Integrated Amp $1200 or less

If you are willing to step up a little and want an amp that will give you great pleasure for years, check out Raven Audio.  Call Dave Thomson on Texas.  He is a wealth of knowledge and has some of the best vintage tubes in the world and tremendous amps at various prices.  

There’s a NuPrime IDA-16 on US AudioMart for $1250 that has 200Wpc to drive the Fritz and a DAC that’s probably a step up from the Node DAC.  Gets nice reviews but don’t know how it would compare to your Anthem.  Best of luck. 

I’ve been hearing about Raven Audio 👍

I’m rusty on myAmp/Preamp knowledge.  I know I stated solid state but I’m really looking hard at a preowned PrimaLuna Prologue Premium Integrated...  
I’ll def check out Raven!

Man, I can’t swing the $3,000 for a raven amp unfortunately.

Nuprime IDA 16 will be one I can consider for sure.  I was looking at the little brother awhile back and was impressed.

Thanks for that suggestion!

If I have to go separates too, I will.  
I don’t want totally rule something out if it is going to be a better way to go.

A few amps that are for sale local to me that interest me are: Proceed HPA2 for $1100 and an Atoll IN200...

It seems like the Fritz Carreras are tube friendly and are a fairly easy speaker to drive so the sound quality of the amp is more important, probably, than all out power.

Check out the Parasound New Classic, nice little Int in the range. Take a look at some of the Peach Tree offerings as well. Parasound also has several separates options that might work too. 

If you're not averse to vintage, the Pioneer A7 or A8 or A9 were excellent amps, class A for some of the way (they had a circuit like Pass' sliding bias)

Worth looking for! They go for well within your budget.

someone is listing a Chris Johnson modified/upgraded 225 here for under your price...Belles Aria usually just slightly above your price point

@mesch here on Agon loved this Vincent and expressed regret for selling it. Hybrid tube/solid state. Used, here: https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649626834-vincent-sv-236mk/

And this is a bit broad, but some local Colorado options:

Fort Collins: https://www.audioalternative.com/clearance-overstock/
Arcam Solo Neo Integrated Amp
$1600 Now $750
Rogue Sphinx 2 Integrated Amp
$1495 Now $950

Lots of options here: https://tmraudio.com/components/integrated-amplifiers/?sort=priceasc

Underwood HiFi has a few W4S integrates well within your price range. Excellent value

Maybe something like a used Pathos Classic Model One, a hybrid tube/SS that delivers 70wpc into 8ohms, 130wpc into 4ohms.  Another option is the Vincent SV-236, also a hybrid having about 2x the power.  I believe your Fritz speakers are fairly easy to drive, at least not difficult.   

Did not see Hide45s' post at time I just posted. He is correct on my take. I owned the SV-226, considered it the little brother to the more popular SV-236, 100wpc. 

Awesome!  Thanks for all of the solid suggestions... looking into every single one right now.
Thank You Thank You Thank You 🙏

Ugh, so many good choices but it p...s me off the layout of some of the binding posts.  I have teally chunky speaker cables with spades and am not trying to bend them in a funky way.  The vincents pc is right by where my cables would be.  The W4S binding posts are in thag stupid diagnol fashion.

maybe its time to send my cables back to get reterminated with bananas  🤦🏻‍♂️

Check out this Van Alstine!
https://avahifi.com/collections/power-amplifiers/products/set-120-control-amplifier

I could be swayed into spending a little more if I can get alot more performance.

I’m looking for more refinement.

Ayre AX-7e. There's one now on A'gon, seller is asking $1425.

I understand the upgrade itch, I used to have an Anthem 225i  and it's a great integrated some I've seen mentioned while they are good amps would be more of a sideways move than up. The weakest link in the Node2i is the dac.

