Looking for a high end integrated to suit Dynaudio contour 5.4's

I have heard the Vitus RI-100 with the Dynaudio 5.4's and it was a wonderful pairing. Great integrated, lots of power and controlled the Dynaudio's well. I have not heard the others or the newer RI-101. 

Thanks @davt

Of that group of amps, If you can afford the Vitus RI-101, I could recommend it highly having recently reviewed that amp. The Vitus also has the uncanny knack of pairing well with a wide range of speakers. Otherwise If you need a lot of power, I’d go for the AF FLS-10. However if you like more of a warm/harmonically rich sound, I would take an Audio Analogue Maestro Anniversary over the Pass Labs INT-250. That is a beautifully designed, built & musical sounding amp, and would get the job done driving the Dyns.

Thanks melbguyone.  If only you could listen to gear of this quality in your own config before buying :-)

YW plb02. Home auditions are difficult. I’ve had to audition the amps I mentioned in Dealer’s showrooms & friend’s rooms. Though mostly in my Dealer’s shop which is familiar.

I'm also in Melbourne, if its allowed in the forum could I ask where you go to audition gear?

Melbourne, Australia or Melbourne, FL? 

Also add to your list the following integrateds :
Boulder, Esoteric, Luxman, Soulution, CH Precision, Tidal, Ayre, Simaudio Evolution series, Dan D'Agostino Momentum integrated.

Aussie.

Thanks Caphill. The new Luxman L-509x looks very nice.

plb02 OP4 posts07-22-2018 4:05pmI'm also in Melbourne, if its allowed in the forum could I ask where you go to audition gear?

Picking up on Caphill's post, I can't see what country you're in. I live in Melb, Australia. Let me know if you still want a referral.

plb02 OP4 posts07-22-2018 5:03pmAussie.

Thanks Caphill. The new Luxman L-509x looks very nice.

I recently a-b tested the Luxman M-900u/C-900u, Accuphase A-70/C-2850 & Pass XA-250.8/XP-20 amps with Harbeth 40th Anniversary speakers. In that shootout, the Accuphase amps came out on top. The Lux amps are beautifully built (like Accuphase). Sound-wise they are neutral, quiet, smooth, have good PRAT and a touch of warmth. However the Accuphase amps were more resolving, had greater dynamic contrasts, more energy than the Lux amps, were more delicate on vocals, gave 'life' to the music & had an inviting class a warmth.

That said, dollar for dollar I would take any of the 3 amps I mentioned over the Luxman. Several of the amps Caphill mentioned are very good, but out of your price range. The Boulder 865 is a very good amp with plenty of power/control. The Boulder sounds natural, but is more neutral than the Luxman. Build quality is excellent. 865's are a bargain on the used market. I found one on USA Audio Mart asking just under $8kCAD.

Thanks for the info melbguyone, I too am in Melbourne Australia.

I know the accuphase are extremely well made gear, just wish it came in something other than gold...yeh yeh I know very superficial of me but hey I will need to look at for a long time :-)

YW plb02. Yes lack of options with Accuphase face plate would be an issue for many, though the high US and AU retail pricing is the deal breaker for me. PM sent re: auditioning gear.

Look into Octave audios offerings.

@tpreaves, thier Integrated is only putting out 40 watts @4 ohms. Is that enough power for a full range, 4 ohm load with 87db efficiency? On the webpage it states “The V 40 SE is the perfect amp for speakers with an average efficiency rating”. And I don’t think the separates would be within the OP’s budget.

I have heard Contour 30 played with Octave 110 se. Incredible 3D sound stage with lots of seperation. Very natural sounding tone but softer attack/ dynamics. All in all very impressive though. 

Agreed
another +vote for Octave V110 se and Dynaudio speakers.
Happy Listening!

If you don’t mind spending less money, then check out the Lyngdorf 3400. 200W into 8 ohms, 400W into 4, and the benefit of Room Correction. Made a big difference for me. 

melbguyone112 posts07-22-2018 10:21am@tpreaves, thier Integrated is only putting out 40 watts @4 ohms. Is that enough power for a full range, 4 ohm load with 87db efficiency? On the webpage it states “The V 40 SE is the perfect amp for speakers with an average efficiency rating”. And I don’t think the separates would be within the OP’s budget.

 Octave has more models than the V40. The V70SE or the V110SE that jafant mentioned above would be perfect,IMHO.

@tpreaves, Fair enough. That’s another option for the OP to consider. There are lots of good tube integrateds out there like the Vac 160i. Though personally I’m more of a ss guy these days.

No sure OP is opened to tube amps. Granted Dynaudio has partnered with Octave in some of their hi-fi shows. But I reckon he is more of ss amp guy and do know some of his favorite music is high on dynamic range. Head room! You always need head room. Is tube amp rated 110W @ 4ohm enough?

