Zed,
Is cost the only reason why you're committed to an integrated? If so, it needn't be. In your budget, buying used, you could put together a very nice preamp/amp combo. You would gain increased flexibility this way. For example, you could pick up a used Conrad Johnson 10al preamp for around 500$ to see if you like tubes. There are usually a range of amps in the five to seven hundred dollar range that would give you more power than the creek. I'm assuming you've listened to the stratus golds (a very nice speaker imo), but have you listened to them with the creek or a similarly powered integrated? You might want to a/b the speakers with an integrated v. more powerful seperates. Good luck and have fun.
Is cost the only reason why you're committed to an integrated? If so, it needn't be. In your budget, buying used, you could put together a very nice preamp/amp combo. You would gain increased flexibility this way. For example, you could pick up a used Conrad Johnson 10al preamp for around 500$ to see if you like tubes. There are usually a range of amps in the five to seven hundred dollar range that would give you more power than the creek. I'm assuming you've listened to the stratus golds (a very nice speaker imo), but have you listened to them with the creek or a similarly powered integrated? You might want to a/b the speakers with an integrated v. more powerful seperates. Good luck and have fun.