Amp for Dentons…Sphinx or MAC4100?

So I pulled the trigger on a pair of Wharfedale Denton's which will initially be driven by a 40wpc NAD receiver. I was first thinking a Rogue Sphinx would be a good match but around the same money a MAC4100 receiver might be an option. I've always liked the looks of this unit but have actually never heard it, and obviously not with the Denton's. Is the MAC just a nice vintage piece and the Rouge better as a newer design, or might the MAC be even better than the Rogue? Vinyl performance counts!

 

Listening to vinyl with the Dentons (actually listening to the Speakers Corner version of Supertramp's Crime of the Century as I type this) and my experience is they're on the warm side so be careful not to pick an overly warm amp or you might find the high-end to be sorely lacking. As it stands, the Dentons have an ever-so-slightly rolled off high-end which is normally not an issue but it did appear to make some specific albums sound a little muffled in comparison to what I was used to, such as Bad Company's debut album (latest Rhino reissue done by Kevin Grey). Sounded killer with my previous speakers (PSB 600i) but lots of other stuff sounded aggressive or too forward. The Dentons fixed that issue at the expense of the odd album sounding a bit too dark for my liking.

The moral of the story is to pick your components very carefully. I'd suggest bringing the Dentons with you as you test these amps at the dealer. Since they're not heavy or cumbersome, this is one of those situations where it's perfectly easy to do so and you'll be glad you did.

 

Thanks Strat-Mangler, feedback appreciated! I really need to get these set up and broken in a bit. For all I know I might have all the amp I need.

 

I'm running mine with a Luxman 5m21 amp. 100wpc. I have run them with a nad 320BEE. 40wpc I think. I think the Sphinx would be great. As stated, the Denton's have a fairly warm sound.

 

I'd go Sphinx. In fact, I believe at least a couple people on the forum use the Sphinx/Dentons combo; the lively Rogue amp complementing the Wharfedales nicely.