[o0OBillO0o]

Okay.. Whew!

So after some deliberation. I think I am at this point here:

78 Klipschorns with updated Crossovers from ALK ENG
2 X JL Audio Fathom F113 Subwoofers
Mcintosh MS300 (upgraded 750GB)
Sony CDP-CX400 (Mega Changer to import music to MS300)
Playstation 3
Apple TV
DirecTV
Project Debut III Turntable.
Sony 52KDL-XBR4

The planned upgrades are:
*McIntosh MCD500 SACD/CD player with Digital in (optical & Coaxial)

I would provide the digital out from the MS300 (Coax) and the SonyTV (Optical) to the back of the MCD500 for it's superior Digital to Analog conversion.

*McIntosh Integrated amplifier.

I can't make up my mind between the MA6600 and the MA7000. Both offer great features.

The MA7000 looks good & is very traditional. It has a plethora of knobs and buttons that pre-date notions of "firmware" and digital displays. This makes it very convenient to access any of the features all on the front face plate. It also has 2 sets of Balanced inputs however I don't think I'd use them. It has a set of balanced outputs that would mate well with the balanced inputs of my JL F113. Though, is it a truly balance design-does it matter? The handles really make it a statement piece, it could stand alone in the living room and even guests would be like, "That looks very interesting!?"

The MA6600
I can't retype all the great comments and reviews from the forum members and the internet. What I like is the ability to trim the inputs to match- that tosses into the other issues of the loudness wars in the recording industry. I also like the ability to add the TM2 tuner module which provides the flexibility to turn the MA6600 into a receiver. I like that each unused input can be shut down so I am getting right down to business. This costs less than the MA7000 and gives up some in looks, yet overall retains the greatest flexibility.

Tubes are out of the question because I do not want to have to replace them over and over-even if they get 4000hrs!

McIntosh MEN220 "Room Perfect" Processor
Today's modern tech has allowed the music listener to enjoy studio level performance in a home environment. I'm on the fence about this because room acoustics can be tackled in the analog domain through room treatments, albeit spouse friendly. I'd like to sample this regardless to see if it's worth it.

Lastly, I am still deciding how much longer I want to hold onto the Klipschorn. I started to look at what McIntosh had to offer, to include the XLS320 and XCS350.

Thanks for your input and feedback so far.

Bill