need amplification help for sonus faber amati


Hallo everybody,

I was lucky to get a pair of SF Amati speakers.listening to them with a McIntosh mc402 and a preamp McIntosh c2200 does not satisfy me. I feel that the Amatis are just perfect for my ears but I need to amplify them better. I would like to find an amplifier and Preamp combination that makes them disapear completely. also I need a second hand combination under 10k € for money reason.
What is out there, a little bit older but still reliable (tube or solid state) that you would recommand to have a big soundstage, lots of details and enough power.
Thank you for your help,
greatings from Paris
Daniel

I also have two understanding questions:
1- the power rating seems so different between solid state and tube amps. why do I need less watts in tube amps for the same result?
2- what is more responsable for a wide soundstage: the amp or the preamp?
dacapobone
Room size? Placement? Are you using the spikes and are the speakers tilted back a bit? How far away do you listen? These things have a profound effect on soundstage. It also has a big influence on how much amp power you need.

What are your sources? Some create a good soundstage, some not so much. Cabling can also help with imaging or diminish it.

How your speakers are placed and aimed, how far into the room they are, how much distance to the sidewalls, your listening distance and position, how the room is furnished and damped--all these have a profound influence on soundstage and imaging.

Tubes seem more powerful because their distortion curves are progressive whereas solid state amps have low distortion right up to their power rating and then the distortion shoots up like a wall.

When Michael Fremer reviewed the original Amati for Stereophile, he variously used Conrad-Johnson Premier 12 monoblocks, Ayre V-1, and the KR Enterprise VT 8000 as amplification. He was totally smitten by that loudspeaker and didn't really mention differences in what he got swapping the various amps in and out, so they must have all worked at least pretty well. I'd go for an amp with some speed yet smoothness, and good bass extension and control.

Stereophile's measurements indicate that the speakers present a load that requires an amp that's comfortable in to a 4-ohm load. Your McIntosh has separate speaker taps for 2-, 4-, and 8-ohm loads? Try hooking the speakers with the 4-ohm output, and even try the 2-ohm taps as long as you're at it. You may find that the McIntosh is a better match than you thought.
Thank you Johnnyb53. There is a lot of good sens in your answer. I will be mooving in some month and will pay attention to have a good listening room.
So far they are standing in a big room and each of the speakers does not have the same distance to the walls on the side. I guess this does not help.
I have been reading the Michael Fremer review, but as you mentioned, I did not know on what amp he did realy like them.
In Europe I found announcements on resonably priced CJ Premier 12 and I wondered If they would still be considered as a having good bass extention and control. I also have been offered to by a ARC VT200 stereo. What is a better choise.
Last thing: how does the preamp influence the soundstage.

For information: I have Cardas golden reference cables (thanks to Microstrip!), a Cyrus 8x CD player with the external power supply.
I mostly listen to classical music , contemporary music, jazz and improvised music, sometimes a nice pop recording or some so called worldmusic.
I would go with a european amp... since you're in Europe!,
KR Enterprise, Nagra,EAR, Goldmund, FM acoustic... you name it! then, since y4're french: Jadis!!!
Ciao
E
You might consider the Gryphon Diablo integrated amp. There are two used ones now on Audiogon below your top price, and both have the right voltage for use in France. You may also be able to buy a used one within the European Common Market (Gryphon is designed and manufactured in Denmark). While the Amatis have a nominal impedance of 4 ohms, they dip down to 2.6 ohms, so you want an amplifier that is stable down to 2 ohms and that has enough power to drive the Amatis. I had a pair for seven years, and tried a number of amplifier=preamplifier combinations, both tubed and solid state. I didn't actually try the Gryphon with the Amatis, but have heard them in other systems. In my system, the best solid state amplifier that I used was the Accupahse A-50V, and the best tubed was the VAC Phi Beta integrated.