Impressions: $1k-$2k integrated amps

The A-S1100 and Elex-R are both top of their class. Haven't heard most of the others on your list but have experienced enough integrateds at the price point that I'm convinced you'd be hard pressed to find better than these two.

Yeah I think the Rega is a nice choice under $2k. 

What do you guys like about those amps?

the phono stage?
the volume control?
the timing?
the power?

@helomech can you compare your impressions of those 2 amps, their phono stages and their overall pros and cons?

I demo’d the Rega against the Bel Canto integrated over Maggie LRS speakers playing cd with Rega CD player.
Probably listened to each for half hour. Here are my notes that I took at time on my phone:

Auditioned Rega Elex-R vs. Bel Canto C5i integrated amps. Magnepan LRS speakers (no sub) with Rega Apollo CD player. Small room

Liked Rega better. Close. Rega better bass, more full bodied, more layers, grittier. Bel Canto more clarity, maybe more revealing, maybe little wider soundstage. Salesman thought BC better

Listened for about half hour each, Buddy Guy blues.

please clarify, 

I think you only want to hear about those amps, or any others you add to your list, correct?

Hi @kren0006: thanks much! this is cool!

Hi @elliottbnewcomjr.

The amps on my list are examples, and definitely ones I’ve looked at closely, but i’m open to any thoughts on any integrated in this price range. I'm really just interested in a dialogue of impressions about these amps to see if any consistent trends/characteristics emerge about different units.  Also impressions of the included phono stages are of interest, as these seem to vary wildly from amp to amp.  Anything to add?

Thanks!

Been living with the Creek Evolution 50a with Ruby2 DAC board the last 2 weeks,VERY first SS amp I've had in almost 15 years,having been strictly into tubes...
 ABSOLUTELY amazed how far SS has come.This amp displays wonderful color & texture through the upper bass & midrange,a sweet,extended treble,good solid bass with very good tone & texture,imaging & staging not at tube level but much better than I expected..Interestingly the headphone circuit is SUPERB,rivaling the tube can amps I've demo'd & owned(Schiit,Cavalli,modded APPJ Audio & Woo Audio)...

So I don’t have vinyl and didn’t listen to the Rega phono input, but since Rega foremost a turntable company, their integrated amp phono inputs are considered good as far as integrated phono stages go, from what I’ve read.

It should be noted the Bel Canto was class D, which can have advantages and disadvantages. That’s a whole separate topic. Bel Canto is a nice amp, I just liked the Rega a bit better but others would have opposite opinion, as the salesman did.

I’d look at Hegel also in the price range. Rega and Hegel both class A/B.

Rega has a sort of analog sound I would describe it. Hegel more forward a bit (but not bright -- bright would be Rotel in this price range.  Note that Rega doesn't include a DAC, whereas many others do (Hegel, Bel Canto, others that will be mentioned).  Not sure whether having an integrated DAC is important to you or not (for phono you won't need a DAC).

These just my subjective impressions. Others will disagree. All personal preference. YMMV.

FWIW, I settled instead on the Marantz PM7000n because it was less expensive and a true all-in-one (meaning it includes a streamer for streaming Tidal, Spotify, etc.). If my budget had been higher and I had space for multiple boxes (this was for my 3rd system), I'd have likely gone with Rega and an external dac/streamer.

Leemaze: this should work for you just fine! www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/valve-amplification-company-statement-450i-iq-integrated-amplifier/   Let me know how it turns out !!

@shtinkydog haha yes perfect!

I knew you'd like it!

I've had the Bel Canto C5i in my system for a couple of years now. I've been very pleased with it. Very clean sound, but not harsh, and much more powerful sounding than it's 60 watts/ch at 8 ohms would suggest. (It has a very good power supply -- output doubles to 120 w/ch at 4 ohms.)

I've only used the digital and line level inputs so have no comment on the phono, but would suspect that is very good also.

It also only uses 14 watts at idle so I leave it on 24/7.

My prior amp was a Image Audio 65i with KT88 outputs. While I liked that amp a lot, I really haven't missed it since I switched (other than the glow of tubes on a cold winter's night). I bought the C5i as a dealer demo so got it for $1,200 instead of the $2K list.

