200w/ch stereo amps: best 1 for under 2000 used?

I'm plugging the local product here - but a very underrated option in your price range is the Plinius 8200P (which is the power amp part of the 8200). I have been playing with one (hey, they are only USD1,000 here you know - I am thinking of getting three of them) and now that it has burned in, it beats many of the amps that go for USD2000 second-hand. It has recently bettered a Krell KSA100S (smooth, but lacks PRAT and dynamics), a McCormack DNA-1 (just a little too crisp and grainy, but good PRAT), Muse 180 (smooth and easy, but with a soft grain and dynamically constrained), and a Aragon 4004 MkII (not in the same league of any of the above) - and on some difficult to drive speakers bettered a Plinius SA100 MkIII.

Its strong points - neutral-to-warm balance (once run in), excellent PRAT, dynamic and extended. It loses out to the Class A Plinius stuff in terms of smoothness and the last smidgen of resolution - but the PRAT is perhaps superior.

I have to be careful here. One can certainly nit-pick this amp compared with the best. But I am recommending it enthusiastically for how it manages to put soul into the music and gets you playing your whole music collection.

I agree with Sean, you need more than 200 wpc in that big room. A Classe ca300 can be had used around $2000. I find my ca200 to be a good match with my Sonic Frontiers line2se, so a ca300 may work well with your line three. Hard to recommend an amp without knowing the speakers though.

First, a question for Redkiwi. What is "PRAT"?

Also, regarding power requirements, sound levels do not have to be earth-shaking all the way at the other end of the room. 200 - 250 w/channel works fine - especially with a pair of powered subwoofers handling everything below 40Hz. Listening position is about 10-15 feet from the speakers, which are Mirage M-3si's. As hinted above, I am considering 2 200-250 watt amps to vertically bi-amp the speakers which are set up for it. Alternatively, I could do it with 4 channels of a 200watt x 5 channel amp, like the EAD Powermaster 1000 -- which can be had very reasonably for the sound quality offered. What do you all think of that option? (part of the issue is long interconnects in the 2 stero amps vs. long speakerwire with the multi-channel amp). Thoughts, comments, suggestions?

PRAT is pace, rhythm, and timing. Sometimes it's tough to figure these out unless you drive on the wrong side of the road.

The sound-level at the "other end of the room" is not necessarily relevant. It's the total "volume" (Cubic Feet) of the room that needs to be pressurized and filled with sound.

If you're considering the EAD five-channel amp, I would also suggest that you look into the Citation 7.1 four-channel amp - 150wpc X 4 or 450wpc X 2. (Jeff's Sound Values has B-stock for $1095 ea.) You could actually buy two with your budget and bridge them to 450wpc and vertically bi-amp them as you've suggested. This might be a very nice solution.

In addition, I would recommend (for the money) a longer run of speaker cable vs. a longer run of interconnects. Others may disagree, but you can purchase a decent quality speaker wire in a long run for less money than a good quality interconnect of equal length. Plus, the longer the run for an interconnect, the more critical high-quality becomes to avoid loss of voltage, RFI, EMI, etc.

My two-cents. Hope it helps.