How is

Nothing standard about 2 bong. You only need one.

MC How could you not consider monoblocs as an upgrade? Better separation, cleaner bass, darker backgrounds, and no power supply intermodulation distortion. Plus shorter speaker cables. You know it's your next upgrade. 

Right. Like just tonight, really enjoying incredible music, except just couldn't get my mind off the distracting power supply intermodulation distortion. Damn that power supply intermodulation distortion! If only I had a couple thousand more I could buy the power cords and then with another ten grand a preamp and another 20 grand some good mono blocks. Of course I would need a new set of short speaker cables and some really long interconnects, another ten large, but totally worth it to do away once and for all with this vexing power supply intermodulation distortion.  

What, by the way, is power supply intermodulation distortion? What does it sound like? 

Like Noromance, I find it incredible that MC who constantly preaches how “everything matters” should dismiss virtues of separates and monoblock amplifiers.  I don’t run monoblocks, but I would love to try a beefy pair on my Maggie’s.  Come on MC, it is an opportunity to put more springs under more equipment.

@millercarbonI don't know why you believe someone needs to spend $20,000 on a pair of monoblocks to get good sound? 

I run a pair of Soundcraftsmen PM860 monoblocks that I paid less than  $500 for. Yes, they're 40 years old. But they put out 900 W at 4Ω (which my Martin Logan Spires love).  I drive them them with a 6SN7 tube preamp (Don Sachs Custom Linestage).

I also have a pair of rebuilt Golden Tube Audio SE-40 monoblocks (75 W). While they do not match the 'slam' of the PM860's, they are very musical. The cost was $400 for the amps, $1,500 in upgraded parts (caps, resistors and tubes) and my time spent soldering, for a total under $2,000.

Yes, you *can* spend $20K on a pair of amps but you don't *have* to.