Best amp for Vandersteen Quattro?


Hope someone can help - I have a Mark Levinson 380s pre with an old pair of Electrocompaniet AW180 monoblocks currently powering my Vandersteen 2 sigs. I have bought Quattros and I am expanding my system for HT use and would thus need amplification for three more channels - I plan to move the EC's to rear channels and need to buy an amp for the main speakers - what do I buy to power the quattros? As I understand it (with the built in subwoofers of the Quattros) I do not need ultimate bass grunt but need an amp with a sweet and open mid and treble - am I correct? My budget is $5000.
Thanks
cft
I have heard them sound wonderful with the all of the Ayre amps. I think you can get the V-1XE used, in or close to your price range.
If you're not afraid of tubes...the Quatro is unique in that it has a near perfect 8 ohm impedance across the entire frequency range. This makes it very well suited to vacuum tube amplifiers.

Given your budget I'd recommend choosing a good tube amp that makes in the neighborhood of 100 watts per channel, although quality matters more than quantity with the Quatros.
Red Wine Audio - Signature 70.2.....$5200
Ayre, also match nicely with Quatros
Tube amps:
AR, Consonance Cyber 800

These 4 are as good as any.
I've heard them sound quite beautiful with Audio Research amps. I'd imagine any of the more open and clear tube amps like, Atmasphere, Manley and VTL etc., might work nicely. I usually prefer ss but in this case, tubes might be the ticket. If you prefer ss, the McCormacks usually work great with Vandy's. I'd imagine BEL and Threshold would work well too.
The only caution about the McCormack amps is that the input impedance on some models is too low to be compatible with the required M5HP (high pass filters) used on the Quatros.

They are nice sounding amps though.
I have heard them with Ayre, AudioResearch and Classe amps all with outstanding results (my dad owns the wood Quatro)
Give Richard a call and find out what he recommends. I'm sure he has something to say. More than likely he voiced them using a particular amp. (559) 582-0324
Sanders ESL monos produced some of the most realistic "life" sized images with great treble purity.
Theta Dreadnaught. I have used it with Vandersteen 2CE Sigs, 3A Sigs and Quattro speakers with great results. Smooth, extended and warm without any slop or overhang. Good luck!
Thanks for all the valuable input. I will now start hunting down the "bargains"
Regards
Quicksilver V-4, bulletproof easy to use, reasonable to retube and they sound great too! I am using them currently with 3A sigs & 2Wq's the four piece Quatro equivalent and they are great!
I use quicksilver v4's for the mains impressive smooth and sound great with vandies. I use a cary cinema 5 for the sourounds and center probably overkill on the cinema 5.
I am pretty comfortable that Richard would say the Aesthetix Atlas amp is about the best choice for the Quatro, its pretty new and to be reviewed soon,
It has the fikters built right in so you can rid yourself of the external ones and get back a bit of cash and Richard had input on this amp with its creator.
My dad bought one based on this info and Richards enthusiastic suggestion and it sounds great, its hybrid and runs around $8000 I think, its a winner!
i have settled with dual Meridian G57, but 1 also works fine. I think, they make especially good combo with any Vandersteen speaker. Midrange is not sweet at all, but dynamic and transparent. Bass is solid and tight. Highs are clean. Have tried other brands as well, including expensive Plinius, Krell, Manley - do not like them at all with Vandersteens. Audio Research is good, but i prefer Meridian even to Refs.
acoustic cables - OCOS, interconnects - top Kimber KS.