Ask Ivan. He is using some larger Canton Refs with larger Accuphase pieces.

Now using the Cary Rocket 88 amp with EL34s running in triode (20wpc Class A) and the 9Ks are very pleased (which makes me very pleased). Have now run the 9Ks with six (6) different amps rated from 18wpc to 200wpc and am quite surprised how different they have responded with the changes. The two biggest changes have come with time (think it took several hundred hours for the 9Ks to become fully broken-in) and speaker cables. That addition of WW Silver Eclipse bi-wire speaker cables was a quantum improvement in sound. And, the change to 20wpc of Class A power also made a big improvement. While I was expecting an improvement with the Silver Eclipse cables, the level of improvement surprised me. Same with Class A power. My previous experience with Class A amps was "no big deal". Not the case with my current system. Taken a bit of effort to reach this level of synergy, but am very, very pleased with the Canton 9Ks.

It's all about system synergy. I've often wondered what my Canton's would sound like with a pair of Pass Labs A=XA160.5's.

Amen to that............... could not agree more. Right up there with room treatments for impact on what one hears. Would like to sell the 9Ks and get either 8Ks or 7Ks, but am leery of the 'synergy' thing. Would it go away? Would it take another 1000+ hours of listening to settle in? Would I have to get a different amp(s)? Think I'll just listen for a while as these 9Ks are now sounding like I had hoped from the beginning.

I sometimes wonder that when Canton first envisioned developing a true reference line of speakers what engineering and production values where a priority for them aside from just making a great sounding speaker. Going now as I am on 4 years of ownership I feel pretty confidant that the answer has to be - make the piano sound real.

I'm saying this because a while back I picked up (on a Stereophile recommendation) a CD of the Helene Grimaud "Memory" (Deutsche Grammophon B0029051-02) title. It's all solo piano of classical music from the likes of Debussy, Satie, Chopin and others. I've listened to it many times and each and every time I cannot help but marvel at how pure and transparent the Ref 1 DC's portray her performances in my room. This especially at low listening volume. There's no veil, no scrim, nothing that stands between my ears and the purity of the struck piano chord. It's just brilliant.

I don't know anything about how an engineer/designer goes about voicing a speaker, but for some reason when I listen to this title it strikes me that the accurate and faithful reproduction of the piano had to be very high on their list of priorities.

In closing, I have to say this is the one time where the recommendation from both a five star rating for sonics and performance are spot on accurate.