Please help ...integrated amp under $1200

Forgot to mention. The Redgum has passive preamp section, no gain, something which is questionable and depends on your taste. Personally, I don't quite like it despite the gain in transparency and usually run my phono stage thru deck monitor and then to the Redgum. I lose some, very little, transparency but get more full bodied sound. I use very high quality cables.

I just must mention it because that's what I listen to, and I am quite hard to please. Redgum Audio RGi120. 120 watt/ch/8ohm. There is one here for sale from Canada for $999, perhaps less. The current price new is about $2700 directly from Australia. No DAC or phono stage, though. It does everything well and sounds powerfull, fast and balanced. Not bright, not dark, just right. I will only upgrade it to high level separates or best integrateds like Gryphon Diablo, Ypsilon Phaeton, perhaps VAC etc.