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  1. #1
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    Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    ...Based strictly on what I've gleaned from forums and magazines and the speakers I'll be using (Harbeth Super HL 5+ Anniversary), my top choice would be the Luxman 509x ($9500).

    Caveat...there's one major factor affecting my choice...I've never heard one. With the only issue being the headphone stage being a little weak everything I've ever read about the 509x was highly positive. I'll let you fill in your top 5. I'm much more interested in your choices than mine. Feel free to elaborate on your choices.

  2. #2
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    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    On my list to listen to would be

    Vinnie Rossi Lio
    Pass Int 60
    Gryphon Diablo 120
    Viva Solistino(have already heard that)
    Your Luxman choice
    -----------------
    Brian

    Main System -
    Rotel RCD-1572 / Rega P3 > Luxman 505UX Mark II > Fyne Audio F502SPs > Synergistic Cables

    Secondary - OPPO 93 > VAC CLA 1 MKII Pre > Odyssey Stratos > Dynaudio Audience 82s > Tara Labs Cables


  3. #3
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    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    Quote Originally Posted by Shadowfax View Post
    Vinnie Rossi Lio
    +1

    i heard the vinnie rossi L2 separates with harbeths at AXPONA '18... absolutely fantastic pairing. best sounding set up of the entire show, imo

    i would just confirm the 25wpc is enough for the hartbeths -- should be but ask at harbeth. also, consider the DHT PRE linestage option which was the preamp configuration i heard. such a nice sound and provides the option to tube roll.
    viking acoustics berlin r mk2 | air tight atc-5 + atm-300r | clearaudio concept + virtuoso v2 MM | t+a dac8 dsd + kanjiroba diy transport + roon rock
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  4. #4
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    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    Used Dart CTH-8550 for SS

    For tube, I'd look to Jadis, Vac, and Viva (high efficiency speakers only).
    Brinkmann Bardo w/ EMT HSD-006 cart, MSB Reference DAC --> Linear Tube Audio MicroZOTL --> Ampzilla 2000, 2nd Edition --> Fyne Audio F1-12

  5. #5
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    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    Hey guys, there has to be a lot more choices in this price range. Keep 'em coming.

  6. #6
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    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    Aesthetix Mimas

  7. #7
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    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    Very slightly used accuphase e650 or a dealer willing to discount.


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  8. #8
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    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    Check out an ESOTERIC F 05..... 10 K MSRP.......beautifully built with sound to match.....
    Cheers.....
    INDUSTRY AFFILIATION: OWNER/PRESIDENT OF
    QUINTESSENCE ACOUSTICS
    www.quintessenceacoustics.com

  9. #9
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    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    Quote Originally Posted by MRJAZZ View Post
    Check out an ESOTERIC F 05..... 10 K MSRP.......beautifully built with sound to match.....
    Cheers.....
    That looks really nice and another good one for this list. I am heading this direction soon enough.

    My Counterpoint amp just flaked out on me. My backup is decent but not in the same league, Odyssey Stratos+

    Need to rethink the Integrated and SS path for longevity.
    -----------------
    Brian

    Main System -
    Rotel RCD-1572 / Rega P3 > Luxman 505UX Mark II > Fyne Audio F502SPs > Synergistic Cables

    Secondary - OPPO 93 > VAC CLA 1 MKII Pre > Odyssey Stratos > Dynaudio Audience 82s > Tara Labs Cables


  10. #10
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    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    Hegel h360 list $5600. It probably should be on the list of int's to demo. Plain jane looks but really good at driving speakers
    Last edited by steve59; July 13, 2019 at 11:18 AM. Reason: update
    KEF Blade, Mc-611's, C49 rega jupiter, roon nucleus, revox tuner. Meridian dsp8000 se upgrade, meridian 218 zone controller VA Beethoven's, Hegel h360.

  11. #11
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    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    Quote Originally Posted by steve59 View Post
    Hegel h360 list $5600. It probably should be on the list of int's to demo. Plain jane looks but really good at driving speakers
    390 now


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  12. #12
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    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    Something from the under-loved, underrated , Rogers High Fidelity if you're looking for a tube system.... transferable lifetime warranty also...

  13. #13

    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    Quote Originally Posted by Penthouse-D View Post
    Something from the under-loved, underrated , Rogers High Fidelity if you're looking for a tube system.... transferable lifetime warranty also...
    Oooh I was very impressed with Rogers driving a pair of Wilson Duettes on their debut (Rogers) at my local dealer. This was some years back, so they probably have more or newer models by now. That pairing had great synergy together.

  14. #14
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    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    I'm enjoying my Lyngdorf TDAI-3400. Well under your price limit, plus you get room correction (which you can bypass).
    Antipodes EX…Schiit Yggdrasil...Coda 07x…Peachtree GaN400...Vivid V1.5
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  15. #15
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    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    Quote Originally Posted by Mrppv View Post
    I'm enjoying my Lyngdorf TDAI-3400. Well under your price limit, plus you get room correction (which you can bypass).
    I had a loan Lyngdorf TDAI 3400 for a couple of weeks and couldn't get on with it. Yes, it looks great on paper - an all-in-one with room correction included.

