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Sonus Faber Amati Tradition - How Many Watts Optimal?

Hi all,
I own a pair of SF Guarneri Evolution driven by a pair of Mcintosh MC75 MKIII and C22 and realized my room is too big for bookshelf. Just like many younger generation (I am 39) I like strong tight controlled bass while at the same time just like many audiophile I am always lusting for midrange to die for, so I have been lusting for Amati and last week during an audition in my local dealer I saw a brand new in box pair of Amati Tradition for a price I couldn’t refuse and I put a deposit. Now I am wondering about what amps I should drive my Amati Tradition with? I suspected it’s not an easy speaker to drive with 4 ohm impedance, sensitivity is quite high at 90db though, spec recommended 100-500 watts.

I like Mcintosh amps very much but I am not fanatical, initially I was thinking about driving the Amati in biamp while still utilizing my MC75 plus a pair more channel from new amps to save some dough but opinion seems to be divided in the middle regarding bi amping and it’s a big gamble for me to go bi amp considering the cost of extra cables.

What amp should I consider? I live in Indonesia so I don’t have much choice in regards of brands. I can easily source Mcintosh, Audio Research, Gryphon, Audio Note, Cary and some other more typical household brands. More exotic brands such as D’agostinos, Pass, T+A, Ayre and the likes are hard to come by and audition.

Lately I also been flirting with the idea of going integrated to keep cost down while keeping my previous system as second system and build an entirely new system around the Amatis, but I am still open to any suggestions because I know I will have difficult time explaining to my wife why I need two systems. LOL

Thanks in advance!
uwiikz

Showing 1 response by ei001h

ei001h
290 posts
 
You should be fine with MC75. Keep in mind both SF and MAC tubes have a very warm signature, which is fine if you enjoy this.

 Alternatively you can get two MC275 and bridge them as monos. Doubling power will add another 3db to your peak volume. Of course MC901 would be the best of both worlds, SS for low end and tubes for midrange and tweeter. 
 
Luxman L-590AXII is a Class A integrated that will make your SF less romantic and more detailed and accurate. It's one of the best integrated amps on the market now. 

But I recommend you stick with tubes all around. You can't beat the tube sound once you're used to it. Look into audio research, 160S, will be more detailed and accurate than MAC and still keep beautiful tube sound with plenty of power. 

You should definitely experiment. Also try a moderately powered SET if you can afford it. SETs sound beguiling with SF. 
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