Favorite integrated amp?

This is going to be your first system, and I suggest you not spend too much.Also, tubes are not always better and certainly not for everyone; I wouldn't recommend them for the beginning, but if you insist try Yakov Aronov integrated. It is 60watt/ch and sounds powerful with good bass. Start with Audiolab 8000LX or 8000S,both 60watt/ch. I have had the former for 5 years.When I want to upgrade I will get Naim,Gryphon or Rowland ConcentraII. Audiolab will cost you $350-$400 used, and they are very reliable. But no phono stage.If you need it then 8000A will do,find the latest;though it is not as good as LX or S. You will need very good cables to extract maximum performance,I use Purist Audio Design interconnects and speaker cables.The player I have is CEC TL5100Z belt drive;it is better than similar Parasound 2000 Ultra-more neutral and dynamic.Plinius,YBA Integre DT,top of the line Creek may be better in some respects, but they are much more expensive and you will be in the middle,not even close to the best sound available from integrateds.For now you probably don't know how far you are ready to go to chase the dream of ultimate sound quality.First you have to find it out and only then put serious money to work.

Through the last few months, I`ve been researching, reading tons of reviews and learning from the contributors in this forum.

For starters, I`m attracted to the ref. 3a di cappo i speakers for their high efficiency and their ability to be driven by low-powered set amps which I might use in the future.

For a source, I like what I read about the meridian 508.24 cdp.

I haven`t decided on an int. amp yet but the the belles 250-i has gotten my attention from the beginning.

Of course, I`ve made these decisions without hearing anything. Where I live, it`s impossible to audition anything so I`m basically going by what I read.

Tough way to start, huh? In any event thanks for the in-put so far. I`d like to hear more testimonials...

I have a Bel Canto eVo2i integrated and love it. They are fairly rare, but I think there is one being advertised right now. It is basically the eVo 200.2 power amp and the Pre-1 preamp in a single chassis, with one of the preamp gain stages removed. If you like the Bel Canto class-T amp sound, which I think is incredibly balanced across the frequency spectrum, you'd like this. The preamp section adds is very transparent. Power amp output is 120 wpc in to 8 ohms, 200 wpc in to 4 ohms. If you want more details, you should check out the review at www.6moons.com. I think SoundStage is going to be reviewing it soon as well.

The Meridian you are considering is a great unit. I would also recommend the Wadia 830. Great sound . . very quick and detailed, but not gratingly so.

Whatever you decide, good luck with your audio quest!

Audiomat Arpege. $1200+/- used. 30w/c tube. Liquid gold.
Using with JM Reynaud Offrande speakers, Ah!4000 tubed CD player, Phillips SACD1000, and Music Hall MM7 TT.

second the Audiomat tube integrateds: self-biasing; EL-34 tubes are run conservatively and built quality is Sherman-tank like. Above all, incredibly musical.

The Prelude Ref is excellent, if you can stretch the budget a bit to ~$2,500 used (two on the 'Gon for sale right now), although above recommendation of Arpege is also a solid choice.