Hello, I left the hobby for a bit and just got back into due to a local listing for some Focal 1038 BE II speakers I couldn't pass up. I purchased the speakers and am now looking for a recommendation for an integrated amplifier. I will be hooking them up to a rebuilt Technics SP 10 mkii TT mounted with a Ortofon quintet black cartridge and a pass labs xono phono. I listen to mainly classic rock vinyl and my room is pretty large, the speakers will be more towards the middle of the room and pretty far from the walls. I do not listen at really loud volume levels. Ideally I would like a Pass Labs XP 20 hooked to a Pass Labs amplifier like an xa30.5 but with just purchasing speakers cannot get that at the moment. Any suggestions in the $2500 - 3500 range? I am drawn to Pass Labs typically for the deep tight bass and good imaging. Currently considering a Pass Labs int-30A, Bryston B135 sst2, maybe a Cary integrated like the SLI 80 or 100? I've never really ventured into tubes before though.
I guess I should add that I'm not pulling a trigger on a Pass INT because I'd rather be towards the $2500 mark vs $3500 of course. I'll give PL a look.
I drive Focal Aria 906 speakers with a Quicksilver Integrated Amplifier. Its 20 tube watts do a great job with them. The
Focal 1038 BE II
speakers have 3.5 dB greater sensitivity.
The yamaha as-1000 wasn't good with my speakers focal 907be, smooth but no dynamic enough, i was very bored with the amp... I changed by an sony ta-4650 amp (same Pass fist watt SIT, but double power), i went from 180 watts to 60 watts, yet listening is the opposite ! The dynamic is unleashed, stamps became embodied, the soundstage has become much more focused ! This amp plays like a yamaha B2 or sony ta-f7 power amp, really better than the AS ranges ! Find a sony ta-8650, or yamaha C2+B2 restored for your 1038, it's really another world !
As @carlsbad said, the Parasound Hint 6 is a solid performer. I didn't realize how solid until I got everything fine tuned, ie., speaker placement, sub integration. It's a Swiss Army knife of integrated amps! 5 analog inputs, 2 digital inputs, optical in. Built in wonderful DAC, subwoofer control and tone controls. 160 wpc. Great piece.
Suggestion: find a local dealer you can trust, ideally one with good return and upgrade policies, then pick from the brands they carry in your price range. If that is not feasible in your area, stick with a few brands that get consistently good reviews in this forum (or another you trust) or in reviews by major publications. Then choose based on price, features, warranty, service and support. Possibilities (in addition to the ones mentioned above): Benchmark, First Watt, Mytek, PS Audio (used), Schiit.
I have the Benchmark AHB2. 100W, should be plenty for your speakers. I don't know why it might "pair" better or worse with them than any of the above suggestions (unless maybe you prefer a more veiled/colored/"enhanced" sound). Glowing reviews, excellent test measurements, made in USA, 5 year warranty (if you register it), good service/support. Good built-in fault/safety protection. Characterized as "sonically neutral and transparent". Only accepts balanced inputs. $2999 direct from Benchmark.
Just saying if you step up to an Pass INT30A you may find you don't want to sell it and if you do you will get your money back out of it. I am driving a pair of 1008 Be's with a pair of XA100.5's and XP20 combo my previous amp (s) were a Cary SLI-80F1 and INT30A and trust me the INT30A is no slouch as it did a great job driving my 1008Be's.
Krell & Bryston work very well. Agree with jeffinnh. The more power the better they sound. I have found with the BE tweeters lots of power really creates significant changes
I have a pair of 1028 BE II in one of my systems. When I purchased them, I also listened to the 1038’s in the dealer’s show room. The dealer demoed both pair of speakers with Mcintosh integrated amplifiers and I thought they sounded great! Cannot recall the particular model. It may have been the 6700. While I use separate amplifiers and preamplifiers in most of my set ups, due to space constraints, I employ an integrated with the 1028 speakers. The best that I have heard is the Pass Labs 150 integrated. It runs warm, but sounds incredible. Everything that you would want is there. Unfortunately, my wife found the set up difficult to operate (changing both the input on the television and amplifier to switch between sources). That system is where she watches most of her television. I simplified things for her by putting in an AV receiver with HDMI switching which operates in stereo mode. The room correction does help, but it is still nowhere near as good as when the Pass Labs integrated was in the system. I also had a Peachtree 220 SE in that system for a while which did a very nice job, but was not quite as good as the Pass Labs. Hope this was of some help to you.
If you’re not insistent on class A power (which the aforementioned amp may run out of juice)… based on my own first hand experience, I would second the motion for the Pass INT 150. You get to stay in the Pass Labs family and there’s no such thing as too much power. If anything it’s beneficial as you’ll get more dynamic headroom ..etc.. Harry
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