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

I'll say the Classe CA-200. It's smooth, like the McCormack and the BAT. Amps is what Classe does best. Give one a listen, if you can. Can be had used for about $1500 or less.

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.