So I'm thinking about amplification these days. The wallet hasn't yet cooled down from the KEF purchase, but that's not exactly going to stop me from ogling fancy looking pieces of equipment. As it is, I've got the Onkyo 707 and the Emo XPA-200. My plans include moving the Emo upstairs and pairing that with one of their DACs, and then putting in a 5+ channel amplifier to replace it in the theater setup.
My thoughts are that
1. I'd like something in the 100W/ch 8 ohm / 200W/ch 4 ohm range.
2. I'd prefer something a little less deep than the Emotiva.
3. I'd prefer not to have to deal with something on the order of 80+ pounds.
4. I'd prefer something that under 7" tall.
5. I'd prefer something where the binding posts have a decent amount of spacing to reduce the potential for shorts (the locking plugs on my BJC wiring make me a little paranoid).
6. Made in the "first world" is always a bonus.
7. Given that the Outlaw 7125 meets all of these criteria except potentially the binding post spacing, and offers two extra channels to boot, I can't really justify spending much beyond $1000 (though it's not a hard limit by any means).
The only other amps that I've come across thus far that are somewhere in the ballpark of what I'm looking for are the Parasound A52 (costly, a little too deep), and the Adcom GFA-7605 (2 year warranty, made where?).
As always, thoughts, comments, concerns, and ridicule over my obsessive/compulsive ways are welcome.
