Best Amp with Magnepan 3.6's


Greetings - I currently own a pair of Magnepan 3.6's and am looking for any suggestions on an amp that would help me get the volume/sound I am missing.
My current systems is as follows:
Magnepan 3.6's
Rotel 1057 preamp
Rotel 1080 (200x2) amp
NAD 525BEE CD player
JL audio F110 sub
Transparent interconnects, and cables
As you can imagine I am not getting near the volume I would expect out of these 3.6's because of the limited power of my Rotel amp. I have researched different amplifiers and have it narrowed down to 2 (although I'm still open to suggestions). I've been looking into a Bryston 4B SST or a McIntosh MC402.
I would greatly appreciate any input or suggestions you may have. Thanks in advance.
gbowman11
I just auditioned a new pair of 3.6's with the vertical crossovers, and with both the Bryston 4B-SST*2 and a McIntosh.
The 3.6's with the all Bryston were astonishing. I was very happy with the quality of the sound, The lows. mids were a quantum jump better in speed, clarity, hearing stuff I never heard before on well known CDs.. and only the treble was not better than my current system (Forte' 4a amp, Audio Research SP-15 and B&W 805s speakers)
I am a treble freak, so that the 3.6 with the Bryston was 'as good' was pretty good.
As for the all McIntosh with the 3.6... All I can say is it was very disapointing. All the midrange magic (slam, speed, clarity) I could hear with the Bryston stuff, was missing with the McIntosh. The McIntosh was inferior in every way as far as the quality of the music compared to the Bryston.
I do wish I could hear the 3.6's with some other amps.. but the Bryston and McIntosh were in the dealers showroom with the Maggies.. But I would like to hear the 3.6 with some other amps.. Bel Cantos would be a good audition.. but no maggie/ Bel canto dealers...
friend of mine operated 3.6's with a Classe CA-400 with excellent results. Used a Melos SHA Gold preamp and Theta front end
Thanks for the info Elizabeth, you confirmed what I have heard from others and I am definitely leaning towards the Bryston, but now its between the 4b sst and the 14b sst. Not sure if the 4b sst would give me enough power. Seems to be almost double the price (here on the Gon), and I don't know how much different the sound will be or how much more volume/base I would be able to pull out of the 14b sst that I wouldn't get from the 4b sst.
I really appreciate everyone’s input... thanks.
The 14B-SST is a stereo version of the mono 7B-SST. The 14B-SST cost new about the same as a PAIR of the 7B-SST.
The 7B-SST cost for each mono amp the same $$$ new as the Stereo 4B-SST. (thus twice the price for a pair).
I would hazard a guess that the 7B-SST each chassis is really pretty much a 4B-SST designed to be one amp. (where the 4B-SST can be bridged, but ONLY for use into 8ohms.. the 7B-SSt CAN BE USED into 4ohms like the Maggies, as can the 14B-SST.)
This long goofy explaination is just to let you know why the 14B-SST (and the pair of 7B-SST) are TWICE the price of the $b-SST
Here are my ratings for amps with Maggie 3.6R's the I have actually had in my system:

1) Cary Audio CAD500 MB mono blocks (current)

2) Bryston 7Bsst

3) Innersound ESL 300 (sublime too)

3) Parasound JC-1's

4) Bel Canto Ref 1000's (not new version)

5) McIntosh 501's (not a good match)

6) all the othe.......

I am currently thinking of trying the Wyred 4 sound amps in a bi-amp configuration. Just to try and mess up a good thing I assume. I don't think I will sell the Cary's when I do that though, they are too good to let go of.