Another Kef LS50 and Integrated Amp question. Under $2000. No DAC needed.

Rogue Sphinx or Pharaoh maybe used might come in under $2000. Both are tube pre-amp/Class D amp hybrids that I would strongly consider using.

I run my ls50s of an Audio Research sp16 tube preamp into Bel Canto ref1000m Class D mono blocks. I’ve had Dynaudio and Triangle stand monitors in there prior. The ls50s are the least bright of those three I find. Dynaudios a touch warmer overall and Triangles were closer to the KEFs but a touch brighter.

I appreciate folks' responses. I ended up getting a Hegel 190 from here. It's great. It's warm enough for these speakers. But just barely, if that makes any sense. I added an SVS sub for a while, and that helped. Enjoying the combination so far and very happy with the purchase. 

Thanks all for the input. Very helpful. 
The Schiit combo, and Marantz, sound real interesting. 

I run a Marantz  pm8005 to Kef R300s which are derivatives of LS50s with 3 drivers.  The amp kicks out 75 wrms at 8 ohms and is very capable of driving the speakers clearly to very loud volumes. It is both detailed and warmish. I auditioned the amp at the dealer with the 300s and LS50s as I was auditioning them too.The amp was fine with both. I also tried various Rogue solid state amps which did not impress me. I chose the 300s because they had more low end and seemed less bright. I have used the amp with other speakers and it performed well with them too. It has been updated go the pm8006 this gear by Marantz. It is made in Japan at their Reference factory and  comes with a 3 year  warranty.  It's available for about $1k.

Thanks for the responses. They are helpful. 
and thanks for the Rel T/5i tip - that's the subwoofer I'm aiming for down the road after I nail down the amp. Great to hear that was a meaningful addition for you. 
Any other suggestions for a warm sounding integrated under $2k are welcome. 

Schiit freya + and a Schiit Vidar,  gets great reviews and brings you into separates for reasonable money. Also brings tube option to the preamp that should give you the warmer sound your looking for. 

bcc,

Check out the link below for more info....

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/best-amp-for-kef-ls50

The impedance of the Kef LS50 dips slightly below 4 ohms at lower frequencies, so an amp with good current capability is a must if you really want to hear them at their best. I would consider a minimum requirement of 100W @ 4 ohms (w/ both channels driven). For me, the Bryston B60R Integrated Amp does a respectable job in my small (11' X 12') listening space.

As for brightness, I found a bit of room treatment necessary to satisfy my tastes. A couple of 3' X 3' acoustical panels on the back wall (behind listening position) did the trick. I also found that the addition of a small subwoofer (Rel T/5i) to be a worthwhile addition by providing a better misical foundation and overall tonal balance.