    I found it unfathomable and annoyingly un-user-friendly - but that's probably just me. When I applied the room correction (using a microphone that I was convinced the amp didn't know its correction graph), the life was sucked from the music. Compared with what I was already using (NAD M32), it was dire - at least with my speakers in my room.

    The OP may like to consider something way under his budget - the soon-to-be-released NAD Master Series M33. Yes, NAD is considered by many as a mid-fi brand, but its Master Series are really very good and regularly achieve Stereophile's highest rating. The M33 will have the Purifi amplifier module. Iin fact it will offer everything the Lyngdorf does including room correction (Dirac rather than RoomPerfect). Peter
    Sources - NAD M50.2 (streamer, CD player, CD ripper, hard drive music store)
    Amplification - NAD M33 all-in-one, NAD M12 preamp (in reserve), Atma-Sphere Class D monos
    Speakers - Avantgarde Duo XD, Avantgarde Duo (2006) - both aesthetically modified

  16. #16
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    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    Quote Originally Posted by Hear Here View Post
    I had a loan Lyngdorf TDAI 3400 for a couple of weeks and couldn't get on with it. Yes, it looks great on paper - an all-in-one with room correction included.

    I found it unfathomable and annoyingly un-user-friendly - but that's probably just me. When I applied the room correction (using a microphone that I was convinced the amp didn't know its correction graph), the life was sucked from the music. Compared with what I was already using (NAD M32), it was dire - at least with my speakers in my room.

    The OP may like to consider something way under his budget - the soon-to-be-released NAD Master Series M33. Yes, NAD is considered by many as a mid-fi brand, but its Master Series are really very good and regularly achieve Stereophile's highest rating. The M33 will have the Purifi amplifier module. Iin fact it will offer everything the Lyngdorf does including room correction (Dirac rather than RoomPerfect). Peter
    The OP ended up with a PASS Int-250. I had heard an earlier version, the M5 driving Thiel CS 3.7s with nice sound
    -----------------
    Brian

    Main System -
    Rotel RCD-1572 / Rega P3 > Luxman 505UX Mark II > Fyne Audio F502SPs > Synergistic Cables

    Secondary - OPPO 93 > VAC CLA 1 MKII Pre > Odyssey Stratos > Dynaudio Audience 82s > Tara Labs Cables


  17. #17
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    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    Quote Originally Posted by MRJAZZ View Post
    Check out an ESOTERIC F 05..... 10 K MSRP.......beautifully built with sound to match.....
    Cheers.....
    I will second this. An incredible amplifier.
    Caelin Gabriel
    President
    Shunyata Research

    http://shunyata.com

  18. #18

    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    Quote Originally Posted by Shadowfax View Post
    On my list to listen to would be

    Vinnie Rossi Lio
    Pass Int 60
    Gryphon Diablo 120
    Viva Solistino(have already heard that)
    Your Luxman choice
    Quote Originally Posted by aKnyght View Post
    +1

    i heard the vinnie rossi L2 separates with harbeths at AXPONA '18... absolutely fantastic pairing. best sounding set up of the entire show, imo

    i would just confirm the 25wpc is enough for the hartbeths -- should be but ask at harbeth. also, consider the DHT PRE linestage option which was the preamp configuration i heard. such a nice sound and provides the option to tube roll.
    +2 on the Rossi-Harbeth pairing. Very, very, nice!
    Anthony
    Analog: VPI Clearaudio Innovation Wood/Kuzma 4Point/Ortofon A95> ASR Basis Exclusive HV---->

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  19. #19
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    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    Well, a few months down the line with a Pass INT 250 and I couldn't be happier. Goes wonderfully with my Harbeth Super HL+ 40th Anniversary speakers. The MSB Discrete with dual power supplies adds such smoothness and ultra high definition to the music. Right now I'm streaming with my Roon Nucleus. But there might be one of those analog thingy dingys with the pointy needle doohicky in my future. However, my next purchase will be a quality set of headphones and good headphone amp. It feels so good to be back in the high end home audio hobby.
    Amplifier: Pass Labs INT 250 integrated.

    DAC/Streamer: MSB Discrete Dual Power Supply.

    Server: Roon Nucleus with lifetime subscription.

    Speakers: Harbeth Super HL 5+ 40th Anniversary
    Model.

    Headphones/Amp: Focal Stellia phones, NAIM Uniti Atom Headphone Edition headphone amp/music player/server/streamer.

    Cables: AudioQuest Rocket 88 speaker cables,
    Mackenzie interconnects.

    Speaker Stands: HiFi Man.

  20. #20
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    Re: Your Top Five Choices Under $12,500 For Integrated Amps...

    Quote Originally Posted by bluegrassphile View Post
    Well, a few months down the line with a Pass INT 250 and I couldn't be happier. Goes wonderfully with my Harbeth Super HL+ 40th Anniversary speakers. The MSB Discrete with dual power supplies adds such smoothness and ultra high definition to the music. Right now I'm streaming with my Roon Nucleus. But there might be one of those analog thingy dingys with the pointy needle doohicky in my future. However, my next purchase will be a quality set of headphones and good headphone amp. It feels so good to be back in the high end home audio hobby.
    Awesome news Tom! So happy for you. Glad you’re at least thinking about a turntable.


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Your Top Five Choices Under ,500 For Integrated Amps...

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