The Ayre is a very good option.  Otherwise, look for a used Belles Aria integrated.  This model are exceptional and would be a perfect match to the Fritz.

djones51 makes a good point about the dac as the weak link.If I had the itch to try a new integrated I would go for the Vincent first and compare it to the Anthem before committing.I have your same speaker cables and have spade to banana connections on the amp end(PartsExpress).I couldn't discern a difference in SQ so they remain as is.Just my 2¢:-)

You could chop off the ends and go raw. Just honk it down, brother! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYYZZNuO-GY

I wouldn't buy another amp until trying a better DAC with the Node...

Definitely check Primare. The products from this Swidish company are fantastic.

Agreed!! Spend your G on a DAC.  You will be FLOORED!

Source matters most IME. 
Used Chord Qutest perhaps?!?

@djones51
I understand the upgrade itch, I used to have an Anthem 225i and it’s a great integrated some I’ve seen mentioned while they are good amps would be more of a sideways move than up. The weakest link in the Node2i is the dac.

Spot on.

@b_limo
Use that 2k elsewhere, for now. Looking over your i225, xformer, mosfets, volume control type, non-digital layout, your amp is decent. Bet it could begin to sing with a good digital DAC source and great speakers. IMO spending $1500-2k on another amp might even be a downgrade. Your amp is a different grade purist integrated, when fed good source.. If you stream a lot, the onboard DAC/chipset and implementation in the Node2i is okay, good for starters, but it’s not great. Its a solid streamer after you put a good DAC behind it. Using the stock onboard dac/chipset, sounds kinda grainy, more 2-dimesional, not as natural as it can be. In the past year helped three fairly skeptical buddies and a few others with N2I units who all added on a nice R2R Ladder TUBE DAC behind the N2i -or- Arcam rPlay streamer units. Follow up the DAC with a good Digital-coax or USB, install a really good small vintage input signal tube inside the tube DAC and begin to start hearing music in a new way. Fast forward, all three of those buddies are streaming basic CD quality (non-up sampled) lossless content and never looked back. They too did the skeptical A/B thing many times (obsessively) and all three of them did not return their DACs. One had a similar amp to yours. At year-2, one of them made the amp upgrade later on, but to this day swears the DAC upgrade was the single best change in the entire system but all had fairly revealing speakers too.

It all starts at the source. Here is a thought... maybe hold off on the other cables, cords. Truly, your i225 is awaiting you to feed it good stuff for a while. Maybe save up for a really good amp or speakers later. While I’m back to tube preamp and monos, I’m also a SS/Mosfet fan too past 30yrs. Just went through this same "upgradeitis" situation with more than a few colleagues for what it’s worth. Go with a super DAC first. Ask Hilde45. :)

Outlaw 2160. I love mine

I agree with the folks advocating for a new DAC, which is a big part of the reason I recommended the NuPrime.  But as the amp could maybe be more of a sideways move, adding a good DAC for around $1200 would definitely be an upward move from the Node’s DAC.  Given the sound characteristics you seem to be gravitating toward, I’d take a hard look at an MHDT Orchid DAC.  And I agree with your thought to wait until you have more $$$ to make a significant amp upgrade since your current amp is certainly no slouch.  Again, best of luck. 

Get a good dac first like nos dac then start from there if you want a life time enjoyment and can listen all days without fatigue!

I got a Proceed / Mark Levinson 2 channel Amplifier 200WPC superb Class A/B at $995.00 

The 225 is a damn descent integrated. For 1200 i think most out there would be a downgrade. 

+1 on the Peachtree mention above.  I use the Nova 150 to drive LS50s in my bedroom system. You can pick up the Nova 150 used for around $1K, or step up to the Nova 300 to double the power for circa $1600 used. 

Mark

@soix
...I’d take a hard look at an MHDT Orchid DAC. And I agree with your thought to wait until you have more $$$ to make a significant amp upgrade since your current amp is certainly no slouch. Again, best of luck.

