people, me one of them, although the small and mid-sized models aren't for rock music.

With the Monarchy SM-70 Pros, no, I haven't notice any compression and I certaintly haven't experienced clipping. I have run my 1.6s with over 320wpc using an Adcom 555II, and I don't feel I'm loosing anything in the bass for example. But I do attribute this to two factors: (1) I listen a low average levels, i.e. <70dB except for peaks, and (2) the reserve capacity of the of the Monarchys, 60,000uF per monoblock. A third factor might be the SM-70 Pro's, (but not all Monarchy models), provide better micro-dynamics, per Monarchy Audio, when driven by a balanced signal which, in my case, they are.

Yes, I've used a class 'D' amp. Actually a Bel Canto eVo2i 'Tripath' with 200wpc. The Bel was a very nice, extremely transparent amp, but I prefer the SM-70 Pro's with about 85% of recordings. The Monarchys are warmer and more "organic" while giving up very, very little transparency; they are also as or more dynamic and do bass just as well at my listening levels. Still, I would find it interesting to hear a good switching amp in combo with the tube preamp I acquired after giving up the Bel Canto.