Help with an Amp in the 1500 ballpark used

One very nice budget combo that I really liked was a Golden Tube SEP-2 pre driving a McCormack DNA-1 Deluxe amp via Synergistic Resolution Reference MKII interconnects. The stage was just huge! You can probably get both of these pieces for very close to your $1500 budget. Run them with some upgrade AC cords, which made this nice combo even better.

Haven't compared as many amps as some of the regulars who make this such an excellent site, but I have listened to the Levinson 27.5 extensively and I like it a lot. I think a Coda 11 is more immediate and sensitive in handling attack and decay. It also seems to be better at revealing subtle shifts in volume and tone (You'll know more easily when a pianist hits and holds down a key w/a little extra force or when a clarinet player decides to blow a bit harder to get more sustain than you might w/ the 27.5). I think both amps are astonishingly good in the right chain. There might be even better amps out there in this price range, if you find one let me know.

I have a BC22 in one system. Nice amp. The BC22 is closer to the Bryton 3BST in power.

if you like levinson buy an older 27 or 27.5, they will have good juice.but i would choose tubes.

Roland with a TUBE Pre is VeRy NiCe !!!!
even when compared to an ALL Tube system.

None of these amps will control the base as well as the
4B-ST. However the BC22 and DNA-225 are very nice also. Since you have a like the tubey sound you should also consider the SimAudio W-3.

I have a 4B-ST.

One word - McIntosh! Lots of good used amps in your
price range, power to spare, and if you don't like the
sound you can always sell for pretty much what you paid!

Just a thought. The sim amps do sound good and work well with tube preamps...I've heard three tube pre and sim amps and actually had one at one time....they mix well. Do try to hear the amp on a tube pre before you buy. Then you'll have a pretty good idea what do expect when you run a tube pre on it....good listening and good luck....

I picked up a Polyfusion Audio 960 amp used for $1500. This is a current production amp that goes for $5000. Check out the web site with the above name .com. I am upgrading my preamp and the unit should be coming tomorrow. I bought an ARC LS1 used so it is a bit of a chance it won't work-I don't know if I'll put the preamp up for sale or the amp.

I don't know about BC 22 and DNA-225, but I do know quite well the rest of them. Hard to decide between 4BST and A3CR.
Sim Audio may be a decent compromise...