I am looking for a company that spends very little on marketing and works to move as much of the value for the money to the product itself. Very high value is important to me, I want to get value above the price and I don’t want to pay for anything I don’t need (such as a built-in DAC as I already have one). The more musical and the higher the clarity the better.If VFM is your thing & you value musicality, I would take the Wells Audio Majestic integrated over an Accuphase integrated any day of the week, and for a fraction of the price ($3599USD). The only downside is the cheap remote, but you can pay an extra $100 & get an upgraded remote apparently. And with the savings, you could buy Stillpoints Ultra feet and/or upgrade your cables.
Search for miracle integrated
Hello All,
I'm on a search for a very specific type of integrated. I am upgrading my system from the top of the stream down. I go all digital / Lossless quality or higher so the logical start was with the DAC. I just received my Yggdrasil which I absolutely LOVE and feel that I got a much better value than I was expecting (even with all the praise online it met and exceeded my expectations).
My quest continues with the integrated. I am looking for a company that spends very little on marketing and works to move as much of the value for the money to the product itself. Very high value is important to me, I want to get value above the price and I don't want to pay for anything I don't need (such as a built-in DAC as I already have one). The more musical and the higher the clarity the better. My short list is pretty short- the SimAudio Moon 600i and Ayre's integrated. Some other factors are below. I typically buy new but I'm open to a good value in a used product as well.
Budget (only for the integrated): $8K+/-
Music preference: classical, light rock, pop
End speakers: It is between Accoustic Zen Crescendo / Vandy Quatros / Wilson Sophias / Revel Salon Ultimas
Power: 150 WPC+ into 8 ohm
I'm on a search for a very specific type of integrated. I am upgrading my system from the top of the stream down. I go all digital / Lossless quality or higher so the logical start was with the DAC. I just received my Yggdrasil which I absolutely LOVE and feel that I got a much better value than I was expecting (even with all the praise online it met and exceeded my expectations).
My quest continues with the integrated. I am looking for a company that spends very little on marketing and works to move as much of the value for the money to the product itself. Very high value is important to me, I want to get value above the price and I don't want to pay for anything I don't need (such as a built-in DAC as I already have one). The more musical and the higher the clarity the better. My short list is pretty short- the SimAudio Moon 600i and Ayre's integrated. Some other factors are below. I typically buy new but I'm open to a good value in a used product as well.
Budget (only for the integrated): $8K+/-
Music preference: classical, light rock, pop
End speakers: It is between Accoustic Zen Crescendo / Vandy Quatros / Wilson Sophias / Revel Salon Ultimas
Power: 150 WPC+ into 8 ohm
Showing 15 responses by melbguy1
If looking at 2nd hand integrateds, you should also seek out the Vitus SIA-025 which offers musical, liquid/smooth Class A sound, and is fast, detailed & has wide bandwidth. Though they rarely appear on the 2nd hand market in the US however due to limited Dealers over here & folks tend to keep them. You will need to up your budget above $8k however as the SIA-025 retails around $23-24k in the US. |
donjrOh that’s right, audio is not subjective, so since you are sarcastically implying Accuphase is superior, you must be right, lol! Perhaps you forgot the OP’s request "I am looking for a company that spends very little on marketing and works to move as much of the value for the money to the product itself. Very high value is important to me, I want to get value above the price.."? In the US, Accuphase gear is way over-priced unless you’re talking grey-market 100v examples which don’t come with a warranty. Don’t believe me? Compare retail prices on any Accuphase product in the US with either Audiocubes2 or Price Japan & you'll see the *real* value of Accuphase gear. |
donjr1,194 posts11-06-2016 1:29pmi’m not, I just don’t believe you’ve heard it with such a bold statement.That’s fair enough. Don’t get me wrong, I think the class A Accuphase E-600 is a very nice integrated. Not in the same league as the Vitus SIA-025 as would be expected given the price disparity, but very good. I’m just saying dollar for dollar I think the Wells Audio integrated is better value for money which was a pre-requisite of the OP, as opposed to Accuphase gear which is way over-priced in the US imho. |
Greg thanks for the heads up on the comparo between WA & the Accuphase. You’re right, a mint 2nd hand US-sale Accuphase E-470 or E-600 could be a very good option. A mint 2nd hand Boulder 865 could also be a good option & easily snapped up in that price bracket if looking for a more neutral sounding amp. |
All good donjr. I think of Accuphase as like a high end version of nice hifi gear in that it has the features and user-friendliness of hifi, but the sound of high end gear. I’ve thought more than once what kind of system I would build if life turned to s*** and I had to sell my current system, and the Accuphase E-600 has crossed my mind more than once. Though I really think Accuphase should bring out a server with an internet tuner + server transport/dac combo. That said, I prefer Vitus because it sounds more natural and tube-like, and the SCD-025 Mk2 sounds more analogue-like for my tastes. It’s all relative. |
@aardvarkbark, I'm not 100% sure about that. I would check specifically with either Bob at Rhapsody Audio in NYC or Mike at Suncoast Audio who are both Vitus dealers. I would be *very* surprised if there was no authorized repairer in the US. With that said, Vitus Signature series gear is very well made. I have had no problem with my gear...built like a tank. |
Good work aardvarkbark, I agree, at that price point having the piece of mind of a local authorized service center is essential. I was adjusting some cables in my system a few months back & accidentally caused an 'arc' which blew the fuses in my Vitus cdp. I was able to swap out the fuses in a few minutes, but to be on the safe side I had the player checked over by the authorized service centre. The player was fine, the contacts just needed cleaning. But that shows the importance of having a local service center. Btw, smart move going for the INT-250. If I didn't already own Vitus gear, I would have seriously consider that amp. The only real downside for synergy is that Pass don't offer a killer cdp like the SCD-025Mk2. |
inna2,871 posts11-19-2016 3:50pmYou forgot Gryphon and Ypsilon. Also, some Like LAMM or VAC are simply not interested in this.Nope, didn’t forget Gryphon. Ypsilon don’t make a CD player. As for Lamm and VAC, If they tell you they’re not interested in designing a cdp, you’re not hearing the full story. CD players are still selling well, albeit the penny has dropped on companies like Esoteric who are no longer designing new SACD players. |
jafant4,622 posts11-19-2016 9:58pmEverything (gear) has its proper place. I like Bryston power amps, I would never buy their loudspeakers. I would not wish VAC , VTL or LAMM to build a cdp either....that's good, that means the wait time to deliver a Vitus or Soulution cdp is less for us audiophiles who appreciate them. |
inna2,873 posts11-19-2016 5:14pmhttp://www.ypsilonelectronics.com/product/14/cdt-100-cd-transport.htmlFirstly, that is a cd transport, not a cd player. Therefore my reply was 100% correct. Secondly, you can conclude whatever you like about the decline of cd sales, and Lamm or Vac’s position on designing a cd player. For Lamm or Vac to design and build a cd player as good as the Vitus SCD-025 Mk2 or Soulution 541/746 within a profitable model would require a significant investment in both engineering, tooling and factory space few high end manufacturers have the capacity or willpower to do. As for the demise of cd’s, the fact is there are billions of cd’s in circulation. And whilst cd’s and cd player sales are in decline, their is still a niche market for desirable high end cd players for audiophiles like me who still enjoy spinning cd’s. Btw, I doubt your player would be in the closet if you owned any of the above-mentioned spinners ;). |