Looking for a high end integrated to suit Dynaudio contour 5.4's

Of that group of amps, If you can afford the Vitus RI-101, I could recommend it highly having recently reviewed that amp. The Vitus also has the uncanny knack of pairing well with a wide range of speakers. Otherwise If you need a lot of power, I’d go for the AF FLS-10. However if you like more of a warm/harmonically rich sound, I would take an Audio Analogue Maestro Anniversary over the Pass Labs INT-250. That is a beautifully designed, built & musical sounding amp, and would get the job done driving the Dyns.

YW plb02. Home auditions are difficult. I’ve had to audition the amps I mentioned in Dealer’s showrooms & friend’s rooms. Though mostly in my Dealer’s shop which is familiar.

plb02 OP4 posts07-22-2018 4:05pmI'm also in Melbourne, if its allowed in the forum could I ask where you go to audition gear?

Picking up on Caphill's post, I can't see what country you're in. I live in Melb, Australia. Let me know if you still want a referral.

YW plb02. Yes lack of options with Accuphase face plate would be an issue for many, though the high US and AU retail pricing is the deal breaker for me. PM sent re: auditioning gear.

plb02 OP4 posts07-22-2018 5:03pmAussie.

Thanks Caphill. The new Luxman L-509x looks very nice.

I recently a-b tested the Luxman M-900u/C-900u, Accuphase A-70/C-2850 & Pass XA-250.8/XP-20 amps with Harbeth 40th Anniversary speakers. In that shootout, the Accuphase amps came out on top. The Lux amps are beautifully built (like Accuphase). Sound-wise they are neutral, quiet, smooth, have good PRAT and a touch of warmth. However the Accuphase amps were more resolving, had greater dynamic contrasts, more energy than the Lux amps, were more delicate on vocals, gave 'life' to the music & had an inviting class a warmth.

That said, dollar for dollar I would take any of the 3 amps I mentioned over the Luxman. Several of the amps Caphill mentioned are very good, but out of your price range. The Boulder 865 is a very good amp with plenty of power/control. The Boulder sounds natural, but is more neutral than the Luxman. Build quality is excellent. 865's are a bargain on the used market. I found one on USA Audio Mart asking just under $8kCAD.

@tpreaves, thier Integrated is only putting out 40 watts @4 ohms. Is that enough power for a full range, 4 ohm load with 87db efficiency? On the webpage it states “The V 40 SE is the perfect amp for speakers with an average efficiency rating”. And I don’t think the separates would be within the OP’s budget.

@tpreaves, Fair enough. That’s another option for the OP to consider. There are lots of good tube integrateds out there like the Vac 160i. Though personally I’m more of a ss guy these days.

Another dark horse to consider is the Rowland Continuum S2 which ticks atleast three of your boxes...prodigious power (800 watts @ 4 ohms), has a HT bypass option & is in your budget. Rowland amps only come in their ubiquitous face plate, but it looks good if you don’t mind a bit of bling. The only thing is it is a Class D amp, but Jeff has been doing Class D longer than anyone, so it has the familiar JRDG house sound. That said, there is no substitute for auditioning gear, as at the end of the day you have to like the sound.

I quite like the Yamaha gear. It is a cut above the vintage yammy gear of old and shows a good amount of investment on their part. Back in the day, Yamaha earned a legendary reputation in high fidelity, and it seems they're aiming to nip at the heels of the likes of Luxman, Pass etc. Though to me, they're very good hifi/entry level high end products. They're not serious high end products like Vitus, Audia Flight, Audio Analogue and even products like the Accupase E-650.

What a helpful community we are (!) Audiogoners have excelled themselves once again with the usual buckshot blast of suggestions 😂. Here is the list so far...do you think the OP is confused yet?

Vitus ri-100
Vitus ri-101
Audia Flight FLS-10
Audio Analogue Maestro Anniversary
Boulder
Esoteric
Luxman
Soulution
CH Precision
Tidal
Ayre
Simaudio Evolution series
D’Agostino Momentum
Luxman L-509x
Boulder 865
Octave audio offerings
Octave Audio v70se
Octive Audio V110se
Lyngdorf 3400
Vac 160i
JRDG Continuum S2
Yamaha AS300
Yamaha 2100
Yamaha 3100
McIntosh MA7900
Accuphase E-650
Bryston 4B3
Bryston 4Bsst2
Bryston B135
Pass Labs
Hybrid Trilogy 925
Naim Supernait 2
Gryphon Diablo 300

@plb02, the Dart would be another good option if you can find a pre-loved example 😉 - https://www.dartzeel.com/cth-8550/

WTF??

A nice write up on your auditions @plb02. Your comments pretty much reflect my listening notes from my shootout of the bigger separates at Class A Audio, though I wasn’t as taken with the Luxman’s mids as you. For me it just lacked a little class a magic to render a natural presentation compared to the Accuphase amps. Though as you noted, it’s difficult to say how the Audia Flight FLS-10 would have stacked up as that was in a different setup. Perhaps you could swing a home audition of the AF amp which would be the utlimate lipmus test? John is pretty accommodating if you ask him. The AF amp has almost triple the capacitance of the Accuphase & would have a lot more headroom and dynamic freedom. That said, my only reservation with the Accuphase amp is the inflated AU pricing vs Japan pricing which is a better represenation of what that gear is actually worth.