Vinnie Rossi see here!
Mike
Integrated that blew you away
Like most I run separates but am looking to downsize but also upgrade. So for the first time since I decided I wanted as close to a world class system as I could afford, I’m looking at integrated amps.
So if you’re a separates guy/gal but heard an integrated that really struck you. Please share. I want to hear all the steamy details. The speakers, the source, the pursed lips and steamy glances.
102 responses Add your response
Vinnie Rossi Brama gen1 Still availlable on the used market 👍👍 PM me if you are a serious buyer , mine is already gone but I know where you can find one . ( I have upgraded for gen2 ) See my virtual systeme https://www.audiogon.com/systems/10475#&gid=1&pid=4 |
Luxman L-509Z, their latest flagship integrated which I decided to pull the trigger on last fall. Neutral sounding with lots of detail and a very slight amount of warmth. I found the L-509Z to be a huge improvement over the older McIntosh integrated it replaced, while also pairing nicely with my Dynaudio Confidence 20s. |
I once owned the Anthem STR and thought it was excellent. At around 5k, a real value. Plenty of power, competent DAC, competent phono stage and built to last. Plus, room correction that actually works. Obviously, some of the suggestions are much more expensive, and you usually get what you pay for, at least I think that's true. For the money, the Anthem is outstanding and represents plus value. Its a solid performer, natural sound, plenty of detail, does everything well. |
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You are a bit rude boy for a newcomer ? Are you always like that in a new forum after 13 posts ?
My goal was not to derail the thread but to make people more detailed in their best integrated discovery account.... There is always for each of us a specific history... There is always in our experience a ratio S.Q./ price at play... The best integrated someone has heard is not necessarily the priciest... Also hearing a piece of gear is done in a specific room with specific speakers...
This is why i asked to precise these details. There no best integrated in the absolute generally save few 500,000 bucks pieces...
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I really enjoy my Roger’s High Fidelity EHF 200 Mark II integrated. It’s very powerful at 100+ watts / channel in full class A operation so it dies put out plenty of heat. Sounds excellent w/ great bass & a big, rich sound w/ lots of air & space in between different instruments & vocals. It’s built to a very high standard w/ premium parts & has a full lifetime warranty! It’s pricey but they often have used ones for about 1/2 price still w/ their warranty. |
It look wonderful and i like the appearence... With which other amplifier had you compared it before ?
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If you want to keep the quality of endgame separates and have a single box with everything including a streamer, DAC, CD transport and optional phono, look into the T+A R 2500 R. It is $18,800, and the optional phono is ~$900. it punches almost at the level of the T+A HV separates costing multitudes more. It basically has the equivalent of the acclaimed $7,620 T+A DAC 200. Its integrated nature allows it to be voiced exceptionally well. I’ve had one in possession for a year and used it in my room at AXPONA to power Vivid Audio Kaya 90 speakers. I also used a Pure Fidelity Harmony turntable with a Tri-Planar U2 SE tonearm, and the internal phono stage was no slouch to handle the superb table. I had no regrets using this unit to demonstrate how a system totaling ~$100K could beat out many of the systems in nearby rooms costing near $1MM or even more. One of the best things about the unit is that it weighs 35lbs all in. There are now a number of favorable reviews on this unit. Of course, in full disclosure, I am an authorized T+A dealer, but I’ve personally owned T+A electronics for years before becoming a dealer by trade. |
@gochurchgo I have a full warranty accuphase e800, complete, demo from my shop if interested, its very nice piece |
REGA OSIRIS It impressed me enough to crack the piggy bank and buy it .. https://everydayaudiophile.com/2019/12/23/rega-osiris-a-dual-mono-champ/ |
I just auditioned 3 integrated amplifiers. the Mcintosh MA12000, Vitus Audio RI-101 MkII, and the Solution 331. With the Von Schweikert Endeavor RE, Magico A5, and Magico S5 MkII over a 2 month period. I chose the Vitus Audio RI-101 MKII. Could have been happy with any of the 3. The solution 331 was out of my price range, and it sounded incredible, but pricey, and the MA1200 also was very detailed and great soundstage. However for the price I ultimately chose the Vitus Audio RI-101 MKII and the Magico S5 MkII since I got my new system 2 weeks ago. |
I purchased it from a local dealer. It's a very clear sounding amp, I guess you could call it neutral and never harsh in the top end. I enjoy it with all sorts of music plus it looks interesting and has good power to drive less efficient speakers with ease. That's what I wanted in an integrated, something versatile and this does the trick. |
@mbmi Can you please tell me a piece of gear that Huff reviewed that he didnt go Gaga on? (only to ditch a month or 2 later) The added incentive to purchasing one of these treasures from him is that he sends you one of his ghosts free of charge in the same box. |
If you are looking for an integrated that will blow your mind, check out the GATO 150 and you will be very pleased. 40 years in the biz, the company is now gone direct to consumer out of Copenhagen and you can get these circa $8,000 integrated amplifiers for around 5K today. I bought mine from George Merrill in Tennessee, no longer in Nashville but now in the Memphis area. Guys, trust me on this one. This is the absolute best integrated amplifier I have ever heard, and I have heard many and have owned many in continue to own far more than I need.
