Sopra 2 Amp Recommendation

Prior to my current pair of TAD Speakers matched with my Coda 16, I too had a pair of Sopra 2's. First paired with McIntosh MC 601 Monos (not good). They were bettered when I (finally) ditched  all my Mac gear and then fed them with a pair of Pass XA60.8's. They really sang when I replaced the Pass monos with my current Coda 16. The bass was deeper and tighter, and the mids and highs were more detailed without sounding analytical. If it helps, I have an Aric Audio Motherlode preamp that worked brilliantly with the Sopra/Coda combo that still serves as my reference preamp today.

Coda!

I will preface the following with this; for a dozen or so years prior to me selling off my Mac gear, I was a (naive) fan. Early in my audiophile days, I too became smitten with the big blue meters and the timeless aesthetics of the gear. To me, it never disappointed and always held their value when I decided to move up the line. In order, I had the following Mac Amps, 754, 150, 300, 501, 2301, and finally the 601's. Most of them fed a pair of PSB Stratus Gold speakers before I decided to finally upgrade my speakers...the Focal Sopra II was the choice.

They were a demo pair from a local shop so I know that they had been broken in some. At first listen, I was buzz killed with the lack of dramatic improvement...they seemed veiled, messy, slow and lifeless, with not much low end. I spent hours in repositioning and various room treatments that were acceptable by my wife, nothing. It could not have been the speakers, as they sounded fantastic in the shop, could it be the amplification?! I found a great deal on a pair of Pass XA60.8's and figured that if I bought them and did not like them I could easily sell them and recoup my investment, nothing lost but time spent. The Pass with the Focal was an immediate punch to my audio senses and they (the Pass) were to remain. My Mac days were over. 

Another great consideration...I recently heard the Atma-sphere Class D amps and was highly impressed with their effortless musical presentation.

The Pass preamp was your weak link...they are awful and pale in comparison to their amplifiers.