2. amps-preamps
  3. 1136848549

Is There any Truly "High End" Integrated Amp?


I'm a reasonably well experienced audio nut and have tried a number of "good" integrated amps. I wonder, though, if there are integrated amps that are good enough for the "best", most revealing speakers. (Think Avalon Eidolon, Verity Parsifal, various JM Lab Utopias, and a variety of other fine speakers that do not have mammoth power requirements.)

People talk about the Levinson, the Musical Fidelity KW-500 and the lesser MF amps, the BAT integrated, The Rowland Concerto, etc. etc. etc.

I would like to hear from people who have actually tried the top tier of integrated amps and would be very interested in learning of their findings.

Don't need to be the most expensive. Could be the YBA Passion, Classe, MacIntosh 6900, Krell 400i, or any of a number of integrated amps that are supposed to sound good.

Hope to hear some good feedback.

Thanks very much.
Ag insider logo xs@2xjprice
kops's avatar
kops
478 posts
 
Rob what's there after the Parsifals?
rob_techsupport1081
19 posts
 
In my case, I hit the top of the hill with the Parsifal, in Big-time diminishing-returns land. They are the absolute best I have ever heard, owned and will own in the future. However, I think that for a LOT less money, you can get truly excellent sound and (in my situation anyways) feel more reasonable listening and owning great - (meaning not the absolute best) speakers from a number of reputable companies. I have owned 4 other different speaker pairs since the Parsifals, and only recently have I been able to settle down with speakers I can live with for a good while - and they happen to be the least expensive ones too...
jtgofish
490 posts
 
The Optonica SM5200 is an unassuming looking integrated amp from the late70s early 80s.These are comfortably better than 99% of pre-power combos.They use a simple STK 466 integrated amp module-no transistors,and sound closer to a really good modern valve amp than anything else.
They are better than any of the digital type amps I have heard and are only bettered by the very best valve pre-power combos.Unbelievable I know-but true!
larryi
3,760 posts
 
A possible candidate is the Viva Solisti. This is an Italian single-ended design that uses an 845 tube for each channel. It is a true integrated, not one of those tube "integrated" amps that have a passive linestage (only volume control and switching, no amplification/buffer).

I have heard Viva's prior model and liked it. I only heard the Solisti under show conditions, but the distributor insists it is much better than the model older model.
sounds_great
2 posts
 

I recently heard the Jeff Rowland Concerto Integrated Amp in my system and I am stunned. I am convinced that this amplifier is surely one of the best sounding piece of audio gear I've ever heard.

The build quality is phenomenal, has plenty of inputs, at 250 watts per channel, it will drive 'most anything, phono stage is as good as many of the "best" separates.

If there was ever a piece of equipment that I feel will successfully replace separate components in a high end system, this is it.
More to discover