What integrated amp do you use, i picked up a Parasound Hint6 and totally fell in love. This thing is such a perfect all around performer, i was curious as to what other Integrated Amp people where using and why
I use the Exceptional U.S made Coda CSIB integrated amp it has 3 power choices all doubling down into 2 ohms.the lowest power 150,300,600 has the highest amount of pure class A -18 first watts , these guys are very understated ,stereotimes best of 2020 , and great review.I feel the best integrated in the $10k and under group ,Before Nelson Pass went on his own these were his fellow engineers, the Torroidal transformer is potted for very low noise and huge 3,000 va ,and pure class A preamplifier section, mosfet,fet, and 40 bipolar transistors on the output section , Burr Brown 100 step volume Attenuator high current 120 Amp capability . 10 year warranty , 5 year transferrable.for $6500 is a heck of a bargain and sounds very natural .
I have read at least 20 reviews, fascinating to say the least. The speakers used even better, thanx this has made for some interesting alternatives if i tire of the Hint6
Someone earlier mentioned us being in a Golden Age for Integrated Amplifiers to which I would add IMO it's ALMOST impossible to get a bad sounding front end these days with 99.9% of available choices offering ZERO distortion,virtually ruler flat freq.response & an inclination by manufacturers today to tune for a musical experience instead of tuning to grab attention in showrooms...
I have a Devialet Original d' Atelier, which is upgraded to 1000Pro. It's a very clean window into the recording. Those who say Devialet sounds clinical need to learn to set their speakers up properly. They're clean, not clinical. SAM adds more depth to the bass than almost any amp can and with 1000W into 6 Ohm, there's plenty of power, thus grip.
Since they've added Sweet room (supposed to be room correction but it's more or less an equaliser) there's to possibility to make it sound like any amp you want. You want more warmth? increase the bass a bit, lower the treble and it's there. You want it more lively? Increase the highs. You want mid range, increase that. Whatever change you make, there's still that clear window into the recording with incredible grip.
My mate bought a second hand Devialet 220 Pro and we took it speaker shopping. It held its own against a +50 grand dCS / Audio Research / D'agostino setup.
I've recently bought some 99dB efficient Zu speakers for fun. You wouldn't expect a powerful amp like the Devialet to sound good with such an efficient amp but it does.
If I were in the market for something else, I would seriously be looking at Parasound. I heard the JC1's in a shop. Very good. Not just very good for the money.
Like some of the others, I vote for Primaluna. I have a Prologue Premium, and before that, a Prologue One. Since moving into tubes, I just can't be happy with solid state anymore. I've tried, but it just doesn't work for me. Keep those tubes a rolin', rollin', rollin'.
Nova Peachtree 300; I traded in a amp 4 yrs ago online to these guys cuz I couldn't afford a decent pre ever and I have been very happy with it using some pre anniversary edition Harbeth 3.01.
Symphonic Line La Musica. The fact that i still have this amp a year and a half after purchase speaks volumes about its performance. After 35 years of wheeling and dealing this may be it.
Poor mans list: 1.Rogue Sphinx v.3 - very decent phono stage. 2.Accuphase E-202 - invisible 3.Pioneer SA-9500II-excellent tone controls 4.McIntosh MA-6100-bought with matching tuner for $20 total, but have spent and spent to keep them going right - like dependents. Good question. thanks
Plinius 8200MkII … having Ralph totally refresh it … probably my end game, though I must admit a big McIntosh could tempt me if $ were no or minor issue. Hard to justify 4+ times the cost for what I think is only modest improvement (though aesthetically 100 x better).
I would add that I’d repurchase the Don Garber Fi-X integrated in a heartbeat (that I stupidly sold).
Anthem STR Maybe not an end all amp, but very respectable! - for my income bracket. Going on 4 years, not a peep out of it. Very happy with the sound - some days listen for many hours.(can't stop😎) It drives my ATC SCM 40's (85 db) very well! Love the ARC!🍸 PS: Anthem has great customer service
Mesa Boogie Tigris. I’ve had it for twenty years hooked up to coincident conquest speakers. Always liked the way they sound together.. wouldn’t mind a built in phono pre though… currently using Allnic 1201with nice results….
Oh well, I don't want anywhere near $10k for mine! Haven't listed it yet, too busy. It really is a nice amp. Mine comes with a few improvements, spare tube sets, full Total Contact treatment, much better than your average Melody.
