$$$Sensitive Speakers with $$Amps?

VAC Renaissance (I can’t find this?)

The VAC Renaissance power amplifiers were superseded by newer models some years ago, but you'll find the 30/30 model (32 watts/channel) occasionally offered for sale used, generally for a bit more than $3K.

The 65 watt/channel 70/70 model also appears occasionally, generally in the $4K to $5.5K area.

The manual for the 30/30 is here, and for the 70/70 here.

Both are extremely heavy, which is reflective of the high standards to which they are designed. The 70/70 MkIII model (that I have) sold for about $14K when new, roughly around a dozen years ago I believe.

Regards,
-- Al

05-18-12: Atmasphere
... its nice to have some dynamic range available, even if it does not get used all that much.

One of the widest dynamic range recordings in my collection (although there are many others that are close) is the Sheffield Labs recording of Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet," conducted by Erich Leinsdorf. Out of curiosity, a while back I examined its waveforms on a computer, using an audio editing program. The difference in volume between the loudest notes and the softest notes was around 55 db!

On that recording, and quite a few other classical symphonic pieces I have on high quality labels that tend to use minimal compression, I frequently measure brief peaks at my listening position in the 100 to 105 db area, using a Radio Shack digital SPL meter, although the average level is by no means particularly loud.

Those peaks are not nearly as loud, btw, as those I heard when I once listened from the very front row at Tanglewood to the Boston Symphony Orchestra performing that same Prokofiev work. My guess is that the peaks easily reached 115 db.

Best regards,
-- Al