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.
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.