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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
rar1's avatar
rar1
1,748 posts
 
Komaki:

I am running Opera Platea floorstanders with a Prima Luna Prologue 5 power amp and Musical Fidelity CD PRE 24 preamp/cd player. The listening space is roughly 350 sq ft. I agree that the Opera house sound can be sweet and warm sounding, but I also find that I get a good amount of detail from my recordings. I also find the Plateas mostly forgiving of harsher recordings. I like the Opera/PL combination a lot. It has been in place about a year and a half now. For a tube integrated, I would look to the Prima Luna Prologue 2 or the new Mystere line of Prima Luna. I use a PL2 in another system with a Rega Apollo CD player and Spendor SA1 speakers. The listening is in the nearfield position, but the sound is still satisfying.

Regards,

Rich
merganser
216 posts
 
"I heard an MF KW500 integrated, and it sounded very thin on a pair of Thiel 2.4's. Could have been the speaker, though."

It wasn't the MF, I can assure you.
glide3
402 posts
 
Yes the Graaf can be used with adapter but this would essentially defeat the purpose...I had not heard anything about Graaf but if they are out this would be a mojor consideration
jwmazur
190 posts
 
Check out Luxman. They have class A-operated integrated amps at 20 and 30 WPC and 2 class A/B ones that have around 100 WPC. I have done separates since getting into this hobby. I recently picked up a Luxman L-590AII 30 WPC integrated on Audiogon at nearly half price. I can easily live with this amp and be done with the endless changes. I love looking at the meters! Look at the website from On A Higher Note. They are the US distributor for Luxman.

Good luck.
stubby
73 posts
 
Look into the BAT VK-300x with 6922 option. Not sure of current pricing but I would think you could buy new for your price or $3000 used if you can find one. I've had one for almost 4 years and it still satisfies. My room is only half the size of yours but it has enough power to be pleasant throughout the house. 150 watts into 8 ohm and double that into 4 ohm. Balanced design with two balanceded inputs with 3 more rca. Rolling tubes is relatively inexpensive with only two 6922 tubes and it is very responsive to tubes and cable changes.

Problem is once you get one of these it's difficult to upgrade because nothing comes close to it without going separates or spending a lot more. No affiliation just happy customer.
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