Integrated Amp Upgrade-itis hitting....


Hey all. Put together a system with GoldenEar Triton 3's, a Marantz CD6005 and Musical Fidelity A3.2 integrated. Lately, been getting the itch to "upgrade" the amp though while excellent in function and aesthetics is getting a tad long in tooth. So, my mind has been wandering about something different. Top 2 options right now are a Marantz PM 8005 and Rogue Sphinx. I'm open to suggestions based on the above. I listen to a lot of electric blues and classic rock. A phono section is important as I do spin some vinyl as well. Just looking for some input from some fellow audio nuts....
beernut

Showing 2 responses by helomech

I've owned the Rogue Sphinx V2 and the Pharoah.

Both have nice resolution, and overall dynamics, however, neither produces solid, deep bass at low volumes. If you always listen at somewhat loud volumes, the Sphinx is a good amp. Overall it has a "front row" sound.

I'd bet a considerable sum that if you listen to the Marantz and Rogue back to back at moderate volumes, the Marantz will play deeper. 
You might add the upper tier Yamahas to your list, maybe the A-S2100. They sound great, look great and have impeccable finish. 50 lbs of good ol' class AB MOSFET grunt. I have yet to hear an integrated amp that produces more accurate piano and string tones (to my ears of course). They are very neutral overall. 

The strength of the Parasound Halo is "body" in the midrange and upper bass. It makes for a very smooth listen but doesn't sacrifice much in detail. It can also drive just about any speaker with ease.

Tube integrateds will typically have a more 3D soundstage, but as mentioned, can become expensive in the long run for tube rollers. That said, if you've never owned a tube amp, you owe it to yourself to give some a try. I waited far too long to venture into an all tube amp. There's many great tube integrateds that are relatively affordable, especially in the used market. The Raven Audio Nighthawk is highly regarded, as is Prima Luna Prologue/Dialogue, Line Magnetic (various models) Cayin A88T, and Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum, just to name a few.

A very good, under-the-radar, but somewhat spartan amp is the hybrid tube/MOSFET Croft Phono Integrated.