Thanks @mlsstl and @kren0006!

these are great impressions!

im really not looking to *purchase* something at the moment, but just would love to collect informed opinions of people who’ve listened to/owned Integrated in this price range. Thank you!

anyone else?

Moon 240i should be at the top of your list.

The rest are crap and I owned most if not all of them. Still have a Yamaha A-s 1100 in the game room with SF Sonetto 4. Fun when shooting pool but sure not a Moon!

@skypunk:I just last week demo'd the 340iX & the headphone circuit was GARBAGE!Flat,colorless,lifeless,inexcusable in a $5000.00 unit..

@skypunk thanks for that info!

can you share more details on your experiences/impressions with each amp?

And how do you like the inbuilt phono stage on the Moon?

I have a Belles Soloist One that I bought used in 2014 for around $1800 I think....I use it still and it drives my ATC SCM40V2 with relative ease. I love this integrated and would recommend it highly to anyone. No phono stage, but a very well built, SS all analog unit. David Belles knows what he’s doing....my vote would be that or the Moon.....

Thanks @nealkot. That looks like a great piece!

have you heard any others?

Anyone have thoughts on the two Primare amps?

In the up to $2000.00 range,tube amps from Cayin,Yaqin or Jolida will outperform ANYTHING suggested in a Solid State amp!

@helomech can you compare your impressions of those 2 amps, their phono stages and their overall pros and cons?

Didn’t experience them in the same system which makes it difficult to say. I’d wager the Elex has the better PRaT and the Yamaha has better bass extension (I surmise based on the fact I’ve only experienced one other amp that rivals the Yamaha in bass extension, regardless of price). As for value, the Elex is certainly the better proposition at their retail prices. Though you can now find closeout A-S1100s for prices very near that of the Elex-R.

With the exception of its excellent bass extension, the Yamaha sounds more similar to a modern tube amp than it does a typical solid-state design. The vocals are a bit recessed in the mix, however -- think 6th row presentation as opposed to the 2nd-row presentation of most SS amps. The Elex-R probably has the flatter bandwidth and superior midbass dynamics, but hard to say for certain.
Can’t speak for the Rega’s phono stage but the Yamaha’s is comparable with $500 - $700 stand-alone units, the MM stage being more impressive than its MC stage.

I happen to own the 1100 and it has been very reliable for over 2 years now. It holds its own against the $6K combinations of separates I’ve compiled recently.

In the up to $2000.00 range,tube amps from Cayin,Yaqin or Jolida will outperform ANYTHING suggested in a Solid State amp!

I own one of the $3.5K retail Cayins. With the exception of the Yamahas I'd mostly agree with this assertion, though none of these tube amps will be quite as capable in bass extension.

helomech:Ohhh I would have to disagree.There is a dealer on that free site selling the 52 lb.,hand built in Italy including IN HOUSE built transformers,EL34(x 6 tubes) Parallel Single Ended,auto biasing "Box" for a cool $2000.00($3500.00 rtl)..Probably the deal of the decade & I’m betting the bass from that monster will rock my entire apt.bldg...Look at the BIG guns from Ayon & such,they weigh 20-30 lbs more than the most expensive ML or Mac...Haven’t heard one yet but I can’t imagine the bass being anything other than amazing & rivaling most SS amps save for Hegel & similar HIGH damping amps..

helomech:Ohhh I would have to disagree.There is a dealer on that free site selling the 52 lb.,hand built in Italy including IN HOUSE built transformers,EL34(x 6 tubes) Parallel Single Ended,auto biasing "Box" for a cool $2000.00($3500.00 rtl)..Probably the deal of the decade & I’m betting the bass from that monster will rock my entire apt.bldg...Look at the BIG guns from Ayon & such,they weigh 20-30 lbs more than the most expensive ML or Mac...Haven’t heard one yet but I can’t imagine the bass being anything other than amazing & rivaling most SS amps save for Hegel & similar HIGH damping amps..

