2. amps-preamps
  3. 1136848549

Is There any Truly "High End" Integrated Amp?


I'm a reasonably well experienced audio nut and have tried a number of "good" integrated amps. I wonder, though, if there are integrated amps that are good enough for the "best", most revealing speakers. (Think Avalon Eidolon, Verity Parsifal, various JM Lab Utopias, and a variety of other fine speakers that do not have mammoth power requirements.)

People talk about the Levinson, the Musical Fidelity KW-500 and the lesser MF amps, the BAT integrated, The Rowland Concerto, etc. etc. etc.

I would like to hear from people who have actually tried the top tier of integrated amps and would be very interested in learning of their findings.

Don't need to be the most expensive. Could be the YBA Passion, Classe, MacIntosh 6900, Krell 400i, or any of a number of integrated amps that are supposed to sound good.

Hope to hear some good feedback.

Thanks very much.
jprice

Showing 3 responses by kalan

kalan
185 posts
 


Someone already mentioned the excellent GamuT DI-150---very nice and quite expensive.

Another really good integrated is the Linar 10--and not nearly as expensive as the DI-150. It is a 5.1 channel integrated that can be switched into four channels into two-channel stereo for the easiest bi-amping I know. (It’s a matter of connecting speaker cables appropriately and hitting a switch on the remote.) I heard this unit (at a friend’s house) played as a normal stereo amp and liked it a lot, then heard it in 4 x 2 stereo, bi-amp’ed, and it blew my sox off. Four channels of clean, 125 watts (each) in stereo mode really sang.

Linar gear sounds clear, open, extended, musical, and controlled. The frequency extension is the first thing I noticed: lows go quite low and the highs seem to just go on and on. It is on my short list if I want to down size.
kalan
185 posts
 
Jprice, what speakers are you using with the Rowland Concerto, please?
kalan
185 posts
 
Jprice, I am familiar with both the Veritys and the Avalons. I like them both a lot: clean, pure timbres, fabulous tonal balance. If the Rowland Concerto sounds similar to Gamut DI-150 AND your Spectral separates, that is a fabulous recommendation.

I am enjoying a First Sound pre' and GamuT M200's combo right now, but I am always on the look out for a superior integrated amp.
More to discover