Best Integrated, period.

When deciding on a integrated amp for purchase, the most critical thing to look for are the noise level's. If the amp and preamp in the integrated have S/N levels below 100 db's than you will wind up with a noisy product. The Gryphon Diablo amp S/N ratio is a terrible 88 db's. The Krell S-300i also has poor number's. Preamp S/N is 93 db's and the amp S/N is 94 db's. Vitus refuses to put their S/N
numbers on their website for the new RI-100 integrated. The best value integrated amp which is dead quiet and has a very rich musical quality is the Simaudio Moon 700i. The Preamp S/N is 120 db's. Thats damn impressive and hard to find an integrated anywhere with that high number. The amp section has a S/N of 105 db's. These are the kind of numbers you find in separate components.

Ghasley..the S/N number's I posted are on SS Integrated's only without phono stages. As always, the best way to test the noise from your component's is turn the volume/gain knob up
to max with no music signal and put your ear up against the tweeter. The best designs are as quiet as a tomb. Integrated's often have lower numbers since the amp/preamp are on one platform. Simaudio uses their patented Lynx or Renaissance circuit design which produces a much lower noise floor. For Sim to create an integrated with a S/N of 120 db's from the Pre section is a rare achievment. You will always hear some noise on very quiet low level music passages from a product with low numbers. It is subtle, but there.

Tbg..No, I am not a dealer. Just an Audiophile for 35 years.
There is no way in hell I would buy a Magico speaker. I judge a product on longevity and word of mouth reputation over magazine hype that puts products ahead of the line based on annual advertising contracts. Simaudio has been around since 1980 and their separates I have heard over the years are very musical and rich sounding. As far as speaker's, there are three models out there today selling for under $10K that will perform as well as speakers costing up to $40K a pair. The Swans M6F at $3750.00 a pair. The new Polk LSIm 707 at $4K a pair, and the best under $10K speaker that Michael Kelly has made to date from Aerial Acoustics, the new 7T at $9850.00 a pair.

What did you do Kiwi?..go fishing for numbers on anything out there?. The Devialet only weighs 14 lbs and is not a world class Analog integrated. It is a digital/analog hybrid with a class D modulator. Ho Hum..not in the same league as Simaudio. My focus is addressing an integrated that has the same low noise level's equal to the performance of the best separates. The Simaudio 700i weighs 54 lbs. and has power reserves that are not attainable in the Devialet. It is hard to find a high end analog integrated
that performs as well as the best separates. The Devialet is a great product for rich college kids in the U.K. since it comes with an Ipod docking station. ZZZzzzzzzz....

Tbg..was one of your kits from David Hafler's Dynaco company? Very popular back then.

Tbg..Too bad you couldn't afford back then the first stereo receiver in history from Harman, the Festival 1000, hooked up to a pair of AR speakers. My first system in the seventies was a pair of large Advents, a Dual 701 turntable
with a Shure V-15 cartridge, and the Sansui AU-7900 integrated amplifier at 75 watts into 8ohms..the sound was gorgeous..

There are about twenty companies globally producting integrated amps. Best? No such thing. The SS integrateds that are at the top of the game are from Gamut, Dartzeel, Sim Audio, Luxman, Accuphase, Musical Fidelity, Gryphon,
Vitus, Coda, and Hegel. The new Levinson integrated is forthcoming in late Spring and Rowland is considering puttting back out an improved Continuum 500 by the end of the year.

"producing"...

Just spoke to the Jeff Rowland Group. They confirmed their new integrated amp will be released this April and will be called the Continuum Series Two, and not the Continnum 500.
Specs are not available but Brandon at Rowland mentioned last year it will have the same power output.