hybrid integrateds (Vincent and others)

The Audio Refinement gear was know to be fairly colorful for a SS amp..IMO a Hybrid amp is going to be a sideways move and only  going to an all tube (Pre and Power)set up will you truly see what tubes  bring to the table.In my playing around with Hybrids and all tube gear it is  the staging and imaging where the SS amp just can not compete..

@freediver what hybrids did you own? I have a few hybrids and they more than compete with the tube seperates I owned in the past. 

Started with Jolida,then Unison Unico then Peachtree Audio Nova...Moved to a Yaqin tube integrated and have moved up in amps but not gone back to SS...

Havn't heard the Vincent SV-226, but recently acquired the Vincent SP-T700 Mono Blocks to add my ever growing collection. Very nice indeed. Lovely blend of tube warmth & solid state drive.

Sp-t700’s are great as are the Vincent hybrid integrateds. Lsa, Bat, Musical Fidelity, Rogue and Bada are very good as well. If you want to try a good tube amp for the money the Tad-60 that came up on here today is fantastic. I’ve owned it twice, drove my Proac 2.5’s with ease.

Yea, I used to own the 226. A great integrated with tight bass, smooth mids and highs, great soundstage and imaging. Wish I never sold it. Another one which I currently own is the Pathos Model One MKII. Doesn't have the power of the Vincent, at 130wpc into 4ohms. I believe many more 236s have been sold in the US and therefore more available than the 226.

Would really like to find a black US version SV-226 in excellent condition with remote and box. 

I agree with mesch you may have better luck finding a 236.

So Pathos is out of the question?  They have two or three models that I think you might like.

I'll pass on the Pathos...

Not an integrated but I have the Vincent SP-331 hybrid amplifier  - 150wpc @ 8 ohms/300wpc @4 ohms, and I find it very musical driving Martin Logan Aerius i speakers. I've tried Bryston 4B-ST, Bryston 7B-ST monoblocks, Adcom 555SE, Pass X150, and McIntosh MC2200, some my own some borrowed from friends,  and the Vincent really held its own. The only amps that stood out were the 7B-ST monos and the bass they delivered. Up to that point I didn't even know the Aerius i was even capable of delivering that much tight bass. Very impressive. Those were my brothers' who's using them with his Magnepan 1.5QRs. I think the Vincent are in general very underrated, in my opinion.

It took my a long time to find an integrated amp I liked better than my sv 237. I think my heavily modded Bada Purer is but they are hard to find. Have a Hegel H300 on the way and will compare.

I would consider a SV-236 (non mk) or SV-226, both in black.