Best amps for Totem hawks?? please help

Bobrock - read here for one critic's comments about the A5 - predecessor to the A5.5.

http://6moons.com/audioreviews/musicalfidelity/A5_2.html

I couldn't agree more.

Had the A5 amp in house for a time. Listened via a Modwright SE preamp. In comparison to Bel Canto Ref 1000's, a Unico SE integrated, a Bel Canto S300 and an ARC 100.2, it sounded rather mechanical-- kind of like Thiel speakers have always sounded to me.
It produced a lot of sound and went loud easily. Good solid bass and imaging. Excellent at dissecting orchestral works and choruses into parts to be listened to at your leisure-- But little joy. This is the very definition of what many feel the high end is about; so for them- perfect amp. On the plus side, it seemed build to military spec and was silent in operation and happy to go about its business.
Unfortunately its 'business' was frequently to bore me into changing amps so I could get on listening to music.

Abramsmatch,

You thought the A5 was boring with Totem speakers? Funny, that's the same way I felt about listening to the Bel Canto S300i driving the Usher Be-718 - Ho Hum, didn't ring my "Bel" so to speak. Which is also funny because that's the same brand of separates the reviewer used for his glowing account of the Be-718's on 6moons - WIERD! ARC is nice... Never thought the A5 integrated was boring - muscular yes - boring, no. Maybe the A5 integrated has a better internal pre-power match than the Modwright-A5 power set up you had? Surprising.

And while we are at it, you really think the Unico can drive the Hawks to their happy place? They seem to crave power in a way the other Totem columns both larger and smaller don't - why I suggested something with at least 120 musical watts into 8 ohms, and doubling that into 4.

Although I like Musical Fidelity products, I personally feel they do not make a great match with Totem gear. As always, each persons take will vary. I'll stand by my Blue Circle / BAT recommendation though. :)

I agree with Rumadian - the key is low damping factor. Hawks love amps with low damping factor. It just lets them open-up and gives them a huge amount of body.

IMO you need a stable damp, but the watts aren't hugely critical.

I've run Bryston (3B-ST: plenty of power, plenty stable) with Hawks and it sounded good, but honestly a vintage Sherwood S-8900 (top-of-the-line vintage receiver from the days when a top-of-the-line Sherwood was as good as Mac) with 60 watts and a much lower damping factor than the 3B-ST sounded amazingly superior. Anyone could hear the difference immediately.