Looking for a SS integrated Amplifier recommendation going into a new system


While waiting for a new speaker delivery, I have some time to start looking for a SS integrated amplifier, and hoping for some recommendations.

The speaker to pair with is Ascend Acoustics Sierra Tower with RAAL tweeter option that is around 91dB efficient, and the room size is 12x18x8.  I mostly listen to classical, jazz, female vocal, and the listening level normally is around 85dB, occasionally go up to 90dB.

I originally was looking for class-A integrated amplifier, but now would like to open the possibility to class-A/B as well to see what will be a good match for this new system I am putting together.

TIA
elan120

Showing 1 response by tk21

Does your DAC/streamer already have decent source-switching and volume control? If so, could you possibly go with a power amp (or a pair of them) instead of an integrated?  

If Peachtree interests you (previous post), you may want to consider the Nova 300 (or Nova 500) integrated amps. They offer not only more power than the 150, but also more advanced DAC chips. That could matter if you want to feed the amp any digital inputs directly, instead of feeding them through your separate DAC.  For example, if you have two separate USB feeds and your DAC only receives 1. But all the Peachtree Novas have wooden enclosures, home theater bypass, loop I/O, phono (MM) input w/ground screw, and a noise-cancelling circuit to support direct input of iOS devices. No front panel displays (just LED indicator lights). Made in Canada.

Your new speakers ran you about $3,200 USD, right?  So from that perspective, maybe Peachtree pricing for an integrated amp ($1500-$3K) makes more sense than some of the much more expensive suggestions above.  If you wanted to go with a power amp, the Benchmark AHB2 (with phenomenal specs) goes for about $3K.