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

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bluegrassphile

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...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.
 
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
 
Shadowfax said:
Vinnie Rossi Lio
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+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.
 
Used Dart CTH-8550 for SS

For tube, I'd look to Jadis, Vac, and Viva (high efficiency speakers only).
 
Very slightly used accuphase e650 or a dealer willing to discount.


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Check out an ESOTERIC F 05..... 10 K MSRP.......beautifully built with sound to match.....
Cheers.....
 
MRJAZZ said:
Check out an ESOTERIC F 05..... 10 K MSRP.......beautifully built with sound to match.....
Cheers.....
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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.
 
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
 
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Penthouse-D said:
Something from the under-loved, underrated , Rogers High Fidelity if you're looking for a tube system.... transferable lifetime warranty also...
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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.
 
I'm enjoying my Lyngdorf TDAI-3400. Well under your price limit, plus you get room correction (which you can bypass).
 
Mrppv said:
I'm enjoying my Lyngdorf TDAI-3400. Well under your price limit, plus you get room correction (which you can bypass).
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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
 
Hear Here said:
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
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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
 
Shadowfax said:
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
Click to expand...

aKnyght said:
+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.
Click to expand...

+2 on the Rossi-Harbeth pairing. Very, very, nice!
 
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.
 
bluegrassphile said:
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.
Click to expand...

Awesome news Tom! So happy for you. Glad you’re at least thinking about a turntable.


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