Aesthetically, it's a wonderful wonderful world indeed with the entire g a t o line |
I ran separates for the last 20 years, mostly swapping out preamps and avrs and for the past several years had Bel Canto PRE5 with ref500 monoblocks. Fed by a Cambridge 851n. My plan was to go single box. Auditioned the BC E1X (great, outside my budget) and the Atoll SDA 200. Fell in love with Atoll sound but went with the IN 300 EVO. Kept my 851n for now. Love this integrated—really opened up after 3-400 hours. The 400 is supposed to be even better. |
What about the T +A PA 2000 R integrated amplifier? Their web site says "Building neat, compact integrated amplifiers offering high output power and superb sound quality is an art at which T+A has no peer. As proof of this claim we present the PA 2000 R integrated amplifier. It is incredibly dynamic, powerful and incisive. There are two reasons behind these characteristics: the extremely linear output stages with very low negative feedback, which are a completely new development, and the new form of mains power supply employed. We designed the latter specifically for audio devices, to ensure that they are ultra-stable under load, with no danger of collapse even when handling extremely high peak levels. The result is that the PA 2000 R can deliver a continuous power of more than 200 Watts per channel into 4 Ohms loudspeakers, enabling it to drive impedance-critical speakers whilst maintaining effortless control. Gas-tight gold-contact relays are employed to switch loudspeakers, inputs and internal signal circuits with total precision and zero losses. Separate tone controls are present for each channel, and they and the Loudness function can be by-passed completely. An optional audiophile phono pre-amplifier module for MM or MC can simply be plugged in. For operation in a surround system the amplifier can be set to Surround Pass Through mode, selected by a trigger signal" Click here for Mfg link to amp One review said "the T+A PA 2000 R is regarded as a very musical and open-sounding amplifier, with a reputation for clarity, refinement, and dynamic performance". I am considering this amp for myself.
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Consider the Soulution 331 Integrated. We are using this in our Family Room set-up. It recently replaced the Ayre AX-5 Twenty which we had or 12 years. Everything is sounds much more 3-dimensional. Stage is taller, wider, deeper & more forward than the Ayre system. Upper midrange and tweeters seem to have come alive. The 331 also displays a very strong grip in the bass. We've listen to mostly Jazz streaming Qobuz via our Aurender A30. My wife has commented on hearing details she did not hear before. Music is more 3-dimensional with voices and instruments further out into our room accompanied by a wide soundstage. Despite 120 wpc vs. my previous Ayre AX-5 Twenty [125 w/c], bass instruments / drums are much tighter, deeper in reach with much more detail and GRIP. I'm guessing the power reserves supplemented by 160,000 µF of storage capacitance is what's in play here. I'm blown away. Speakers are Sonus Faber Guarneri Evolutions, Streamer / Server is Aurender A30. REL S/2 sub. Nordost Power Cables [Valhalla 2, Tyr 2 & Frey 2] & Audioquest Dragon XLR interconnects. |
@akg_ca Did not think of that method of connecting a subwoofer. Good one! |
