Time for the Dynaco to go, Affordable Integrated or Separates for Wilson's Under $2.5K?


Hi Everyone can it be done?, At the recommendation of a few nice members here, I decided to head in a different direction and find Pre-Owned separates or a nice integrated for my Wilson Audio Watt3/Puppy 2’s. The room is 20x25 but I stit close and do not play loud, I live in a Condo. I am replacing Dynaco MK3’s and like a Musical non-Analytical sound. I am like the idea of VTL, Mcintosh, Rogue, Hegel, and AR. But open to anything. The problem is my budget. How the heck am I going to make Wilson’s sing with so little cabbage. I would like to spend up to $1,000 for the Pre and $2,000 for the Amp. The less the better. Or under $2,000 for an integrated. I have no idea why I want to spend less on an integrated. HELP, I can’t decide. The members here are awesome! Kind and willing to help. All your experience is greatly appreciated!! John
128x128johnwahl
Recapping is the Golden Ticket for extending the life and preserving the performance of older amps. I have two systems, one in our main house and another at our cottage, both driven by Crown PS-200 amps from the early ’80s. About 100W per channel unbridged.

Acquired one for $85 out a church in Virginia and another for $125, both on Ebay. Dispatched them to AE Techron, the service mother ship for old school Crowns.

Both were repaired, recapped and bias adjusted, both bills under $300 (each) before shipping. Professional service all the way. One drives Onkyo towers with hi-output connected 125W REL t/5i sub. The other pushes vintage Cerwin Vega speakers with a small 1990’s era powered Jensen sub.

They sing. Some audiophiles look down on the professional grade bullet proof early Crowns, but when adjusted, with a good DAC on the front end, they present a great sound stage with plenty of headroom at adult home use volumes :)
Try a Yaqin amp from China for 500 or so.I have their tube buffer on the output of my sacd player and love it.You can get a model that's an integrated  and has a front mounted switch to turn it into a power amp.Very attractive amp plus you are getting 50 watts per channel.
For the money, imho, the Simaudio MOON 240i (around $2300 but you may be able to find a deal) is tough to beat. It blew away the rogue Sphinx v3 in my in home audition.  It’s worth a listen. 
My latest,
paring  a modded
st-70, erring on the side of the original Hafler design with a Rogue Audio Métis Magnum. • st-70 $900
• Metis-$650
• speakers, on the hunt
Klipsch kg-4’s for now
budget fun!