system matching help

from your listings of music type etc. it sounds to me that the amp your purchasing might be the wrong amp for the music type. I do not think 11a c/johnson is right for your your application. Just my opinion! Based only on what i have heard listening to the c/j.

I question your overall strategy. Why start with the amp? Choice either your speaker or your main source component first and then pick an amp to complement. I do not think the CJ would match well with most Magnepans, the Dynaaudio Contour series or the ML CLS. These speakers require high current to sound optimal, the CJ won't deliver. You say that you've gotten advice from Audiogon members and while the forums are an excellent arena for exchanging audiophile knowledge, I believe you would be better served in system building by finding a good audio dealer instead. The multiple opinions of Audiogon members are probably too diverse to be of any real help. Magazine reviews are an excellent starting point, but a really good dealer is frequently necessary to make a system gel. BTW, I am not an audio dealer, but I'm someone who understands how easy it is to spend alot of money on good components and only end up with a mediocre system. Good luck!

Rock & Roll and TV... Why not just go HT? IMHO: I wouldn't spend that kind of money on your system relative to your music tastes... Seems like sort of a waste.

I agree with going with a good Home Theater system considering your intended use and music taste.

as a cj owner and lover, i'm a huge fan of the 11a and think that it is capable of delivering the current you would require to drive some of the speakers you mentioned (even the limited power 11xs drives ml's sl3's). that said, i agree that you should spend some time in a high quailty a/v showroom. and consider going with a solid state multichannel amp, around which you can build a really solid home theater set up. on this site i've seen some good deals on cj's solid state 5 channel amp, as well as some good deals on krell's (slightly more expensive) offering. there are quite a few good multichannels out there. with good front speakers, most will be capable of delivering excellent 2 channel sound as well. in my opinion, this makes sense given your 50/50 tv/audio split.