help marantz pm6004 onkyo a9050 yamaha s700/500

Probably a toss up between those three. A quick scan of the integrateds for sale. There is a classic NAD 304 for $130. That's good sound on the cheap. $375 gets you a Vincent SV-400, and there is a Peachtree with a tube for $400. Probably all good choices for under $500.

I agree with the above poster who said its a probably a toss up between the models you are considering.

If I may make a suggestion. Consider, for not too much more, the Marantz PM8004. In fact, some smart shopping may get you one at or less than the the list price of a PM6004. Now here is an amp that is definitely a cut above all the ones you are considering.

It is built in Marantz' reference factory in Japan and is not afraid to posts its true specs - 70 wpc into 8 Ohms, 100 wpc into 4, > 100 damping factor and 25 amps of peak current capacity. These are specs that will rival integrateds costing a whole lot more. I heard this amp driving a pair of Sonus Faber Cremona M's, a 4 Ohm 10K pair of speakers and the sound was truly impressive. Good luck.

Steuspeed, Paraneer,

thank you guys for the suggestion. hopefully i can get some decent amp with my budget.

Check online for authorized dealers and you just might luck out on the Marantz or another brand with an "open box". Some offer a 30 day return policy if you don't like it. I just got a Marantz SA-15S2b SACD player for about 20% off under the same conditions. With free shipping and no tax (yet!) that's quite a savings.

Good luck,
Nonoise