???What's The LEAST Expensive "End Game"Amplifier You've Ever Heard???

Orchard Audio Starkrimson Ultra

@taheeti, I hope that 225 lasts longer than my Job Integrated.  It blew a MofFet a year ago, and I can’t find anybody locally to repair it.  One of my biggest Audio disappointments:(

@freediver Even though sold, which is a guideline to a sale price.

The Amp in the Link is to my recommendation made earlier in the Thread. 

https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/neurochrome-modulus-686-dual-mono.417355/

I cloned the Mission 776 preamp. I found it sound so good indeed. I don't have chance audition the Mission 777 power amp. 

Maybe you should try this Mission amps if you have chance.

Job 225.  By Goldmund.  $1,600 new.  

@pindac ,yep,every reply,although I'm a little disappointed that the majority of choices are no where near inexpensive..
 I was hoping to see that folks were finding affordable amps had gotten so good these days they could get off the merry go round without spending an arm & a leg to do it..This thread killed that thought pretty quickly...

@freediver Plenty of Posts to your inquiry are you reading ?

Supernait3 is an amazing sounding amp

Easy question... my Pass Labs First Watt J2, which makes my Cube Audio Jazzon speakers sing. It has the euphonic sound of a tube amp.  

End game for me means last amplifier I could afford, that would be the Engström Arne.

Hope to get there one day.

Any amp designed by James Bongiorno! SAE, Dynaco, GAS, Sumo, SST.

Anything from Nelson Pass or BAT.

Aavik U-150 used at 8K if you are lucky enough to find one.

My Primare I32 is it for me. They are up to model I35 now with a bunch of add-ons like built in DAC, and network player modules that boost the price to $4,500 minimum. If you don't need 150 watts the I25 lists for $3,299 new and delivers 100 watts. These are in the Class D category but use proprietary power modules that operate on a unique principle. I find the sound to be crystal clear, but very natural. 

There are 3 Primare integrateds for sale on this site right now ranging from $3,00 to $800. https://www.audiogon.com/brands/primare-systems

The Primare I32 was compared favorably to the Belles Aria in several reviews back in the day (the 132 come out slightly on top) so that would be a good bet, also.

Anything by David Berning.

Classe CAM400 mono blocks. I have them for over a decade now and enjoy tremendously. Or you can get the stereo version. Either version is affordable now. No moving parts. Dead quiet. 

Chances are those with “end game” amps also have speakers that the amp can drive well. So both together is what really matters.

Also worth noting features matter a lot with integrated amps. Different users will have different needs. So sound quality alone is not everything when it comes to integrated amps.

I’ve had a Cambridge Evo 150 for a couple years now and finding it hard to justify any change.  I’ve had a Bel Canto C5i for a number of years now.  Technology has evolved so so am sure I could do better but that little gadget still puts a smile on my face every time. 

The VTA amps from Tubes4Hifi are a tremendous bargain. I’m running two of their VTA 70 mods as monoblocks. Lots of upgrade options.  Finished amps starting ~ $1k, kit pcb < $50.

For the money my Quicksilver Audio Mini Mite tube monoblocks. I’ve had mine for 18 years and for $998 US dollars (in 2006 dollars), they remain the best dollar to performance value I have spent in this hobby. As Sam Tellig wrote in his 2001 review of the Mini Mite monoblocks, sound does not get much better. You can spend alot more money on more powerful amplifiers but you won’t get much better sound than the Mini Mite monoblocks no matter how much more you spend.

The other great audio value for me is the DNA Starlett headphone amplifier for about $2000.

They are a limited production product offered by Donald North Audio and I believe the latest price is about $2500 US. Still worth the price IMO.

well I do HT mine would be , will be a Yamaha 11.1 channel receiver a used refurbished model and i MIGHT need to add amps for more power 
some of you are just too much $ amps but that's how you roll ! This has DSP etc 

@crawfishdaddi Solid recommendation, the Raven Night Hawk is indeed one of the best I've ever heard.  I like the entire line...but the Night Hawk is one of the rare gems in tube amps.

@mapman It replaced a Pass Labs INT-60 integrated amp.

Pass Labs X150.5

@chillydog what amp did the Rega replace?  Thanks. 

Rega Aethos integrated amp for me. I was blown away by the sound when I first heard it.

I am optimistic that it is my recently purchased Aurorasound HFSA-01. 

An integrated amp under $4K? I would get the Musical Fidelity M6si. It has gobs and gobs of power and that wondrous Musical Fidelity sound. Get a used one and use the savings to get a DAC.

