I've got the VP100 sitting on top of my TV, right at the front edge, and a pair of doorstops helping to angle it more toward the premier listening position on my couch.
I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean by "driving the Marantz into clipping". Does that mean I am turning the volume up too loud and the amp cannot handle it? Wouldn't that mean that the Marantz is underpowered and I need a more powerful amp? That doesn't seem logical to me.
You're right, rewiring would be somewhat of a nightmare and the Wife would probably just roll her eyes and say..."Haven't you gotten that thing figured out yet?"
I know that curiosity will get the best of me, so I'll probably try to switch out the amps.