Looking for power amp with warm, smooth sound

Lefty,

I own the Monitor 270s, a smaller tower featuring smaller drivers than yours - so take this comment with that caveat in mind. In my set-up, a subwoofer filled in the missing bottom octave and a half and nicely balanced the previously crisp sound. Take a look at the "measurements" section in the Stereophile on-line review of your speaker. At a glance, (and depending on your room) it looks like a sub might work for you, too. If you can borrow a sub for in-home demo, you may want to try this.

NB - If this approach works for you, the Velodyne SPLR subwoofers are being closed out at app 50% off list at Audio Advisor and IMHO represent great value.

Good Luck,

Marty

B&K M200 sonata monoblocks might give you the tube like sound you are searching for; they show up used now and then.

Dump the speakers first ...then save money for a better amp

Thanks, everyone, for your great advice. I may have to buy new speakers and amp eventually. But for now, I will try the subwoofer suggestion first. I was looking at RELs because I like the smaller size and was told it was very musical and they are available locally. Are the Velodynes good for music?

I just last night purchased a Panamax power conditioner. It is the smallest rack mount unit they have, ~$300. I have not hooked it up yet. Should I run everything through it, or not the receiver?

Do cables really make a difference? How do I know what cables will make a warmer sound and which make it brighter? I read copper warmer and silver brighter, but there are so many brands, and some are really expensive. Since I have a lower priced system $1000 speakers and $1000 receiver, I can't see spending more than 10% or $200 for all cables. Can you suggest some good ones that will give warmth and tame the brightness in that price range?

I listened to some Quad 11L2 and 12L2 and liked the 12s. I also liked Dynaudio Focus 140, Vienna Acoustics Hayden and Mozart, PSB Platinun and Era D5. I wish I could compare them all to my Monitor Audio RS6s!! I hate to buy something new and have the same problem with another pair.

Finding somewhere that carries the amps you have recommended will be harder. I will search. Any other suggestions for amps, speakers or tweaks?

I honestly wouldn't spend too much money on cables or power conditioning if you envision upgrading equipment. You'll find yourself spending $500-$1000 on cables/power conditioning when you could just use that money on speakers or a new amp.

I haven't heard the Quad 12L2s, I do have a pair of 22L2s which have been wonderful for what they cost. Still tricky to pair with equipment, but much less bright than MA and just as revealing (much better soundstaging).

Once you're comfortable with the amp/speaker combo, it might be better to focus on cables. If you're getting great sound out of cheaper cables (with good equipment matching that YOU like), better cables will only further the benefit you've got from that good equipment matching.

I've gone through Cardas (Golden Cross, Golden Reference), Acoustic Zen (Matrix II and Silver Reference), HGA Silver Lace, Audioquest Panther DBS, Tributaries Silver, Monster Cable, etc. I've also gone through VH Audio Airsine, PS Audio Lab, Zu Audio Birth, Shunyata Taipan Helix and Python Helix power cords. All of these cords shape the sound one way or another (some for the worse depending on your setup/tastes). I seriously doubt any of the aforementioned will qualm an excessively bright amp or speakers to the point you'll feel satisfied.

Key word is excessive brightness. If the setup is marginally bright or you have a slight bit of etch, cables work wonders...as does power conditioning and adding/removing sound isolation....and speaker placement.