Looking for power amp with warm, smooth sound

Lefty, Take your time and listen to and read about speakers until you find a pair that really sound great to you. There are a LOT of really good speakers out there and one (or several) is sure to be just right for you.

From there I would get an amp and cd player or turntable that work well with your speakers. Your fellow speaker owners are usually happy to provide suggestions for gear that works well with that particular speaker.

Then, if you want to spend money on better cables, interconnects, etc. have at it.

I think that you will end up with the best sound and save a lot of money if you have a little patience and do it that way. We all get anxious to buy new gear but it's best to take it slow and listen, if you can, before you buy. You learned that with your Monitor Audios. If you're somewhere where you don't have the opportunity to listen first, then read a lot of opinions and reviews until you're pretty sure you want a particular speaker and then buy used so you don't take a big hit if you decide you don't like it.

Just browse the speaker ads, there are always plenty of great speakers available and if you miss one pair that you're considering buying, another will always come along.

I can't see spending more than 10% or $200 for all cables. Can you suggest some good ones that will give warmth and tame the brightness in that price range?

My recommendation is to acquire the system & then check out usedcables dot com OR thecableco dot com for suitable USED wires within yr price range. You can try them out and return them if not satisfactory.

Plug in the conditioner! It'll take a little while, like all gear, to run in fully.

Sure... plug in what you have to it as well... if it's designed for everything. some filters are for front ends others for power amps, still others for analog. it shouldn't hurt to try.

One power cord upgrade at the point between the cond and the wall may be of immense help right there!

When I had my Monitor Audio Gold 60s all I had was a sony HT receiver. First I ran a dedicated ckt or two. that only proved out marginally better. Then I added some Monster M1000 ICs. Again, a bit better but nothing to write home about.

then I added a B&K amp, and quickly replaced it with a Krell amp. This was a questionable move at best.

Prior to letting the spkrs go I gave one shot to upscale speaker cables, again, Monster. I regret not having tried out more... but I wasn't then aware of the Cable Co. and their lending - renting library of cabling.

Figuring I had chosen poor components I sold off all of that system save for the Sony rec.

Cabling does matter. Component synergy matters too... but I feel now that with proper cabling and very good components you'll win far more often than you'll lose.

Don't buy things just because of brand name recognition to fill a spot. Think about where you want to wind up first... including what type of sound suits your ears and preffs... and simply go from there.

I feel MA are better suited to HT generally speaking, or with tube gear for music.

A sub won't reduce their top end energy/brightness... I'd look to the EQ in your receiver for that quick fix. it will help fill out and to some degree mask some of the lower midrange sibilence though, but going that way isn't an appropriate path ultimately. it's merely a patch and you're removing more than you are adding.

I tried a few subs too. I now have a Velodyne DD15. I didn't like it too much at first for either HT or music. Messing around with it some revealed a better more suitable setting in it's EQ which solved much of my disappointment. I now enjoy it a lot more. in fact it's very good for either HT or 2 ch. Placement mattered most there and then, dialing it in... and a power cord for it was THE deal.

Get a nice smooth power cord for that conditioner. Get some good cables for them speakers, like Audience or Synergistic Audio active cables, either will translate to other speakers along the way.

There's always two themes for gear you either don't want or don't want in your main rig... trickle down, or resale. I still got the Sony rec. the SR speaker cables, and the PSA UPC 200 power filter, they're just now in other rooms in the home comprising another system and I enjoy them a great deal regularly.

For a cheap but very nice fit for HT and music speakers that are revealing but not bright at all, try looking for some older Phase Tech PC (Premier Collection) speakers like the PC1000 OR PC10.5s. They're great performaers and possess super values. Why more folks don't talk about this speaker line up astounds me. They've been in business now for over 30 years and are quite inovative with several design patents many other speaker makers use frequently today.

Call the Cable Co.!

Good luck.

conrad-johnson

Thanks, Blindjim, for your history. I feel bad that I don't love these speakers since so many have raved about them in other forums. So, it is good to know that others have found MA to be more home theater than music oriented. I want warm, smooth, non-fatigueing music first. Then we can watch an occasional movie. I don't care if I hear every detail or if the blasts are thunderous. Music is what I listen to every day in the background, and we might watch two or three DVDs a month. Just not sure how to put a whole system together that is reasonably priced, when there are so many components and I need to listen to, in so many different locations. By the time I had listened to the 6th pair of speakers, several days had passed and I can't compare it to the others I liked somewhere else. Then add in comparing amps or receivers and then which goes with what. Its like solving a puzzle! Thats why I chose what I liked best at Magnolia with what they had available in the price range. But they don't play music that "moves me". Yet, in these economic times, I can't move up to expensive equipment. So that is why I am on this forum, avs and audiogon to get suggestions on how I can find what might best suit me in a moderate price range from people like you all that have experience with a variety of components. Something I do not have. I am here to learn and get suggestions so that I can direct my search, rather than just guess randomly or buy something in one day from one place (as I did with the monitor audio).