Budget integrated amp?

Every component and brand within its class has its own bespoke sonic signature .
If we knew what his speakers are, then we could offer a much improved tailored-for-him optimal system synergy option for his new integrated amp .

TAKEAWAY:

That approach also applies at the budget-class strata requested herein.

Whats been blindly offered up so far are just conflicting and highly biased personal favourites that provide negligible assurance of ever optimally working in HIS system (emphasis added)

assurance

@akg_ca  while it would be beneficial to know the speaker, the op has given us some important information to consider. He has been using a Marantz 2252B and would like to replace it with something similar - which does not exist anymore. Well, we know the 2252B is on the warm side of neutral, great build quality, and about 52 watts. My suggestion of Musical Fidelity M2si took this profile into account. It was not a blind offering as you lectured above. The MF M2si has very good build quality, the controls are metal and not plastic, it is slightly on the warm side of neutral with a touch of richness in the mids and bass with very sweet top end; and is around 76W into 8 ohms.

Rotel A12, sounds good and has all the inputs needed. 

MF M2si.

I'm in the Yamaha camp. Loved the Yamaha integrated amps I've owned. Probably also the easiest to get given the friends location.