Best Power amps in $7000 range

Fruff, I didn't mean to be difficult in my last posts above. I understand that it can be overwhelming but I think you are putting a lot of pressure on yourself, esp. when you say you want it to be your amp for the next 20 years. Thinking that makes it real difficult. As you have noted, if an amp is not to your liking, you can always sell it. But, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the choices you have listed. I prefer Pass Labs and know it will satisfy

Hey I understand what you mean when you say I've been through amps and I have realized that I only want a high powered one at this point. I feel the same way. Lower powered amps sound good, but something is missing and once you lock onto it, it's hard to ignore. That said, I think the idea of you spending 7000.00 on an amp when you have the sources you do is not the best money you could spend to make your system better. I'd get a 2k amp and a better CD player and table with what is left over, you would end up with better sound. If you are set on buying new from a dealer then you should get to take home as many amps as you want and make sure you love the one you are going to pay full price for.

And to put another fly in the ointment, pairing a 7K amp with a 1k preamp is not exactly making a lot of sense to me either. In my experience a 7K preamp with a 1K amp would bring far greater satisfaction than vise versa.

Seriously. Fix the Classe amp you love so much. That is a well respected company and once they fix your amp you can be assured that it is running at 100% again. Then go out and start shopping for a new preamp and new source players with that 7K that you have to play with.

My dad is replacing his Classe monoblocked CA150'S with the new Aesthetix Atlas amp, its 200w at 8ohm but at 4 ofcourse its got more power, if its double I dont know but its $7900 and blew us both away. It is a Hybrid tube/SS unit with zero feedback, Balanced and Single Ended, and has built in High Pass filters so good for sub matching and Vandersteen and other speakers with powered subs, I have heard far more expensive amps far less impressive.

McCormack DNA 500

if you buy used, add Pass Labs X350.5 to your list. Pass Labs make very good amps. Should last 20 years.