I am considering the 9700/7500/LFM-1 combo. My speakers are:
Front - Vandersteen 2Ce Signatures
Center - Vandersteen VCC-1
Rear - Vandersteen 1B

These are "relatively efficent" speakers...50 - 125 w/chnl is recommnded. Amps should be stable below 4 ohms. Listening room size is 15 x 12 x 10.

I am thinking that the 7500 may be "overkill", and perhaps the 7125 a better fit. I tend to listen at "full room volume"(?)...ie..LOUD

Any thouhts will be appreciated.

The Vandy 2's are pretty stout. My initial thought would be that it's better to overdrive them with clean power than overdrive them with an amp that would be stuggling to keep up. So I'd be more worried about a distorted signal at 130 watts than a clean 200 watt signal.

Cheers,

I'd get the 7500,I had the 7125 and it's a good amp but the 7500 seem's to give the mid's and low bass a tighter puncher hit.My speakers are very efficent(the lowest being 98db)so with 200watts you never worry about clipping the amp.My 7500 runs very cool on movies and gets just warm on 5 channel music at high levels.That's just my .02 !!!!

Thanks and I meant a 990, not a "970"

I've got the Vandy 2Ce's up front. Just sent my 7125 back for the 7500. 7125 sounded really good but I don't think I could go wrong for the boost in clean power (and for the good stuff that I've been hearing on the list about the 7500). I do know that the 990/7125 brought out sounds in the Vandy's that I have never heard before. I've spent many an hour in front of that combination since it arrived.