Building the Audio Note Kit 1 SET amp...

Bass will ALWAYS be the achilles heel of a low power amp (and/or smaller speakers, especially more efficient ones in genral). Powered subs let you address the issue once and for all without having to change the rest. Its the most practical solution if you are already liking what you hear and just want to address the power for the bass issue. If the amp is clipping and distorting audibly on some tracks, and teh bass is not as tight and articulate as it might be otherwise, there may be other more subtle negative effects at play as well as a result of asking too much of the amp. If you ask less of it and let it do what it does best more effortlessly, you should be sitting about as possible.

Sitting about as pretty as possible, that is.

First, let me state that I love the blog, it inspired my wife as well. This discussion has been a most enjoyable thread, as was your thread that started this one on best bargain SET. These threads are amongst the best type that Audiogon has to offer with knowledgable friendly posters' (you know who you are).

Keep in mind that most of us are truly well-intentioned, want the best outcome for you; we understand that your choices will likely be different than our own, but we make an attempt to guide you to good possibility, to narrow choices from our personal experience, or something promising that we came across.

What I found frustrating more than irritating was that I thought we were operating in a parameter of suggesting/finding a speaker that would play well in a small room (11x10), with the type of music you typically listen too with limited budget ($2,000 or so). So, given that the conversation started drifting to upwards of $3,000 I felt I wasted a good deal of time working with the above parameter since higher price points bring more options to the table; hence, wasting my time banging the drum for a particular speaker, at a price point that performs as well or better than many speakers at $3,000 or above. Yeah, it was frustrating, because in my case I was looking for the reviews, cutting and pasting, attempting to bring points of view from some industry professionals to back my suggestion. It wasn't merely a extemporaneous respone, try speaker A, it's good blah, blah...there was some corroboration and research, plus I own the speakers. Then we are talking about speakers costing much, much more, hence the wasting my time comment.

"No home trials are available due to their pricing structure. He added that in 20 years of doing business this way they've never had a case of buyer's remorse."

No offense to you believing that Rebbi but if I had a dollar for everytime I've heard a variation of that line over the years, I could own them with the dollars! If this is truly the case, why not offer an in home trial even charging a restocking fee with the knowledge of the manufacturer that he won't get a return, it's never happened in 20 years. I don't want to come across as a cynic but really, 3K direct for a stand mounted monitor speaker is not chump change regardless of the seemingly steal of a bargain for the Dynamo integrated. In any case, I totally agree to live with what you have until you can sort this out throughly, ideally with your amp or an SET with the speakers under consideration. At least with Mikirobs' suggestion you get 60 days to listen first and they don't cost 3K. Advice is in plenty of supply but you have certainly demonstrated being shrewd and deliberate thus far. I'm sure you'll make the right move going forward. It will be interesting to us all watching how this plays out.

Mikirob,
Understood. Short of an unexpected windfall, my budget will not be $3000 and up. ;-)
And again, thanks for all the cutting and pasting.