Well, it seems you're making a supposition based on product mass. My assertion was based on real experience and ownership with such amps. The only tube amp I've heard that comes remotely close in bass extension (not output) to the MOSFET Yamahas is the Rogue Stereo 100. Unfortunately, it lacks the lush midrange of the Yamahas and most tube integrateds. As with most things in this hobby, there is always a trade-off, sometimes you don't realize a weakness exists until you've heard something better.

@helomech I have the A-S801 (i think in part due to previous recommendations by you). I love it. Is the 1100 a substantially better sound? have you heard the 2100?

@skypunk I demoed 2 Moon units (the bottom and the top) and was VERY impressed. It was a memorably satisfying sound. However the lower end ran out of power pretty quickly driving Magnepan LSRs. Still it’s been on my mind ever since.

About Primare: Primare prides itself on a straight forward presentation meaning clarity and associated flat audio spectrum.
I found the I22 a bit better than the I21. The I30 series better than both because it produced this clarity with better bass..
You would need to like a crispier presentation. The I21 lacked harmonic weight in my mind which is associated to a degree of distortion. I liked the old time "Onix" amps which were made in England back in the late 90’s better than the both the I20 series amps because it delivered that same clarity with more heft. The Onix amps were really good at delivering that "made in England" sound that leaned more toward warmth (gosh I hate that phrase) with clarity.

Primare products deliver basically what’s at the source. The nuances that pertain to everyone else’s tastes is a balancing act for an amp maker. It takes money to start to achieve more of what the "masses" desire.
The complexity of "seasoning" an audio product to "just right" standards that includes parts that produce a "richer" sound, I do not believe can be found at your price point.
If you were leaning toward a Primare product, I feel it worth your while to wait for an I30 series to pop up.

For my tastes, which run toward a flatter audio spectrum without being sterile, their new I35 (class D) culminates everything they ever put into their amps. It is beyond your present price point but it is probably the amp where I wouldn't need anything else.

I have always leaned towards the simplicity of integrateds but I tried separates. Hey, I have the Anthem I225 and like it. I did tweak it with a HiFi Supreme fuse that helped a ton,  and it came with aftermarket Mundorf caps rather than the standard ones. It seems to do everything pretty well throughout the frequencies top to bottom.  I also had the Yamaha AS 2000. It was more refined than the Anthem but was more polite and less visceral.  It's impossible to compare because I've changed speakers and sources. I will say that I have spent more time with the Anthem because I spent so much money over the years that I have to stick with the gear I have now as I approach retirement in a few years.  (Do not make the same mistake-be smart with your purchases and get off the merry go round if you are on it - unless you have money to burn) I'm going off topic now.  What I have learned in the past 17 years is that the quality of your electricity, and the matching of your system (or mistakes made in matching and pairing your system) can change your opinion about many of the audio pieces you own. Paired with the right speakers and sources, many of the integrateds that I bought and sold would I'm sure have never left my hands. Being smart in matching your amp (integrated or  not), speakers, and source will make or break your system, and can make you fall in love or dislike your integrated or any other piece of gear.  Example: I used to own the very beautiful all aluminum in silver (stunning) Blue Circle BMPH integrated. To this day, I still have loving memories of lust about the beauty (looks) of that integrated amp. And I know it was an excellently built and engineered piece of gear with loads of potential. But I was impatient (foolish) and sold it here because I was dissatisfied with what was coming out of my speakers when I listened to music. The problem was, I had it paired with the wrong speakers. With the right speakers, it would have been a different story. Changing integrated amps is so much easier than changing speakers. (man did I learn to hate shipping speakers on pallets and having big trucks at my house!)  But here's the rub, (and what I learned over the years).  Listen to, find, and buy the speakers with the sound you love, then find the amp that makes the speakers sing. This is amp speaker matching 101, and your key to satisfying sound.

Peachtree audio products are a great entry. I had the original Decco integrated amp for $800, amazing sound quality if not very powerful. They moved onto class D amps I believe, should still be fantastic.

@helomech I have the A-S801 (i think in part due to previous recommendations by you). I love it. Is the 1100 a substantially better sound? have you heard the 2100?

I don’t have direct experience with the 801, but assuming it’s better than the A-S500 residing in my closet for a rainy day, I don’t know if the 1100 would be a worthwhile upgrade for you. The MOSFET-based Yamahas give up some of the PRaT and dynamics of the bipolar Yamahas (500/501/801) in exchange for a lush midrange and larger soundstage.

