What tier do you consider Anthem integrated?

After years od having spectral gear, my expectations of solid state build quality are high.  When you looki inside the anthem the boards were flimsy appearing, on angles , bevel my Yamaha avr was better quality construction.   I beautiful casework with midfi guts     Stick to their avr which are competent 

@labguy As a contributor to a couple of your other threads I am just wondering what your current thoughts are regarding system development. Are you still interested in the development of a 2 channel 'synergistic system' for under $5000? What speakers are you considering?

Please understand I am not trying to be snarky, 

There are SO many undefined variables that have to be considered. Not just that amp itself. Things like a particular interconnect that might work well o one but not so well on the other. then of course there are the design features like what class of AMP each is ruining and so on. Also the purpose you use the amp for. i.e. is it for analogue sources like a turntable, Or Digital sources like CD/DVDs? I see people here asking those exact questions and they must be answered first.

Would a 15yr old Pass walk all over a Anthem STR Integrated? No, not in my opinion.

I have the STR Stack and I’ve been very happy with the sound. Having ARC takes things to a whole new level when used properly. I have a decent sized floor stander in a small(ish) room (see virtual system) and having the ability to manipulate the sound to my taste and not overloading the room is great. That said, even without ARC I would still take the STR because I like the Anthem sound. 

@sunshdw Wow! That setup is killer. Those speakers are gorgeous. Is the sound signature of those like higher end Dynaudio or Sonus Faber?(are those two brands considered warmer type speakers?) Or are they more lively forward and revealing/clinical transparent sounding?

Thanks for the input on your satisfaction with the Anthem. I think maybe the integrated would be a good buy. I'm reluctant to get loaded integrated that have dacs and phono stages and crossovers all by the preamp and power supply. I am concerned that a all in one value amp may have decreased SQ, or I'd be paying for features I didn't want or would wind up upgrading externally later, etc. Maybe I should consider Hegel as well as Anthem.

@mesch , you don't sound snarky at all. I'm sure it's hard to help somebody that has no idea what they want and has no stores in their area to listen to anything. It's just gonna be a blind buy. I keep thinking if I increase my budgethat maybe I stand a better chance of getting something quality. But  if it winds up too clinical and revealing as opposed to musically detailed and warm (my sound preference I believe) I'd hate to waste all that money and wind up disappointed with my purchase. So  I go round and round with indecision. You and @soix  and a bunch of others here have been very helpful and educational but it's really hard when I can't physically listen to the assortment of items to choose from. Plus, I want to purchase wisely and get great bang for my buck. (This will be a huge purchase for me) I don't have a super lucrative job, and it's a big budget to risk becoming. unhappy with if I make a poor choice.. Relying simply on descriptions from others instead of being able to physically hear it myself plays a big part in the indecision not to mention all the choices available and all the ranges of price points for varying gear.  I keep running across stuff that interests me and it prevents me from making a decision about anything. Most recently the speakers of @sunshdw  Look super appealing, As well as some triangle Delta signature speakers that are probably too big for my area. But those intrigue me as well. Anyway guys, the struggle is real. Thank you for your support and patience as I suffer through educating myself and trying to make a purchase blind (and  metaphorically deaf) because I can't audition really anything in my area other than Best Buy stuff.

Budget is still $5k but I keep wanting to increase that. $5k is a good start for now for the first piece or two though. I need to be patient and build this over time with quality pieces. First amp and speakers,  then dacs and wires,  etc.