Hi!
I read a lot of threads since I started this one and I am still in the dark... Well, not total darkness but...! :o)

I was not able to find much information about the musicality of the different amps. There's a lot of talks about power and dynamics but not much about anything else beside saying that they are good amps. For my part, I don't really care about a difference of 2 ou 3 hundreds dollars when I will choose my amp, but I would like something that will be in the hi-fi competition rather than on the " brut power" competition, so to speak (I know it's more subtle than that but I want to make an illustration).

I own a stereo Arcam Delta 90 amp with 2 Pierre-Étienne Léon M2. My main source at the time (bought this 20 years ago) was a Lynn turntable. I liked very much the set-up and that british amp was dynamic enough and had the caracteristics that I like. Pure, brillance, good bass, clear sound and a good 3d stereo impression (soundstage, is it?). (20 years ago, that amp was around 1200 or 1300$ to give you an idea). Compare to the NADs at that time, which were very popular, it was more "musical". For example, the Lynn company made vinyls records who were amazing. Listening to a jazz singer Carol Kidd album was an experience. You felt the band was in your living room with her singing in your face...

I want to keep this kind of perfomance switching to 5.1. And I am confused with the comparaison between the XPA-5 (A/B), UPA-7(A/B) or RPA-2(H), or Outlaw products... I don't want to peel off the paint off the walls or crack my window pain when watch a movie. My main concern is to get a very good quality of music when I listen to a good cd in stereo (or in 5.1 with SACD or else). I want musicality first. When I'll get that, I am sure that I will have a HT that will meet my expectation. Am I looking at the right products? I am prety sure I am but I want to make sure... Even if you can try the amps for 30 days, I want to have a pretty good idea before making any move.

Wow... :o) Any thoughts...?

Thanks!!

Marc

P.S. sorry for my english,. I hope everything is understandable!