Looking for an integrated amp to replace my Cayin A-50T

@thehorn I was a bit surprised by your assessment that my speakers are hard to drive--I was of the thought that they were average compared to something like Thiels.  Although, I can understand where you are coming from--given your moniker.  

However, I appreciate your input and it will definitely have an influence on my decision--I have gone from looking for a spare amp to searching for a replacement for the Cayin.

Nevertheless, I would prefer to purchase something new, and I was close to choosing the Schiit Ragnarok.  Given your comments I am not ruling out:

1) AVA Vision SET 120

2) Rogue Sphinx

3) Cambridge CXA-81

Interested in your thoughts regarding these alternatives.  My primary reason for leaning toward the Ragnarok, is it that I may be interested in purchasing one of their DACs--and it appears as though there is a special synergy between their products. (It does have a 600VA transformer...) 

 Also, as an aside--I find it interesting that nobody has suggested one of the Parasound integrateds...

Avoid Odyssey like the plague. Worst customer support in the industry.

The Rogue Sphinx is underpowered doo-doo and measures like it as well. Note how often they show up on the pre-owned market. It doesn’t sound anything like a tube amp. If you recall the thin, weak, fatiguing class D sound of the early 2000s, that’s the Rogue Sphinx in a nutshell.

The Rega Elex-R is one of the best sounding and dynamic SS integrateds under $2K. Yeah it has a built-in phono stage but what does that matter when it sounds as good as some of the $5K competitors?

If you want a SS amp that performs well in emulating tube sound, the Yamaha A-S1100 or 2100 are hard to beat. Again, ignore the fact it may have useless add-ons. It’s the sound that matters. I’m a fellow Cayin tube amp owner. I’ve heard many SS integrateds in this price range and the only one that has come remotely close to the Cayin is an A-S1100. The Rogue Cronus Magnum is good (beats pants off the Sphinx) but is noisier than your Cayin.

@helomech Thanks--Your experiences mirrors mine to some extent.

Years ago, I had an Odyssey product--I can’t remember the details, but I do recall the poor customer service. I also had a Cronus Magnum for a brief period, and I liked it a lot--However, it had a hum that I could not get rid of. As a matter of fact, I traded in a Cayin A-50T that was dead quiet. The dealer would have been willing to send it back, but he sold it the first day. So--I ended up buying another one. Based on your assessment, that pretty much rules out Rogue for me.

I have to admit that I never even considered a Yamaha--if for no other reason than I figured that now it was Yamaha in name only--like so many other great brands from the past. Since as a Cayin owner you know of what you speak, I will take a look at them.

I understand that Vincent is coming out with a new integrated (SV-228) that I want to also check out. I just so happen to be in the same area as Audio Advisor, who carries several of brands I am considering. I can’t go there to listen, but it is convenient for returning/exchanging--So if comes down to 2 similar amps, I would prefer to purchase the one that they carry.

@pretender

Regarding the Yamaha sound, compared to my Cayin, it’s somewhat a matter of trade-offs. I’d say midrange is about equal but the Yamaha’s bass is deeper and it has greater overall resolution. The Cayin has the upper hand in soundstage width/depth and 3D-effect, but not by a huge margin in back-to-back A/B. The Cayin also produces more of those pleasant harmonic distortions, the such that can make electric guitars sound a little more realistic, but that’s to be expected, and also dependent on the amp’s bias setting. The Yamahas (MOSFET versions) have a lush/saturated tonality that one doesn’t typically associate with SS. Think of it like a TV with its color saturation turned up to around 70/100. It also has a slight “V-curve” presentation, so speaker matching does matter. Yamaha may not quite be the company it was in the 70s but they do employ their own in-house design team and own/operate their factories independently. They use higher quality parts than many competitors as well.

The Rega Elex-R is a little more neutral and warm, with that “PRaT” that British gear is known for. I’m not familiar with the higher priced Regas. Apparently they are going to release the new Elicit in the near future and that one would be on my radar if I were in the market. I know Audio Advisor sold them at one time so may be worth checking out.

I have no familiarity with Vincent gear but it appears well made.

Since you asked about Parasound, I owned the original Hint for a stint. It is a very nice sounding integrated. Mine had some low-level hum (lower than Cronus) but otherwise it was a good performer, and very powerful. It can drive nearly any speaker with a bold, meaty presentation. Hopefully they addressed any inherent noise issues in the Hint 6 revision. My only other nitpick is that it sounded a little slow with some music compared to the Yamahas. Parasound also uses inferior parts quality in that entry-level Halo line. The stuff with Curl’s name on it has better parts. Parasound does have some of the best customer support and their stuff is serviced in CA.

Best of luck. Those Cayins are hard to match or surpass without getting into decent separates IME.

I have a Plinius 9100 available. It is a sweet sounding SS amp. 120 watts but very powerful. FYI