More likely to get a substantial upgrade by stepping up to the 2100. Otherwise, I highly suggest considering Schiit separates. I recently purchased their Freya+ preamp and it’s a ridiculous value, an industry disruptor IMO. I imagine a Freya+ into a Vidar would sound very nice.

I may have missed it but the OP didn't seem to offer up what speakers he'd be pairing an amp with.  There's no point in suggesting an amp without knowing if it might clash with the existing speakers it'd be driving.

For instance, the NAD C375BEE I had sounded very plain with Totem Acoustic Rainmakers.  The NAD retailed for $1500 and was 150 WPC.  It looks like most of the amps on the OP's list are under 100 WPC, and therefore would run out of steam if driving the Maggie LSR's that have been mentioned.

For up to a $2000 budget, I'd suggest getting adventurous and getting a Schiit Freya+preamp, it really is an industry disrupter.  Their Vidar amp is superior to anything under $1500 that I threw at it, but again, it would depend on the speakers.  With high efficiency speakers, the Schiit Aegir is on Stereophile's A list.

Thanks for the thoughtful insight guys!  Love the Primare, Anthem and Yamaha impressions - these are just what I’m looking to gather. 
Regarding Speakers, I have a few:

Wharfedale Diamond 10.7
Rega R5 (With RS tweeter)
Rega RS1
Wharfedale Diamond 220
KEF Q100

they are all pretty flexible IME so far. 

Wait for a NAD unit with a Purifi amp module. The only one so far is the NAD Masters Series M33 at $5K (I think). Do some searches here on Purifi.

Any thoughts on these speakers with these amps?

With the exception of the KEF, and the Diamond 220's, I’ve listened to all of the above with Primare.
The speaker I thought went best with the Primares is not on your list.
Both the original Studio 100’s and the Response D2 by Proac brought forth more of the Primare capabilities in my mind.
There is also the rumor that Stewart Tyler of Proac may have voiced a line of Proacs with Primare stuff.
Original Studio 100’s can be had in the $1200 range. The new Studio 100’s are not the same speaker.

I had the primare.  It sounded really good at first, very clean and punchy, but I never felt like listening for very long. Not fatigue, just boredom. Wasn't very engaging.

The Yamahas are really great all-arounders, but left me wanting more detail.

I have the moon 240i now. Its absolutely incredible! Clean, good low end, non-fatiguing. At 50 watts, I am left wanting more power, so will either add a moon power amp or move to one of their more powerful integrated. Highly recommended. 

@artisonjosh: Don't know which you had but with the  I 20 series (I21-22) etc. I would have to agree.
The 30 series were better in this regard.

Be careful on the power move up within the same company. Sometimes the beguiling character of a lower watt amp gets lost with the higher powered one. 

this curiosity just popped up on eBay, what fun if it sounded good. fun to know about at least

This Vintage Denon Integrated has one phono input and front switched internals for MM 2.5mv sensitivity and MC .125 mv sensitivity.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Denon-PMA-750-Audio-80-Watt-Phono-Turntable-Stereo-Pre-Amplifier/174360505596?hash=item2898b22cfc:g:fGQAAOSwOI5e8Yd4

Very clean, you would need to get seller to ship if for far less money

Denon excerpt: Phono 20-100k, 0.2db

The MC/MM super equalizer is carried and the broadband characteristic of 20Hz-100kHz�}0.2dB is realized.
Composition consists of the NF form direct-current amplifier and CR form equalizing filter by newly developed low noise dual FET, and the first rank serves as dual FET differential amplification of the direct direct-current servo system.

https://audio-database.com/DENON-COLUMBIA/amp/pma-750-e.html

https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/denon/pma-750.shtml

Fun!  

With some quick math it was about $1,000 in today's dollar ($350 in 1981)

I've had the Anthem 225 for some years now. Occasionally I get the upgrade bug, but always decide that nothing (under a LOT of $) will be an improvement. Works flawlessly with my Maggies and Golden Ears.

I would add the Schiit Ragnarok and Musical Fidelity M5si to your list.