Looking for a ‘’No braine’r Integrated amplifier under 7500 or so


hello all!

I’m looking for ideas on a ‘slam dunk’ flexible high value solidly performing INTEGRATED amp for an office system, but one that for a while can be my ‘go to’ or primary unit and is a bit above entry level.

preference is to buy new, but preowned in the right scenario works for me as well.

Pesently I’m starting all over in amassing gear and felt to initiate the project by wading into the water slowly.

I have on hannd remnants of my former   efforts in a then very good line stage preamp and DAC, though the DA age is showing and well behind current popular trends  and support for new formats.

also on hand are some ‘so so’ amps, and several pairs of speakers and I just added a Blue Sound Noede 2I.

ultimately I see nearly everything being replaced but felt starting with a very nice Integrated seems as good a starting point as any.

topology is as such, not too too imoportant. decent power however is key as speakers being paired here are as yet unknown. likelyhood here is a pair of monitors and a sub.

the music playback will likely be streaming from providers and NAS files.

Aesthewtix Mimas has peaked my interest currently. and having owned bAT their INT is interesting too. apart from these two I’m wide open to suggestions on current one box amp solutions..

glass or sand power here makes little difference apart from thereafter mating speakers to the INT power constraints..

your thoughts, and expieriences here are vastly appreciated. THX
blindjim

Here is the final anser to what I chose in an Integrated amp & loudspeaker combo.

first however I must offer a tremendous THANKS TO ALL for their feedback and thoughts on the topic that began as a simple choice for a decent integrated amplifer for a secondary rig but then morphed into a           question of an INT + Speakers philosophic debate.

… and the winners are:
BC E1X integrated amplifier 170wpc @ 8
joseph Audio Pulsar Graphines monitors 87db @ 8
dsound anchor four post stands. for JA Pulsar Gs

with a strong desire to remain conservative the bC INT got the nod on the BC house sound alone.

he JA Pulsars got the nudge from audio show setups I attended that demonstrated they were more than competent speakers capable of superior sound.

the SA stands cost was a big pill to swallow , but if these were good enough for the designer, Jeff Josephh, it seems a safe bet to go with the stands Je J showed his speakers with. and liked

Although it ended up this way it nearly didn’t.

going with a one box rig with DA/preamp/amp in something familiar which as well mated well with the Pulsars became a tedious endavor as the choices were few and far between. one was up for sale but went sold quickly. looking into a new one seemed the best bet at that time. finding one and about to pull the trigger, then reviewing the funds more closely I figured to merely use my existing separates, wait a while and either find a suitable INT or upgrade the amp later.

then a friend saw one for sale off this site and arrangements were made to get into a preowned unit. going that way allowed me to have the funds for the SA stands too.

Agreements were made with the vbarious merchandisers and funds were sent. now we just wait for the big brown truck or the big grey truck to slide by..

here’s hoping all will mix well in the final analysis, and I believe it will.

now… digital cables, and maybe new/different speaker wires. power cords anyone? hmmm.

again, many thanks everyone as the list here for a little while anyghow is one I’ll keep for reference and possibly try some of those suggested later on.!!

jim
I got lost.  OP stated:  Looking for a ‘’No braine’r Integrated amplifier under 7500 or so...

So, OP is asking for integrated, right?  I’ll chime in with the Sugden people.  I own several pieces and they all perform in a stunning fashion.
@celtic
0I got los0t….. So, OP is asking for integrated, right?

blindjim>
sorry you became confused i’ve. no clue what caused it.

yes. I was seeking a competent great preforming INT in the $7500 MSRP range, more or less.

… and I chose one. see most recent posts above.

as for Sugden… I’m not a fan yet but have not heard the whole line either.. IMHO Rogue, Pass, and Raven would have surpassed Sugden as a pick anyhow had i not selected Bel Canto.

As the pairing of amp & spkrs is key in the minds of many audio hobbyists.Some superfulous and unnecessary input came via the item I never mentioned. With which speakers the prospective INT would supply?

Some posters chimed in on this segment avidly and made the point I was somehow putting the cart before the horse seeking the power plant without also indicating the speakers with which it would join..

nonsense. the speaker first camp takes their notion to far and too often.

staying away from scenarios which pose more critical unions and eyeing those INTs dishing out 150wpc or more seemed the prudent path for pairing with a wealth of possible combinations.

given a choice has been made, other offerings are now merely considerations for some others in this hunt or for a third system perhaps.

with all said and done, I concluded the next items to be pursued and listed them here, , please see above. sorry if this too was distracting.

thanks everyone for every contribution herein.
Congrats on what I’m sure will be fine choices. Do post your impressions of the gear here when you get it, as it breaks in, and after it stabilizes out after break in. Enjoy the music 

@kren000

Congrats on what I’m sure will be fine choices. Do post your impressions of the gear here when you get it, as it breaks in, and after it stabilizes out after break in.

blindjim>
Thank you. I’m hoping so too. in fact I’m pretty sure it will be just fine at the onset,

just figuring out the best paths for introducing the digital feeds will be a chore. the pdf user guide on the BC E1X was done as images only. sighted folks won’t notice a diff, but accessibility software can not read images. meaning all 45 pages of the preamp… DAC… and amp guides will have to be printed oput and rescanned ass OCR files then re-read and decryprted as the OCR ver is not an exact copy of how the items on each page were inserted. offten much of the content is well, scrambgled about the page. its a real chore at times.

then there’s the fiddling with cables, and iso gizmos, power line conds, etc.

I’m actually looking forward to this build as a few perspectives or bits of EXP . will arise during its arrangement and run in and with differing stands being used briefly right off the bat until the SA stands are made and delibvered.!

one thing for sure I’m not digging too much is running in a brand new pr of speakers… again. lol

but then somewhere in it all is the fun of this past time. somewhere….
jim