A decent integrated amp under 2K ...


I'm looking for an INTEGRATED AMP. My speakers are Altec 620A (100 db efficiency) and my listening room is 14 x 21. I mainly listen to digital files from my DAC (Metrum) but sometimes I feel less lazy and put on a vinyl on my Garrard. I don't need a phono stage, I use the one from another integrated amplifier (Spendor D40). Here's my shortlist:

1) Belles Aria Integrated (slightly powerful for my needs)

2) Croft phono integrated (since I don't need a phono stage, I think it's a shame to burn tubes for nothing)

3) Rogue Sphinx V3 (too powerful for my needs)

FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS: I can live with tubes but only in the PREAMP section and I try to avoid Class A due to the heat. I'm open to Class D (proof: the Rogue) but the choice is limited and these devices come with a bunch of stuff I don't need. I rather spend my $ where it will make a difference.

regards

128x128alaindexe

I may be late to the table here but I believe one thing that does not get talked about when choosing an amp for a highly efficient set of speakers is damping factor. Choosing a normal solid state amp on efficient speakers will strangle them.

Judd Barber of Joulle Electra fame talked about damping factor that anything above around 8 and the amp will start to swallow up the bass notes - this is compounded with high efficiency.  

Hence Croft makes it a great choice for your Altec speakers - it measures like a tube amp.

 

 

 

 

@waltroman : very interresting comment... I end up buying a Belles Aria Integrated about a month ago and I've been listening to it ever since... its damping factor is 2000 and I lost quite a bit of bass..I would like to compare with the Croft, but I don't know its damping factor and this info seems hard to get on the web...

Sugden A21se 25 watt class A. Even though your not up for tubes which I think will sound better with your speakers look at Rogers 65v-2. It only uses 2 power tubes el34 to kt-88 so heat will be minimum and tube cost is low. I owned Altec 604 long ago I would never consider solid state.