2. amps-preamps
  3. 1231713630

$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

Showing 1 response by mordante

mordante
511 posts
 
My advise would be a Symphonic Line RG10mkIV reference. I own a SL La Musica and absolutly love it. It has all the good things of a SS amp lots of bass controll and dynamics but is is not sterile in sound. The RG series is a bit cleaner then the La Musica. Maybe you can find a second hand Kraftwerk.
The SL amps are intergated amps but do have seperate power supplies. In the case of the Kraftwerk even 2 seperate power supplies 1 for the power and 1 for the pre amp. Even is you buy an older model SL you can always have it upgraded to the current specs.
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