Moving from the Magnepan 3.6 to the 20.1

I would most likely buy a used pair. I'm with you on the power requirements; I only use my VTL 125 MB's for my Khorns (which I keep in the same room as the Magnepans. One nice thing about the Khorns is that they sit right in the corners, out of the way)...

For the 3.6's I picked-up a used NAD C 275BEE stereo amp; it is really very good, especially for the money! It puts out 150W continuous and has plenty of head-room for brief peaks up to 450W into 4ohms...probably not as good as a big Pass Labs, but it costs a lot less! Eventually I would like to get a big Pass, maybe a X250.5 or a X350.5 or maybe even a XA60.5... I have also heard that the Cary 500MB (1000 watts into 4 ohms) sound great with the Magnepans...

The NAD won't be enough. You need more. The best I have heard driving 3.6 is Classe CAM 350 monoblock. It has been discontinued. They sold for around $7,000 new so you should be able to find them used for less than half.

Now I think about it. You might be better off keeping the 3.6 and getting a new amp than moving to 20.1. Your 3.6 has been under-driven. You have not had a chance to hear what it can do yet.

Well, that is one option I have been debating... not sure which I will do first, a better amp or a pair of 20.1's.... probably a better amp though, so that I can see what the 3.6's can really do...

The 3.6 midrange driver is larger than the 20.1, and IMO they have superior sound, discounting the lower bass response!

I do not care for having magnets on both sides, in the push-pull configuration.

I would pick up a new amp first, before you buy the 20.1's, you will need it to dry the 20.1's anyway.

Many amps would be upgrades: the Cary's you mention which I have and love, Parasound Halo JC-1's (great), varios Sanders Sound (or older Innersound ESL amps), the Wyred4Sounds, Spectron (not my fav, but lots of folks love), the Bel Canto Ref1000's, big Pass or Classe are always great, well, they are just great period.

I don't like the McIntosh amp sound with Maggies, just my taste.

That all said, and I also own the 3.6R's, I think the 20.1's not only have more bass, but are top to bottom more coherent, have great seperation of instruments, and a bigger soundstage.

In my opinion, and it's worth what's being paid for it, I think the 20.1 is the best speaker I have ever heard, period.

Get the amp first, that may improve the sound enough for you to wait, but by all means, move up if you wish. I think I may do the same thing next year.