Acoustat model 22/2200

Acoustat’s are easily the best panels I have ever owned. My only regret was not keeping them. If you can find a well preserved pair, buy them. Great speakers.

I have had Acoustat 2s since 1981 and would never part with them.Just moved them down into the man cave and omg they sound incredible!
The first tip I would give anyone with Acoustats is:get some decent (not expensive)power cables.I put some ebay $32.00 a piece snakes on mine and boy did they wake up. Much better details and immediacy and even more transparency and low level details.
This makes me think about recapping the transformers.After all, they ARE 30 years old.
But right now they sound so good I can only imagine what mods could do.

I have a pair of Spectra 22s that I bought new years ago and I absolutely love them but I'm wondering if I could get more out of them with a better, more powerful power amp. (I'm using a Hafler XL-280 now.) There's a MacIntosh MC402 available at an estate sale here this week. Would this work measureably better with my Acoustats?

My thinking is with the Acoustats is that they put out only as good as they are given. The best I ever heard was a set of 2+2 with ARC tube gear. That was back in the 80s.
I don't have a tube amp but that is the way to go. I hear that the ultimate is a set of KR SETs. BIG MONEY!!!
That said I have a friend with the Dehavilland SETs that put out 50watts.We are going to try them on my model 2s soon.

Rageorge: I think your 22s are more efficient than my 2s. I would audition 100 watt tube push pulls or better still 200 watt push pulls like a ASL Hurricane which can run in triode mode over 100 watts.
Personally I have never been a Mac (amp) fan.Too expensive.Good build quality,ok sound.BIG MONEY. Better sounding gear out there for less.But if you can "steal" it for a song, go for it.

The amp you have is a excellent choice for the Spectras,you may want to upgrade what you have and put the rest in a tube preamp/phono front end. This may make for a nice combination of strength and beauty.
It all depends on what you want and what you listen to.Personally, tubes are the only way to go.

These speakers only repeat what signal they are given, so the better the signal....

Thanks everyone for your good advice. I do like my current set up but am always wondering about improvements that could be made. (FYI: my pre amp in a Lazarus Balanced Deluxe from the same era as my 22s (1990) and I have an Acoustat Spectra SPW-1 subwoofer as well.)

I'll probably take a look at the Macs just out of curiosity but I won't bite unless they're an absolute steal.

I've found a great guy here who is rebuilding my Lazarus and wonder if I should have him take a look at my Hafler also as it's been years since anyone has been inside of it. Good idea??