Either one will power your system to ear splitting levels. If you routinely take your system to full output you won't be able to hear the difference anyway because of hearing damage. I have both amps and the 7125 is a real beast for power but the 7500 is what I use to drive my Magnepans since they need a bit of power to sound their best. Also there just isn't a big difference in available SPL from the two amps. The 7500 has about a 2 db advantage at full power. You are right that the 7500 won't be driven to full output by the 8801 whereas the 7125 will be driven quite well to full output. Doing the math it would appear the 7125 would get a 20% overdrive for an equivalent power of 150 watts and the 7500 would be underdriven by about 16% for an equivalent about of just under 170 watts. The biggest advantage for the 7125 is the two extra channels. Since you may not use them, the transformer has a lot more headroom available for the five used channels and allows more flexibility for future additions to the system. Bear in mind also, that the mains could be bi-amped using the extra channels which would give them almost 300 watts available. The remaining channels don't need anywhere near the power from the 7125. I would save the money and get the 7125. Test it in your system and if it doesn't make it you can return it and get the 7500.
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Music system
Model 990/7500/Magnepan 1.6 QRs/Technics SL1200 MK2/Aperion S-12 Subwoofer/OWA3/Sony NS75H DVD
APC H15 Power Conditioner
TV System
Large Advent Loudspeakers/ Polk center/Monoprice surrounds/Panasonic Viera 42 inch/Onkyo HT-RC260/Sony BDP S590/Directv
Home Theater System
Onkyo PR-SC886/Outlaw 7125 Klipsch RF-82 L/R,RC-62 center, RB-35 SR/SL, BENQ HT1075, Outlaw LFM1-EX/OPPO BDP-83/Directv
Harmony ONE
Blue Jeans and Monoprice interconnects
APC H15 Power Conditioner