@millercarbon, you’re so fortunate to have the foresight to acquire a Melody amplifier. I’ve always wanted one, but didn’t have the vision to acquire one when they were affordable. They went from barely $2k to $10k! Good for you!
A Willsenton kt88 with 4 Gold Lion kt88’s, 3 Psvane CV181’s, and 2 Tungsol 6SL7 tubes. $1250 for the amp delivered. 45 watts in ultra linear, and 22 watts in Triode. Sublime!
I am currently using a Sansui AU-717 that has been fully restored by QRX restore, this unit sounds awesome & I would not trade it for anything else. Well that is until my BA-F1 & CA-F1 combo come back from being restored as well.
Mcintosh MA252 does a very sweet job of driving a vintage pair of Meadowlark Kestral 2s. I streaming from a rebuilt desktop pc with a 1 terabyte ssd that I've copied my entire CD collection (.flac) through fiber to vintage but top of the line Denon dvd player. Looking now for a good deal on a DAC with balanced outputs because of the limited inputs of the 252.
NAD C368. My first choice was the Parasound New Classic 200, but I was offered a 25% discount on the former and took the bait. Budget hobbyist here. I would love to own the Hint 6 if I had the dough to spare.
Manley Stingray II. One of the best sounding amps I’ve had. Better than Cronus Magnum II by a lot in my system. Have fairly efficient speakers, 92 db. Also beats much more expensive solidstate monoblocks that I’ve had - Mark Levinson 436. On a par with Pass Labs XA-60.5, but with a different sound character.
Pimaluna EVO 100 and absolutely love it and could not be happier for the money spent. The sound is amazing on the Bluesound node 2i and better yet on the Innuos mini Mk III. I compared it with another high end integrated amp before deciding to try it at home. The comparison against the EVO 100 was roughly 3 times the cost, and 4 times the power. The EVO clearly sounded better. My 89db efficent DYI speakers never sounded so good and all I could want. In my small townhome it will shake the place yet detailed and crystal clear.
My post will be for 'used' as I decided to return to separates. Had my speakers and space been content with the Audio Research GSi75's power output, I would have likely kept that for many years. It is a fabulous performer with a wonderful DAC and phonostage included. I wasn't able to get the volume I wanted so as mentioned, back to separates.
Before I settled on the separates I tried the ML 5805 and 585.5. It was a very interesting trial. The 5805 was first and the power really impressed compared to the GSi75. It had a glitchy DAC and was only a trial so I returned. I felt the 585.5 would be the ultimate. I found a demo for a nice price and bought. It had the same glitchy DAC that caused intermittent dropouts that drove me nuts. Exact same problem as the 5805 and ML said they never heard of this. The 585.5 also had a faulty phonostage that was going to require a service visit to change a cap so I returned it. The increased power did not translate to much more in my system. I was simply not impressed with these ML amps.
I may try some of these recommended components in the future when I start changing things up again....I know it will happen! : )
I had considered the Parasound and heard nothing but good things about it. However, I’ve always been curious about McIntosh and so I went and listened to an MA8900 and was really, really impressed. Paired with B&W 804 D3’s, it’s a level above what I had expected. Both digital and vinyl sound great and I can listen for hours without wishing for more. I know there are McIntosh hater’s out there, but if you listen and don’t read, you’ll understand why they are still around after all this time.
ML 585.5 here. Got a screaming deal on a new unit and pulled the trigger. Didn't have a chance to compare to others, figured it was in the top of the range I'd be looking at and would make it work. Paired it with a pair of Devore Gibbon X's and have been extremely pleased. Speakers were powered by a class A amp previously and really didn't shine. Oh how a little power changed that tune. System is a bit warm but that is probably my cables which are legacy, known to be warm and due for replacement next. The other amp I really wanted to try was the Luxman 590, which I still hope to test someday.
If you can afford a new one buy it, if you find a used one buy it, you will never look back. With integrated MC phono, you may never consider separates again.
Esoteric F-05. Purchased it after realizing that a Rega Elicit R I purchased, while an excellent product simply didn't have the muscle to drive my ATC 19 v2' properly. While on paper the amplifiers have sort of similar power ratings the Esoteric takes the ATC' from a whisper to utterly explosive levels with a clarity that' just on another level from my Rega. Very Happy with it.
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