Best Looking SS Integrated Amplifiers Under $2,000

http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/17011/Cayin_Audio-265_Ai_Integrated_Amp-Integrated_Amplifiers
http://www.musicdirect.com/product/86153
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?intatran&1260232691&/Musical-Fidelity-A5-Integrated
http://www.simaudio.com/mooni33.htm

beauty is in the eye of the beholder but having gone through your list of no nos (Onkyo, Naim, Rega, CA, Creek...) I have attached a few links that may be of onterest toyou. Some of my suggestions are greater than $2K new but can be had for under $2K used. Hope this gives you some new ideas. Good luck.

I think this unit is absolutely beautiful.Great sound also if it works within your system.I have no affiliation with the seller.

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?intatran&1260306355&/Marantz-PM-15S1-Reference-Seri

I must have missed that episode of Fernando's Hideaway. I'd never choose a component for that reason. It's a nice perk, if it happens, but sometimes my favorite sounding components, or the ones that go best with my system in my price range, are my least favorite to look at. In your price bracket, for used integrateds, I like the Italian stuff myself (must be my Italian blood). Unison Research and Pathos both make beautiful integrateds in that price range used. Need to stick closer to home and be patriotic - I like Manley's Stingray. Shindo makes pretty amps, but I doubt you'll find an integrated under 2k. Solid state? Fernando don't play that garbage in his hideaway. OK, pretty SS...hmmm Classe, Rowland, Edge, Electrocompaniet. They all look like boxes with blue lights and knobs and thick billet faces to me, but those are some nice treatments of that theme. As a previous poster pointed out...in the eye of the beholder. These all may be butt ugly to you.

The integrated I've owned that I liked the looks of most is the Simaudio I-5. It has the best ergonomics, as well.

Thanks for the responses. The Marantz PM1551, Electrocompaniet and Pathos stuff do catch the eye. Obviously, quality matters but if you have an audio component in the living room that isn't on all the time, so for part of its life, it is merely an object, then its appearance should matter. I need to please my ears and my eyes as well. The quest is on. Any opinions on the Onix stuff. As you may have gathered, I like black, matte (70s Sansuis) or glossy (Onix).

YBA is very nice looking too

Vivaslb...one of the things you haven't mentioned is the speakers you intend to drive with this integrated. It looks from one of your other threads asking about integrateds, you are running Paradigm Studio 20s. Is this correct? Not sure what version of the Studio 20s you have but the latest version (v5), looks like it has 90db sensitivity and 8 ohm nominal impedance. So not too difficult to drive and you should be able to use relatively low- to medium-powered amps to drive these nicely. Now you mentioned in your original posst that tubes are out, if so, the suggestion for Pathos above is out. Although if it were me that would be at the top of my list of integrateds (specifically the Pathos Logos but the Pathos Classic One MkIII is also very nice). One of the most musical integrateds I have heard for sure. The Pathos uses tubes in the input/driver stage but SS in the output stage to deliver solid bass foundation and control. But if you are still primarily interested in vintage electronics (for the looks), I would suggest you post on Audio Karma website (http://www.audiokarma.org/) where many of the members there are primarily interested in vintage electronics from the 50s thru the 80s. Good luck.

@Tbromgard - Oui, le YBA, c'est vraimente magnifique.

@Cmalak - yup, Paradigm Studio 20s. I just got my Onix A-120 and for now I'm all set. With the Onix CD-5 it is a pretty pair and sounds quite nice with the Paradigms.

Actually, all I need now is a tuner to match and Onix doesn't make one anymore.

Got a Sony XDR-F1HD1 tuner which pulls in stations incredibly well. Only beef with it is it is tiny, and looks a trifle odd on top of the Onix A-120, which btw is a great amp.

Primare I30

The gray Primare I30 s probably the next nicest looking IMHO to the Onix A-120. I prefer the glossy face of the Onix A-120 to the (at least in the pics on their site) more matte look of the Primare. The Primare has some sweet looking knobs, but I love the boldness of the gold ones on the Onix A-120.