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$5000 integrated budget: Please help me choose....

Looking at a very good integrated. I have been in the audio game quite a while, and have bounced around from several speakers. I have just fallen in love with an Opera Callas Divina (full range, 2 way, low impedance down to 4.4 ohm, nominal 6 ohm, 89db/w) and need a nice integrated to go with it. I recently decided to "start over"! Original plan was to purchase a Sonus Faber, but this was similar, for much less money. I am mainly looking at Integrated solutions at this time. It seems value in this price range is very high, and there are some good ones. Tried matching separates in the past: been there, done that. Tube or solid state is OK, listening preferences are mostly classical, orchestra and chamber, jazz and vocals. Typical music lover stuff. Source will be CDP and the room is fairly big, at 450 square feet. Hard to find anything above a Jolida locally to demo. Some models under consideration: Lavardin IT Karan 180 McIntosh MA2275 Rowland Continuum 250 Jadis (model 60?) Simaudio I-7 (maybe too thin)? Cary SLI 80 F1 Conrad Johnson CA-200 I have been running a cheap Jolida tube integrated, but that is a leftover from a previous system, and I would like to step up. I don't need to spend $5000 if I don't have to, but that is my max budget. Sound wise, the Opera is a bit sweet and smooth, a touch warm (typical Italian sound) and I am looking for a tube amp or hybrid that isn't to "tubey" but rather leans somewhat toward musical and real, but not overly mushy. Komaki  (Threads | Answers | This Thread) 01-11-09

Responses (1-35 of 35)

Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it. 01-11-09   The mac   Jaybo 01-11-09: Guidocorona Hi Komaki, it looks like your speakers have a relatively low impedance and are not the most sensitive in te world. They probably benefit from a lot of current and a high damping factor. . . class D amplification often works very well under such circumstances. JRDG Continuum 250 is such a class D device, provided you augment it with an external JRDG PC1 current rectifier / Power Factor Corrector (PFC). May not be crucial for jazz, but for classical where there is a lot of sostenuto, the PC1 will maximize the refinement and authority of the unit. Seems the JRDG C250 lists about $4500 used, and a used PC1 usually goes for about $750 and can be added at a later time. The Continuum 500 has a PFC device built in, but it seems to be offered used above your budget, unless you can persuade an Agoner or a dealer to give you a sweet deal. G. C250 has max output current of 35 Amps, damping factor of 1000. Here is the info page: http://jeffrowland.com/Continuum.htm Guidocorona  (Threads | Answers | This Thread) 01-11-09   Might be on the lower-end of the wpc camp,nut the primaluna ...   Tpsonic 01-11-09   Any of the large musical fidelity integrated: nuvista, trivi ...   Stanwal 01-11-09   I would go with a jadis da60. its powerful bass and superla ...   Aball 01-11-09   To my ears - i'd narrow it down to either the jadis or the k ...   Rumadian 01-11-09   If you can run balanced the graaf 50 is excellent. i used on ...   Glide3 01-11-09   Thanks for the recommendations. source is rca only, althoug ...   Komaki 01-11-09   Heard the new amr 777 integrated at ces this week. very nice ...   Clio09 01-11-09   Considered the new pass labs integrated?   Danlib1 01-12-09   Komaki: i am running opera platea floorstanders with a prim ...   Rar1 01-12-09   "i heard an mf kw500 integrated, and it sounded very th ...   Merganser 01-12-09   Yes the graaf can be used with adapter but this would essent ...   Glide3 01-12-09   Check out luxman. they have class a-operated integrated amps ...   Jwmazur 01-12-09   Look into the bat vk-300x with 6922 option. not sure of curr ...   Stubby 01-12-09   I was torn btw the cary and the mac ultimately chose the car ...   Czbbcl 01-12-09   Italian speaker with italian amp(s). unison research maybe. ...   Williamredburry 01-12-09   The leben cs600 32 watt tube integrated is worth looking at ...   Oddmorning 01-13-09   My advise would be a symphonic line rg10mkiv reference. i ow ...   Mordante 01-13-09   Don't overlook the coda csi limited edition made in sacramen ...   Rtilden 02-07-09   its big brother, the am-77 is also interesting, though i'm ...   Kiwi_1282001 02-07-09   Kiwi, thanks for the link to your excellent and comprehensiv ...   F1a 02-07-09   The karan is a great integrated. i sold mine because it had ...   Stereo 02-07-09   How about a used levinson 383? it's a nice unit.   Matti 02-07-09   F1a, an earlier review on the jeff rowland integrated can b ...   Kiwi_1282001 02-08-09   Out of the list, my preference would be for the mcintosh un ...   Walkertm 02-08-09   02-07-09: stereo the karan is a great integrated. i sold min ...   Samzx12 02-08-09   I have a joule vamp integrated for a second system. it is a ...   Donaudio 02-08-09   I have owned 2 jadis int amps and have heard many others. th ...   Springbok10 02-15-09   i'm working on a gryphon review right now, but my updated t ...   Kiwi_1282001 02-27-09   Hi try new luxman l505u. it simply outclass accuphase e450 ...   Kiza 02-27-09   Komaki, i can recommend the apl-hifi ua-s1, its an integrat ...   Perrew 02-27-09   Springbok- have you had any reliability issues with your jad ...   Weebeesdad 03-22-09   Buy a coda,spend the rest on tunes   Coffeey 03-22-09   "luxman"l550a m2 or save up some more money and g ...   Hifisoundguy

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