The Ascends will sound equally great with any good-quality amplifier provided it has enough power.Originally Posted by sonnyt
This fact may be a surprise to you if you've been reading amplifier reviews in high-end audio magazines where the "sound" of a given amplifier is described in great detail. However, countless studies by qualified listeners, electrical engineers, and honest audio publications summarized here have consistently shown that when used within the range of their power capabilities at precisely matched volume levels, all good-quality amplifiers sound exactly the same.
Given the description of the car system you put together, I can tell that your standards are going to be pretty high. Since you like listening at such high volumes in a large room, I'd recommend getting the most powerful amplifier of decent quality that you can afford. Two names in good quality but reasonably priced amps that sping to mind are Rotel and Adcom.