+1 on McCormack amps; you may be able to find a DNA-1 with a recent gold-upgrade in your budget. I had mine upgraded 6 mos ago and virtually EVERYTHING but the chassis was replaced with new and often upgraded parts and boards. It is essentially a new, upgraded amp, and Steve is still around for repairs and tweaks. It sounds awesome; I can't' recommend them highly enough.
Threshold, Levinson, Bryston, Krell, ?others? used amps
Hi All. I'm looking for a bang for the buck, diamond in the rough, 200-ish WPC power amp that will hang really tough with what's out there today in the vintage or recently new realm. Trying to keep $$$ under 2K. I currently own a Nakamichi PA-7 (Nelson Pass Stasis design). Looking for an amp that is great at doing the disappearing act, smooth sounding, but not colored, and with lots of authority. I realize that there are as many opinions on this as stars in the night sky but thought I would ask anyway. Been considering a Threshold S/500, Levinson 23.5, Bryston 4B family. Any standouts that I should try to find? Let's hear from you.