Integrated amp recommendation

Used for $1500 you can go higher up the Rega line to a Elex-r or Elicit-r. Highly recommend both. 

Probably not a lot of people here have heard a Piega. I demoed one twice and it was really fast because of the ribbon mid. It looked pretty much like the one you have but had I think 1 more woofer/mid. It also had very little warmth or body. I would be looking for something with a darkish extra mid bass quality to it. Sorry I don’t really have a suggestion at 1k. Maybe an Nad? Not sure how they would do with tubes but could look at a tube integrated if it was a fit. Cayin and Jolida make some that would be in that price range used and I’m sure some others. 

@phil59 - some good suggestions made here, but I'm with you on the 'stick to budget' approach. Especially buying used as you can turn things over and try different things to make that budget work for you before stretching it. Also stay focused on the character you're after - you noted warm for a modest room, and not all the suggestions go along with that. What's 'best' for one room and speaker may not be for yours, and reviews can help figure out prospects and eliminate others.

You asked about buying vintage used and I don't know if you got a response. Audiogon, US Audio Mart (and Canuck Audio Mart, too, as others mentioned the $ makes it worth it if you're in the US) and a handful of other sites rank sellers and provide feedback that can increase confidence. 

Buying used and buying vintage are different things, too. People will swear by 70s-80s stuff, but a lot can change in a device over 40 years, so buying used items built in the past 10-20 years by brands known to last is a generally safe bet.

Re suggestions around a DAC. In your price point, the Node DAC delivers nicely. I've tried a few DACs with my Node 2i and only one was truly 'better' across the board, the Denafrips Ares ii, but only just a bit better given my modest amps, so the jury is still out on whether the value is there, given it cost almost double the price of the Node itself.

Thank you, dcyyz, for your response. Helpful and supportive. I'm moving along, spending way too much time exploring the (for me) unknowable.

In your situation recently. I got the Yamaha s801. 100 watts into 8 ohms my, 200 watts into 4 ohms. Confirmed by a third party website. The author also noted that its overall performance was excellent. Includes a dac and a phone stage.  You can get it with a 30 or 60 day trial from one major online dealer or another.