Search for miracle integrated

arsh,

is the MF made (in part) in china?

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this so far, but I'd highly recommend at least nailing down if not outright purchasing your speakers first.  At this level all the integrateds you'd consider will be very good.  The only remaining questions are which one sounds best TO YOU and, just as importantly, which one is better capable of driving and which sounds best to you with YOUR SPEAKERS.  Case in point, would one amp sound the best with both the AZs and the Vandys?  Maybe, but probably not.  They're very different designs and loads.  Anyway, just wanted to raise this as a potential issue, and best of luck in building a great system. 

Consider a used Musical Fidelity NuVista 800 (13k new). No one talks about it, but it is phenomenal. Would be in your price range used. One (very big and heavy) box, plenty of power to drive any speaker, and good aesthetics (IMHO). 

worldwidewholesales-

what is your $16K reference integrated?

I have to chime in with the LSA Statement. It's under your $8K range but it's a hybrid with a tube pre- and a dual mono SS output. Retailed originally for $11K and incredibly reviewed. No built in DAC or any other extraneous elements. Made my Maggies, my AZ Adagios, Reference 3A's sing like no other.

Hi,

My vote goes to the stunning Audiozen Alchemy built in Italy. We have only tested over 50 different integrated amplifiers. We do want to point out that we are now the North American distributor for Audiozen because this integrated beat our $16000 reference integrated in every area.

Cheers,

Thanks for that input fossda I also have heard great things about the 600i, I need to audition it. It checks all the boxes for me (except I don't think I can bi-amp with it but I could be wrong). I have also read some great reviews talking about a particular topic and out of the blue they use the 600i as an example of how it is done right.

LOL that is funny Spencer but it makes sense! I'm drawn to the cosmetics of it for sure but part of the money has to go to that. I Love the idea of the LIO- fantastic idea but is 25 wpc enough for a 6 or 8 ohm load with a 90 db effeciency speaker? I literally don't know as I've always been told two thing: 1. You only need 5 watts to really power speakers and 2. You need 100-150 wpc as it improves performance of the 5 watts being used. Lol I probably have it wrong- as everyone can tell I am no expert and am still learning but the question becomes is 25 watts enough for a speaker that claims it needs a 50 watt minimum source? My hope is yes because that opens up a lot of options...

Yes, as @zavato said, ASR is German battery powered integrated. The power supply is usually in a second full size box, so it sort of defeats your purpose in terms of taking up space. hifishark has some used ones listed, mostly in Europe. About 6-7 years ago I remember attending CES and it seemed half the rooms had their amps running. 
Vinny Rossi LIO is a good idea. He is known for GREAT service and they can be configured to your needs easily. His gear represents your values; no nonsense, etc. 
Regarding the suggestions that look like jewelry, well how to politely say this.........hmmm....If $X go into a fancy chassis, then how much is left for top quality parts inside. Then if I want to justify high prices, one of the best ways is to use parts/policies that will discourage outsider technicians from looking around inside my jewelry gear. Cheers,
Spencer

Great choices. Audio buddy has moon 600i-just Fantastic integrated, very high quality equal to separates performance.  I just picked up a moon 380 dac and the shop in Windsor Ontario Canada has a 600i for sale. This store is closing mid October because building is coming down and owner will then work out of home. He is offering great prices to move existing stock and you could save thousands on this new piece. If you are from US you will also benefit from exchange rate. He has been shipping quite a bit of gear to US so no problem there. I  got my dac for around 2000 off. Best wishes- Audio Two, Windsor Ontario.  519-979-7101

I know it is a little over the budget but I wonder about the continuum 2, it is a class D which I frankly don't know much about but would that be worth $10k over a used concentrate 2 for $4k? I think I need to listen to this integrated if I can. I hate that about the support, very unfortunate...

I owned a Rowland Concentra I for many years, and it was outstanding. Some caveats, though:

They run hot and are always on (no on/off switch).

According to some reliable sources here in Europe (where I now live), certain internal parts are sealed so that some capacitors cannot be replaced, and Rowland is unwilling to help independent technicians.

In other words, the user would be forced to send the unit to Rowland for the replacement of parts that would otherwise not be very expensive to replace. And remember, some of these amps are now drawing close to being 20 years old, and capacitors do degrade.

I have also heard other not-so-flattering things about their aftermarket support.

