I have had and enjoyed Magneplanar 1.7s for over two years now. Maggie panels are a revelation. Even though my previous speakers were designed to reduce cabinet resonances as much as possible, I was unprepared for how *quiet* Magnepan speakers are, and how much noise and chesty resonances lurk in most dynamic speakers unless the designers take Herculean (and expensive) efforts to stifle box resonances. Then there's the larger radiation surface, which helps music scale up and down with ease. Even with the MMGs, their radiating surface is closer in size to a piano soundboard than a 6.5" woofer and 1" tweeter could ever hope to be. The effect is mesmerizing.
As for an amp, I find the NAD BEE series of integrated amps to be an excellent match. Buy the one you can afford. I auditioned the 1.7s with an NAD C175BEE (150 wpc) and it was a great match. They are very stable into 4 ohms and have a detailed yet organic presentation.
The MMGs are light. You can put them up against a wall when you aren't listening to them, in which case they take up very little space in your living area. Then you can bring them out into the room for optimum sound.
For more bass you could get the Super MMG package, which adds the $800 DWM bass panel for just $600 over a pair of MMGs by themselves.
