Amplifier upgrade advice under $2000


Hi!  I have a new pair of speakers on order and want to upgrade my power amplifier to be ready when they arrive.  My current system is Klipsch Heresy III, Onkyo M504 amp, MiniDSP SHD preamp/streamer/room correction, and SVS SB12 sub.

Scheduled to arrive in December are Ohm Walsh 2000.  Research indicates these like a lot of power.  If the Ohms don’t work out I’ll shop for a used B&W 804, so still probably needs good power.

So, with a budget under $2000, wondering if I can get something that sounds significantly better than the Onkyo.  Used is fine.  Brands I have seen come up in the price range are Classe (ca-150), Vincent (331MK), Krell, PS Audio, Parasound, Bryston, etc.

I want to know if this would be a significant upgrade in this price range.  My sense is that brands like Rotel, Adcom, Emotiva, etc. would probably not change the sound all that much.  I also have a Crown ps-400, for example, that sounds pretty much identical to the Onkyo.

I recently tried out a Rogue Atlas Magnum tube amp.  It sounded great with the Heresys, a definite upgrade. Unfortunately  it created a loud speaker hum that I was unable to fix.  But it did make me crave the tube sound.  But it seems like finding a high powered tube amp to work with the Ohm Walsh is going to be challenging.

Sorry for the rambling, basically, is it worth spending $1-2K on a new amp or should I wait until I can get into a higher price range before ditching the Onkyo (which has those awesome green meters!).  Thanks!
judsondickie
@ Judsondickie,
          Now that you have defined what you are looking for, pass that detail along to someone at Ohm and ask specifically what some of the pairings they used when they went to a show.  Dig for info. Find the amp that has proven to be a good pairing, then save up and buy one new.  I went so far in my search as to look up show records that gave system details of rooms. I'd be surprised if it doesn't sound better with what you have, OHM W did the NY Audio Show in 2017 with a simple Outlaw RR2160 Receiver.  Punch above your weight on your amp, and take that out of the equation for the next 10 years.  Cheers.

There's a couple of Anthem P2s on agon and ebay that can prob be had for your budget and its 325 w into 8 ohms 
I also have a pair of Walsh Ohms 2000s on order and am looking for a preamp/amp combo or an integrated amp.

Does anybody have any advice using tube integrated amps ?   What would the power output need to be with tubes to drive the 6 ohm Walsh Ohm 2000s (88db @ 2.8v) ?
I suggest you do research on the C-J MF-2200, MF-2300 and newer models to see if any of these fit your needs. They're very good performers and they last. Reviews are available online. I only had good experience with my MF-2100, driven by a PF-R or a PV-10AL, depending on the mood. (Caveat: You may need to replace the few electrolytics there are.)