Yep. Exactly. Sure like my Orchid. Turns a Node2i or Arcam rPlay into something worthy in combination. The stock coupling caps MHDT installs in the Orchid are not bad at all, fairly smooth, but just for grins I upgraded mine with really nice Mundorf Silver-Gold caps anyhow. Very nice, not necessary, but can be improved a little. Then, swapped out the nice stock GE Triple Mica 5-Star tube in the Orchid for an even better Tesla 6CC42 tube. Followed by an Analysis Plus Crystal Solo Digi Coax cable and wham! The guts of the Orchid are OEM’d over into some other DACs at 2x-3x the price. Those "metal box" manufacturers will deny it if you look to close or ask too much. Even in pure In stock form, it’s a real contender out of the box. Offered better clarity, more depth, enhanced soundstage, improved instrument separation, and the stock TDA1541a NOS chip is way more natural sounding than most mainstream high-volume onboard chips/dacs in most streamers under $2,500-3000

Marantz PM8006 is very nice.

Agree with others who have suggested to improve your source first with a new DAC

Yamaha.

I read in one of these threads that Primaluna is made in China. Limits choices somewhat.

If you desire refinement put your money in a better DAC now. It will shine through any amp.

Rotel RA1572 factory refurbished on Audio Advice 

I compared back-and-forth between the mhdt orchid and the bluesound dac using the Fritz speakers. Significant improvement, a more transparent and less edgy sound. It softened the digital harshness. I was very close to getting an audio mirror tubador dac which also seems quite excellent.

Once had a Rega and liked it.

Had enough opinions ? Obviously, there are many good possibilities. The FRITZ speakers may perform well with tube amps but I wouldn't rule out solid state. Now here's something for thought. In as much as it's doubtful that you have access to a dealer that carries one or more of the suggested amp prospects, you might try this. SCHIIT AUDIO has amazed the audio market with some really over performing audio products including integrated amps. If memory serves, They offer, factory direct, a trial period for their products. If it doesn't "ring your bell", return it for a complete refund. A second thought on the same theme;  - - - the PS AUDIO "SPROUT". I haven't had the pleasure, but several credible reviews, pretty much rave about it's performance. And again, return it for a refund if your not happy. Both products I have mentioned have been said "to punch way above their (dollar) weight". And the best part of all, they are both well below your budget figure. 

I was earlier thinking about buying a Hegel but went another route but it could be nice brand for you to look at.

There is a Hegel H120 on Audiogon right now for about $2250 which is more than your budget but it includes a dac and a streamer which may make it worth the extra cost.

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisa3363-hegel-h120-solid-state

@willgolf I had the Nighthawk MKIII here with a various assortment of NOS tubes in the Preamp section and was very underwhelmed.
To my ears, in my system, I found my Hegel Rost superior in pretty much every regard. Also, my speakers fell right in the middle of the Nighthawk’s spec sheet on Raven’s website...90db. They list the Nighthawk to be used with speakers 85-95db.

I currently use a Yamamoto DAC but before I acquired that I was using the Rost as an all-in-one and I was AMAZED at how good the DAC is inside. So good in fact, that I was on the fence for months about getting a standalone DAC.

What’s also amazing, to me anyway, is the performance of its headphone amp. I was blown away with it driving my Hifiman Arya. I liked it better than my Burson Conductor V2+ so I sold the Burson.

I bought my Hegel Rost brand new, unopened from a dealer for $1,400. It retailed for $3,000 so the deals are out there. It was discontinued which is why I got the deal, but I’m just saying...

Another vote for a used Hegel. I have an H160, and am very pleased.

B_limo, I agree  with the thought of upgrading to a separate DAC and delaying the purchase of a new integrated until more funds are available.  Many on this forum have declared true improvements when upgrading from the DAC within the Node. You have speakers you like, ones which will respond to improvements upstream. 

I would not let speaker cable termination determine an amplifier purchase when that time comes. 

The best to you and enjoy your search. 

I had a Cambridge Audio Topaz SR 20 (sadly discontinued) integrated amp hooked up to my Bluesound Node 2i And it sounded great.  Cambridge Audio products, as well as NAD products, apparently pair well with Bluesound products.  However, I went a different way:  I upgraded to the PowerNode 2i with HDMI.  This was due to space issues, but I figured the extra $350 was work it.