Integrated amp: Component weight

I am a dealer for the amps I am about to mention, but I do feel they are worth considering:

Margules ACRH-4 - A Class A/B tube hybrid integrated amp using a pair of 12AU7 while including a decent MM phono stage. It is single ended only, no balanced connections. It only delivers 100 into 8 and 160 into 4, but it is also a fairly high current amplifier from what I’ve heard and does a good job controlling amps better than others in its price and power range. It’s under your budget, too.

Cambridge EDGE A - Sounds and performs like a Class A amplifier but also is excellent with microdetails at the frequency spectrum. Also British, the Cambridge EDGE series is very synergistic with Harbeth. It is still also only 100 into 8 and 200 into 4, but with Harbeths, I’ve found that high current is more important than high power. This is why they are often paired with tube amps. 

@cundare2 Sorry, I just meant the Margules ACRH-4 only uses single ended inputs and outputs. It’s Class A/B push pull with a tube hybrid buffer stage.

I understand your concern regarding quality control and discussed this with the Margules team and the US distributor a lot this year. They have since made some really good improvements in the gear and the last shipment of product I received was on a much greater level of fit and finish than before. Let’s say I had my moments of frustration in the past.

Cambridge has a stigma of being mid-fi, but they really did something special with the EDGE line of electronics. I still stand by it, that it performs even beyond its already higher than typical pricing for them, but delivering beyond compared to the competition at the same price. I’d pick the EDGE A over the Ayre EX-8, for instance. I think the EDGE would sound more musical and engaging while still retaining the razor sharp incisive holography that Ayre typically brings  

I’m not trying to sell you on the EDGE, but rather just give it the respect it deserves when many others dismiss it because it’s associated with Cambridge’s mid-fi track record.

@hgeifman The only reason I mentioned the EDGE A is because despite the OP’s weight specification, he also mentioned interest in a 50lb unit, so I figured this one wasn’t far off. :) But yes, it is over 40lb.

@cundare2 I’m not sure which Harbeths you have - can you restate if I somehow missed it? I see you don’t have a virtual system in your profile. I like Harbeths, but I find them to be somewhat sweet on top at times, depending on the speaker, which is why I mention the EDGE, which may bring out more clarity. Seeing that you’re in Hawaii, you might have a hard time demoing things, but it’d be best to hear the amp with your speakers in your room before making a purchase. While it will likely control the Harbeths really well, the sonic signature is slightly warm, but also very detailed and incisive, so how that pairs based on your sonic preferences is left to be determined. I have had two customers, for instance, move away from the Hegel H590 to go to an EDGE A integrated, and the H590 is almost double the retail price.