Yesterday I bit the bullet and ordered a McIntosh MC302 power amp @ 300wpc to drive my GE Triton Reference speakers. I was previously using a McIntosh MC152amp @150wpc but felt I needed a little more dynamic headroom. As I am trading in my amp for the newer one, this will take a couple of weeks as the dealer is across the country and shipping one way is 4 business days. I should receive my new amp around the Feb 27 or 28. I am quite excited and really looking forward to the extra power and dynamics.

Congrats on the new amp! Once you get it, try both the 8-ohm and 4-ohm taps. For whatever reason we find the 4-ohm taps sound best with our speakers.

Good for you, Stereo5!!

I have never quite understood why powered Tritons, with their internal amps to handle the power hungry bass portion, benefit from large external amp reserves. But I also believe they do.

I’ve progressed from AVR/120 watt max support for all channels to external NAD 150 wpc stereo amp for fronts to 200 wpc 5 channel amp help for the fronts, center and surrounds, and every step up has given a jump in dynamics. Is it the increased watt reserve, or the increased quality of the amp? I don’t know. I suspect amp quality plays an equal role. Folks with lower watt rating tube amps love their amps but concede bass dynamics aren’t the same.

I believe you’re taken a step up, for whatever combination of watt power and amp quality that represents. Let us know how it sounds!

Rick

I received the new to me amp yesterday. It is a monster. It's amazing how much better the speakers sound with 300wpc available. Here are a couple of pictures. If the pictures of non GE products is banned, then Mr. Moderator has my blessing to remove them.

Enjoy!!!!!

Well, well, well...I guess Congrats are in order. Congratulations, Stereo5! You have Arrived...at least for now. She's a beauty! I'm perhaps a bit jealous! I told the wife she didn't have to worry about me "trading up"...at least for now. I wish you the Very Best and many, many happy listening sessions.

On a side note:

I received a new cd in the mail last week -- Acoustic Alchemy/ Rosewood (2011)
The wife and I thought it would be interesting to have an "Amp Shootout"...
Contenders:
Adcom GFA-555 11 - (200 watts)
Emotiva xpa-1(Gen 1) - (500 watts)
Decware Zen Torri mk4 - (25 watts)
McIntosh mc152 - (150 watts) -- in both 4 & 8 ohm tap

All listening was done with a Primaluna Preamp at a volume of 90-101 db.

And the Winner was: My wife chose the Adcom GFA-555 11-- Reason: It just sounded best to her. I chose the McIntosh mc152 in the 4 ohm tap. I thought the bass in the 8 ohm tap sounded a little to rich and lost some of its detail. The 4ohm tap helped to correct that with better more defined bass but also required more power. The volume pot on the Primaluna was at 12:30 with dbs hitting 101 and the McIntosh power meters were hitting 150. The Emotiva on the other hand has an absolutely endless sense of volume, but the bass is wee bit soft in some areas...Great amp though! The Decware mk4 was the most transparent and sounded great, but runs out of gas in the lower 90's. Anyway, the wife and I had a Blast!

MD has a valid point on experimenting with the the different taps. Let us know which one works best for you.

Again. CONGRATULATIONS!