Beginner choosing amp help

Having auditioned both Luxman and Hegel integrated amps recently, Imy opinion is that both would provide noticeably better sound. Your speakers are 4 ohm and the manufacturer recommends amps with 20-300 watts power. That’s an overly wide range and I would recommend erring on the side of having more power, especially given the 4 ohm impedance of your speakers. Hegel amps are real powerhouses, and the H190 at 250 watts at 4 ohms would be a good fit. While at $4,000 it is a bit over your budget, it has the advantage of having a nice DAC as part of the package and it has an Ethernet port. My dealer indicated that certain Hegel products should be designated Roon ready in a matter of months. Purchasers of units before that upgrade will be able to download a firmware update to make theirs Roon ready.

Audition one at home (and some of the others recommended) and listen on your speakers in your room. That’s been my rule for many years and it has served me well. Dealer showrooms are often treated with acoustical panels and can sound dead compared to a listening room in a typical house. 

tbs, I would respectfully disagree with several of the recommendations involving 50 watt/ch amps.  Your speakers need more power as I explained in my previous post, even if you use a sub (which will reduce the power reqd. by the bass drivers in your MLs).  Also, while there is merit to moving your way up the quality spectrum in increments, I would suggest that you use your budget to define what you buy.  Why go through three tiers of equipment, if you can afford something you perceive to be better right now?  You will never get back all the dough you spend on the intermediate gear.  I have had the same power amp speakers for more time than most would keep their equipment and have never been disappointed about having spent what I could afford back then.  Besides comparable products to what I purchased would today cost two to three times what I spent.  

Also, there is no right answer to the question of separate components vs. an integrated amp with DAC.  One argument is that with separates you can chose the best of each component.  The argument for an integrated unit is that you'll likely spend less, and the better manufacturers do an excellent job of matching their pre-amp sections to their amps, etc.  And there are technical arguments for both separate pieces (e.g. separate, better power supplies) and integrateds (e.g. shorter signal path).   But the bottom line is to simply take stuff home and listen to it in your room on your speakers.  Enjoy the shopping experience.

P.S.   Buy cables that are consistent in quality with the rest of your equipment.