Again, I loved the Concentra, but given what I’ve now learned about their support, coupled with the difficulty of using other than authorized repair centers, I'm not sure that I would consider another.

I have never heard anything negative about this Rowland. Rowland Concentra I, the original Concentra, is excellent too with 100wt/ch. Rowland has a sophisticated slightly laid-back on the warm side of neutrality sound. There is a good reason why almost no-one sells them. Whether it would have enough power drive and speed for your system and taste is another question. Concentar II should probably cost about $3.5k - $4k, Concentra I about $1k less.

Thanks inna, Rowland is a very interesting option and it seems to check most of the boxes. I don't know much about the brand but I'll have to do my research on it. I wonder how it compares to the moon 600i for example? Thanks for putting the brand on my radar!

Ther are no 'miracle integrateds', but if you wish to experience the best you have to go much higher in terms of cost and much wider in terms of brands. There are a few worth trying - Ypsilon, Absolare, Gryphon, VAC and others. Of what I mentioned VAC and lesser Gryphon are the least expensive, about $10k - $12k, and Ypsilon and Absolare are the most expensive, about $25k. Best Gryphon integrated is 300wt/ch/8ohm and is about $15k, I guess, and only available from dealers outside of the US.
Pass is probably the easiest and least expensive choice, YBA is very rare, 100wt/ch and you may not like its sound. Older Rowland Concentra II is 150wt/ch and might be perfect for you but is extremely difficult to find. 

Thanks for the awesome recommendations! I love the idea of the LIO but I wish it was stronger on the wattage side. PASS is definitely an option, I also like the idea of YBA- the passion integrated seems very cool and can be purchased without a DAC. 

Formerly owned a Pass INT-150 (still have Pass). Fabulous integrated and you will spend under $4000. A brother from another mother has an ASR. A bit finicky but sounds great. It's German, and the way it works is that it runs off of battery power (of course the batteries are rechargeable). Detailed and insightful. Pass is a bit rounder. You can probably get he ASR used in your price range. 

I really like the Sophia Electric integrated. EL 34 tubes. Not the power that you would like but if you can get a speaker that doesn't use those music sucking crossovers you might be in audio heaven. 

YBA should be considered.

Thanks akg_ca and Spencer,

Well there is a local dealer that is willing to give me a GREAT deal on Revel and Wilson is just a brand I've been able to hear multiple times so I know how they sound. I'm pretty sold on the crescendos or the Vandersteen (leaning 60% to Crescendos, 30% to Vandy, 8% to Revel and 2% to Wilson... not to get to technical lol). But yeah you are right about the speakers and I have to do more listening before I drive the decision 100%. I love the idea of transmission line and I've had a chance to hear a couple examples and was very impressed. So anyway it's basically between the Vandy's and AZs.

A couple reasons for the integrated. They seem to be a pretty good value over separates and an integrated takes up less space. I'm sharing my 20 X 15 listening room with my office (not that big of a deal but still). I also wonder if having the wiring and circuitry closer together in an integrated actually produces a better end result as there is less distance for the signal to travel. So those are the reasons. Exceptions are absolutely possible to the integrated rule :)

One other note that shouldn't play a role but does- aesthetics are very important. If I'm spending that type of money I don't want it to look like a toaster. It's picky I know but there seem to be a lot of good options that look good.

Spencer- what is ASR? I've never heard of the brand and my google search didn't help me too much.

Why with DAC & amp are you putting high emphasis on "a company that spends very little on marketing and works to move as much of the value for the money to the product itself", but you have listed some speakers that exhibit the exact opposite IMHO(i.e Wilson & Revel)? Speakers are available from a larger number of companies than other categories, with more variation in value, style, strengths & weaknesses. It's a much more personal category and requires listening more than any other category. Whatever your preferences I am guessing you can find a few from smaller companies that will give you more value. 

On the amp/pre side does it have to be an integrated? I would say that a $3k Backert Labs Rhumba preamp is a tremendous value and if paired with many amps ~$5k would be a great start. It's smart to decide on the speakers you want before choosing a power amp since the speaker might affect what amp with be best choice. 
If it has to be an integrated ss amp, ASR, Pass Labs come to mind as more musical than most. Cheers,
Spencer
  

REGA Osiris s/s integrated.....

Google the reviews, and better still, actually go audition one and prepare to be impressed (amazed?)

Highly recommended