reference 3a MM decapo ia or magnepan 1.7?

I found the De capo's to sound their best with amps that emphasize clarity, speed and fine details. SET's, OTL's, and well refined gain clones or class A amps like the Pass Labs First Watts. Your big Kenwoods would serve the Maggies best if you have a medium sized room. If you are in a small room, the De capo's would probably be the safe choice.

I have owned both MG 3A's, 1.6's and three different sets of De Capo's including the latest 2010 model with all the improvements. I recently upgraded th the Reference 3A Episodes. The big questions are, what size room are you putting them in and what amp do you plan on using with them? What types of music do you prefer, and at what volumes? They are both great speakers when paired with the correct amps, and they both do certain things very well.