Integrated Amp Choice: budget tubes or ss?

I agree with Kotta, I haven't heard the Ming-Da, but the cambridge is underwhelming in my opinion. For 250 you can't expect much, and this is better than the 250 bucks, but if you can you're much better spending a little more on a used piece of gear which you'll be happier with for a while. In terms of tube/ss there are about a thousand posts that mention this, and it's really about personal preference (the typically warm/sweet/musical sound of tube vs. the detailed/analytical/fast sound of ss--however you can find tube that does analytical and ss that does warm so these are usually just stereotypes...err..bad pun). I'd say for the price range you're looking there are probably more ss options that will have perks like remotes and phono stages, but I could be wrong.

Just a random sampling of things on agon that might fit the bil:

Audio Refinement Complete (no phono, but this is a great unit):
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?intatran&1127326657

Arcam A65+ (has phono...this would be my pick!)
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?intatran&1127251562

There's a mission Cyrus 1 on audiogon at the moment. I think the price is a little high, but if you can negotiate down a bit it's a very nice integrated amp with an excellent phono section.

I'd also have a look at a used Audiolab 8000A if you can find one.

The creek has an excellent reputation but I have never heard it personally.

Thanks for all the suggestions, they're all great.
One of the reasons I was considering the Cambridge stuff is because my local dealer sells them and I can bring one home to audition...I don't know how I feel about buying "deaf," if you know what I mean.

So far all the suggestions are in a good price range too, thanks guys, keep 'em coming :)

Have you auditioned the cambridge already? You can get the 540 for like 270 used, which packs a little more punch, but I have to say that the audio refinement and arcam are much better IMO than the cambridge. If you can find a Prima Luna Prologue one used then that's a great little amp (you can install a mm/mc phono card for like 160...more info at upscale audio or prima luna web site).

If you can scrape together 800, then you should seriously purchase this classe cap-150:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?intatran&1127494398

This is a seriously great integrated for the price, and considering it has a remote, an mm/mc phono stage, and puts out 100 pwc, you really can't beat it. Seriously, it's worth the extra money (I was thinking of getting it myself for a bedroom system, but I'm saving my moolah for a beefier integrated for the main system).

Otherwise, I prefer this Onix to the cambridge:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?intatran&1127053815

It's not that the cambridge is bad, seriously, and for the money it's a bargain, but more money on the used market gets you a big step up, which would probably happen anyway because I don't see the cambridge as an amp I could live with for a long time (IMHO).

get the classe, it's worth whatever sacrifice you have to make (who needs food anyway...)

Check out used Antique Sound Lab or Jolida tube gear, if you have the patience to deal with tube gear. I think you'll get a more lifelike sound from a tube integrated.
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