Since you have had no issue with the Soliloquy's it sounds like the James speakers have a crazy low impedance in the bass. When the CD gets crazy the speaker demands an insane amount of current from the amp into its low impedance and the amps protection circuitry shuts it down. I have used the W-5 in the past and it has loads of low impedance current so it sounds like the James has a poor crossover design that is causing this. Wally
Amp cutting out/shutting off at same place on CD
I have had a Sim Audio W-5 for about 1 1/2 years now and use it with a Sim Audio P-3, Pioneer CD changer and an MSB Link DAC III. I've been very pleased with the results using Soliloquy 5.3 speakers. Over the holidays, I hooked up a pair of James 10 Loudspeakers to give them a listen. I liked the result with them as well but when I got to track 6 of "The Big Picture", a Telarc CD of Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra the amp just shut off or cut out part way through. The track is one of the Apollo 13 Mission and is pretty intense. I tried it several times and at volume levels over 50% the amp cuts out every time. At 50% or less it plays all the way through. Do I need more power or is this normal? Has anyone out there had the same experience with this particular CD? Is the amp protecting itself by cutting out or is the CD overloading it or what?