rrog, thanks for your concern. i am not an idiot. the 2ce sig has warning lights, but i've *never* seen 'em. however, with dynamic music the 3B clip LEDs would flicker at the peaks at a very modest volume. i did not push beyond the flicker, but the flicker was all too easy to achieve. i have spoken to richard a couple times regarding these speakers, in person even. believe me, i don't need louder...with the 200w PS audio i almost never run beyond 25-30% indicated volume. at roughly equal (robust) volume, the difference between the 3B and the 200C is night and day. IMHO, these speakers sound far better in my room with some gutsy power, wielded appropriately.
re: ATI. i have a 1506 in the theater, bridged to 3x450w on the front stage. i hauled it upstairs (no small feat, at 90lbs) for a day or two and found it a bit harsh...which, through the laid-back vandys, is saying something. all kinds of bass control and WHOMP however. a fine theater amp, but just not musical enough for my purist 2-channel room. maybe the newer stuff is more refined? rrog...yes, i put a 450wpc amp on the vandys. my vandy dealer tells me that a little smoke is OK, agreed?
i'm currently leaning krell...though mccormack is an interesting wrinkle that i had not considered. i think a touch of brightness in the amp would not be a bad thing with the vandys. as i said, i was quite fond of the acurus, which has a reputation for considerable brightness. back to mondial/aragon?
[wrings hands and goes off to look through the classifieds for the 5th time today...]
