As long as you're going 2-channel, why don't you go pro? Many people do; I've used a Crown Macro Reference 760 watt/channel amplifier for years and currently have a QSC SRA 3622 inserted in my system. Soundwise pro amps (at least the good ones) are the equal of any consumer amp, at any price (I...
My memory is a litte fuzzy here, but I'm pretty certain that Bob Carver was trying to duplicate the sound of a Conrad-Johnson tubed amplifier; the model number escapes me. He actually had to degrade the performance of his SS amp to succeed (which he did). This challenge led to Carver's "T"...