Maybe my comparison was too specific...

Than I would stand for Primere that incorporates details, sharpness, speed and power.

Well, I have used Adcom with an older pair of NHT's once upon a time...

but I can tell you, the NHT's would without a doubt perform better with higher end electronics...

I disagree with your formula. I feel that source and pre-power should be of utmost concern, with speakers being a bit 'lower on the food chain'. My rationale for this is that no matter how good the speaker, it will only reproduce what it's given.

I'm not sure why so many people discredit the NHT's. Under the right conditions, they can be really, really surprising. Very razor-sharp and detailed. They are built to be very precise, which is their claim to fame. They are also imaging champs. No offence, but I find most people who discredit them have not heard them with the proper equipment or have not heard them at all.

Without a doubt, the NHT's CAN and WILL benefit from electronics that are a notch up from Adcom and Parasound.

So, in a nutshell, the Primare is more forward sounding than the Classé? Is it more open and airy? I was not particularly thrilled with the Classé CAP101 until the MSB link DAC III was coupled with it.

But i want an amp that can stand on its own merits and not have to rely so heavily on source equipment, if you know what i mean.

Let's say to be short: Classe has no life and presentation while Primere is pretty full of life and presentation in general. Than I would look onto the factors like extention top-end,bottom-end etc... but if the first factor(i.e. how the amp "sais Hello to you":)) is absent than excuse me, I pass on this component. I believe that with NHT you might not realy eveluate neither of Classe or Primere amps. Thus I recommended you to look onto the other lines with cheaper price range such as Parasound, Aragon or Adcom. There you can find a descent amp for your speakers that is pretty powerful and within $500+-...
I usually have a general formula: $speakers=$amps. It's is more appropriate to have speakers more expencive than amp but not otherwise in most of the cases.

Though I also believe there are many better speakers then NHT for the money, with less excuses need to be made, I do however think the Classe would mate well with them from what I heard, as I found the Classe 101 pretty laid back and did have good bass articulation and extension you're looking for, offering a mid hall seating compared to a front row seat I'm fond of, but suppose it may balance the flaws of the speaker which you have recognized. Only way to ever really know what works for you is to just try it however, your ears are the only pair that matters, ultimately.

I appreciate the responses.

Perhaps i wasn't too clear about what is currently going on...

I plan to keep the NHT's, which, although having a hot top end, can sound very impressive for the money with the current amp/ preamp or integrated.

I will not be switching the NHT's (not anytime soon) as I feel that, for the money, there are few speakers that offer the full range sound that they do. Admittedly, there are speakers within their price range that do things better...bt they always compromise something too...whether it be bass response or dynamics or whatever...something is always lacking.

Despite the fact that the NHT's do not have the ultimate transparency, I feel that (for the price i got them), they deserve to be kept.

Now, as far as amps go...I'm not sure how to take your responses...

What aspects of the Classe products do you not like? And the Primare - what dont' you like ?

What would you recommend for my particular speakers?

I firmly believe that with proper matching, i can find an amp that will smooth out the highs and tighten up the lows...it is certainly not inconceivable.

I'm sooo confused because of all the choices out there!!

I tend to agree. That California-hot tweeter in the NHT is pretty fatiguing; and as you say as soon as you position for
a bit of softnening you get loose'n-boomy bass! Yech.
I'd change the speakers to something more neutral (NOT B&W...more of the same!). Revel F30 may float your boat at about the same price level for a trade.
Good luck.

i personally can say that i havn't heard any classe unit that sounded OK to me in different setups including with classe only electronics.
primere amp was OK and descent. it has a great feel of drive and life. i believe that you will not be able to appreciate this amp with NHT speakers and you can look up in aragon or adcom lines instead.