please help with amp and speaker selection

For 13 years I owned a C-1 as well as Carver's 1.5t amp. I would heartedly recommend the SimAudio I-5 over the c-1 & Mac combo. Carver's equipment looks good but that's about all it was good for. Although, I found the sonic-holography feature fun especially for 2-channel home theatre.

And the vintage Mac certainly won't get you any closer to state-of-the-art sonics.

But if you're considering a SimAudio I-5 for several grand, then I'd highly recommend you consider the Odyssey Stratos amplifier for $1000 new (see odysseyaudio.com website) and then a preamp for about $1000 also. The Stratos amp is one of the best solid state amps in the business and with a decent preamp, you'll have even better sonics than a more expensive (?) I-5.

-IMO

I have played a large role in the latest full blown mod on the Odyssey Stratos Monos.......a good amp. I suggest a better cheaper combo. A fully modified Golden Tube Audio SE-40-SE amp and a fully modified Marsh P2000 pre, DIY ICs, Goertz MI 2 Python speaker cable. Speakers?.......several.

Total ~ $2,850 less speakers.

Howdy,
I am no real expert, but I would drop the Mac idea and maybe list the Carver here @ Audiogon. I truley believe a budding audiophile should Find the Best Speakers you can afford that fit your taste. Trying as many amp combos as possable. I would even say Blow your wad on those Speakes. Then get a little cheap used Hybrid Int/Amp to hold you over till you find the componites you would die for. I bought a used Jolida 1o3 for a couple hundred bucks and now I have the tube bug! Good Luck ;-)

Ok..I've decided on a different route...a Classe CAP-101 ...purchased used here. Maybe now we can narrow my speaker choices!

I'm looking at the Simaudio I5 and the Audio Physic Spark III as a combo. Anyone have this setup or comments on this setup? Also which speaker cables to use? My room is 16w 19d and 9 high.