I have several amps and even more speakers in various rooms. Objectively I know which performs best overall. But subjectively, they each sound really good but different and I happily spend a good amount of time with each, depending mostly on mood. Variety is the spice of life for sure!  

Hmm. If fewer parts =better sound then why are some of these amps so darn expensive?

Just get rid of the spam parts and lower the price! Problem solved!

I’m only half kidding. Not all parts are created equal.
 

When people say “better sound” all it means is better to them. Lots of good sounding fish in the sea at all price points. Mainly you need an amp capable of driving the speakers to their max. Beyond that a lot simply comes down to personal preferences.

After 50+ years of using tube amps, my end game at lowest (not just cheapest but best for money) are the Westminster Labs REI monoblocks for $33,900.  Compare to Vitus, Boulder, Griffin, CH Precision, etc.  Small, powerful, shortest paths with fewest parts, Class A and much less expensive than competition.  End game amps.

For me it's the Schiit Ragnarok 2 I currently own. I don't think I can afford to go up one level it might be MY end-game.

It does sound very good and gives a glimpse of real high-end amps. Upgrading would require me to upgrade the speakers also, probably looking äta combined cost of $10k or so.

Ayre Acoustics AX-5 Twenty.  Warm tube-like, detailed & excellent at low volume.

For me it is Audio Research REF 75. Have it for about 6 years.

KT120 tubes have been replaced. Never looked back. 

Nice lush, well defined sound. Sufficient power.

PureAudio ONE - Class A Integrated Amp 😃

Krell FPB 200, though like most class A gear, it will also heat your house during winter. It will go into thermal shut down int the summer. 

bump

Simple. Buckeye Purifi amps. $1125. End game.

https://www.buckeyeamp.com/shop/amplifiers/purifi/1et6525sa/2_channel

I’ll second the Krell Evolution 402e. I’m currently using the 302e in my main system. Forgot anything you think you know about how a Krell amp sounds as they sound nothing like the former models that I’ve owned. These amps , in my system, could definitely be end game. They will also drive anything you can throw at them, doubling their rated power down to 2 ohms. Just make sure that it’s an “e” model. I’ve read that the non e wasn’t as good 

Shohei Ohtani”s end game is quite a bit different than mine.  I’d be lucky to bat .200  with maybe one or two dingers. Plus my fastball ain’t what it used to be. 👴

”End game” is a bummer.  What fun is left when the game is over?  Gotta play the game!!!🎯

This is an interesting conversation. 
There’s not as much overlap here as I expected they would be… That is to say there is a high degree of variation.

The best integrated amp I have heard to date is the ECI 6D from electrocompaniet.

This may not be my actual end game amp, but I certainly wouldn’t be disappointed if it were: Octave v110SE with KT150s and the Super Black Box cap bank. About £11k in the UK and it comprehensively saw off my Mark Levinsons. 

On this forum budget is my max. So the best bang for the sound, money for me was the Primaluna. I compared it to an integrated 3X the cost. 

I liked the accuracy with instrumental music. Crisp reed vibration from strings, could here the majesty of the tuba, clear, low,  the reed being bit down on for a tight high on the sax. The other integrated missed it. I was fortunate it matched my speakers perfectly. I hope you find the right one for you. 

Plinius, Hautonga for newer gear but, I could seriously call it quits with a vintage Sansui, AU-9500. It does everything right.

I bought a used Yamaha CA-800 in Japan last year for $300 US. From what I’ve read it seems to be a tough one to knock off any block. While I lust after some $10000 options I don’t think they’d ever sound better given my small room set up. 

Yamaha A-S2100. Noise floor and resolution exceeds the ability of many separates systems, produces best bass extension I’ve experienced from ANY amp, and has enough power/current to drive most speakers. It manages the sonic strengths of tubes better than many tube amps.

Doesn’t have the brand cachet of Luxman or Accuphase but I would put my bets on it against those and similar brands all day. 

As far Integrated goes, I was very impressed by Margules I-240 when I heard the demo at AXPONA 2024. Class A - 25wpc, with some NOS 12AU7 tubes, it has a potential of very nice intimate sound; worthy consideration for any midsize room.

Coda S5.5

On the Integrated side I would have to say my Ayon Triton. It’s fully tubed on the pre and amp side. I think the retail when it was new was around 10k, however I purchased it used for around 3k 2 years ago. 
 

It has so much detail and clarity I could not imagine replacing it. Plus it’s the sexiest looking amp ever!