On top of this AV bypass is a must feature on his list. Please correct me if I am wrong @plb02

Thanks to all for the responses,  my preference would be solid state amp and integration into home theatre the ideal.  No dedicated room for me unfortunately.  My main reason for opening the thread was to find an Amp that audiogon members had paired with Dyns and have seen them to have synergy.

Another dark horse to consider is the Rowland Continuum S2 which ticks atleast three of your boxes...prodigious power (800 watts @ 4 ohms), has a HT bypass option & is in your budget. Rowland amps only come in their ubiquitous face plate, but it looks good if you don’t mind a bit of bling. The only thing is it is a Class D amp, but Jeff has been doing Class D longer than anyone, so it has the familiar JRDG house sound. That said, there is no substitute for auditioning gear, as at the end of the day you have to like the sound.

@plbo2

hi hi from Perthie, so sorta local.

I have the the dynaudio confidence 5 and have run them with a variety of amps and integrateds

sticking to integrated amps

i had a LSA standard integrated which is a hybrid valve pre and s/s power. Great sounding amp very powerful. But I don’t think they are sold in OZ any more.

i did have a JR continuum s2 and can confirm they drove my c5 very well, very fast delicate/vibrant sound, suited them well. If it’s relevant to you the optional phono stage is very good.

i later sold that to buy my current Yamaha AS3000 which being class A/B has a different sound to the S2 , hard to say exactly has I never auditioned them together. Sound wise very strong solid sound that I have to be listenable for long periods - mids and highs in particular sound good. Lots of facilities on the as3000 and the phono stage is again good.

having said that I’ve just bought a Marantz sa10 SACD and I’m thinking of getting the matching pm10 integrated :-)

cheers

ps sources were technics sl1000mk2 with Ortofon a90 cartridge, Yamaha cds2100 SACD since October 2016 and now Marantz sa10 in the last couple of weeks. So still working on listening with that one. 

Thanks corks67,  more food for thought and further research required.

Cheers

Welcome , feel to pm if you want any more info. 

How about one of the bigger Mcintosh integrateds 79000 or similar? 

corks67
I am looking forward in reading more about the SA-10 as you massage it into your system.  The Yamaha 2100/3100 is a fine machine as well.
Happy Listening!

I quite like the Yamaha gear. It is a cut above the vintage yammy gear of old and shows a good amount of investment on their part. Back in the day, Yamaha earned a legendary reputation in high fidelity, and it seems they're aiming to nip at the heels of the likes of Luxman, Pass etc. Though to me, they're very good hifi/entry level high end products. They're not serious high end products like Vitus, Audia Flight, Audio Analogue and even products like the Accupase E-650.

@plb02
What's your budget in USD for an integrated amp? Do you need a built-in DAC? 

@caphill I have a PS Audio DirectStream Junior as my source so no DAC required at this point in time.

As to budget I'd prefer not to say but the price of the Audia Flight FLS-10 is probably already to high for me. 

Was hoping some Dyn owners may be able to make some suggestions on amplification they had used that they like combining with the Dyns.

Thanks heaps  @dpac996 that's certainly a list of gear you have worked through. I'll definitely be having a listen to Bryston given your recommendation. 

Cheers

plb02

have to agree with dpac996. I've had various interations of the 4b, and now using a 4Bsst2 to drive Thiel 2.7s  (sensitivity 87). Very happy with Bryston amps, preamps and CD spinner. 

BTW: The 4B amps come with a 20 year warranty. 

The 4B amps ae just amplifiers - - not integrated; however, for the cost difference between some of the higher-priced amps and the 4B, you could
aquire an excellent preamp.    Just a thought

Have been looking at the Brystons, thats a warranty literally unheard of in this day and age of "chuck it away"!!

@plb02 

i ran my confidence 5 for a while with Bryston 4Bsst2 and that sounded very nice. I used a w4s STP -Se preamp , good pairing.

bryston do a integrated amp the 135 , not sure what it's like tho, be nice nice if Bryston were to do a super integrated . 

Bryston B135  135 watts into 8 ohms. 180 watts into 4 ohms.

In my study/office, I'm running a B100SST, the precursor to the B135, with  an ancient pair of AR-3A speakers, CD player and FM tuner. Very satisfied. 

Pass

You might also want to look at the hybrid Trilogy 925.

@jackd The trilogy is a nice looking Amp, have you tried it in concjunction with Dyn speakers?

Have you ever considered Naim Supernait 2. Very clean, neutral and realistic sounding integrated amp. Pairs perfectly with my Sonus Faber Amati Futura.

No I haven't just thought I'd throw it out there as an option to look at as I am considering it to use with my Verity's as well as the FLS-10.  May be hard to here as I don't know how many dealers they have other than the same dealer/distributor as Audia Flight. A couple of the reviewers were using fairly difficult to drive speakers from Boenicke and Gaudier.

Gryphon Diablo 300.
Nothing like it. So far, one of the very best I've ever heard and absolutely reasonable price for the level of performance.  Least of all for being a true all in one.

If it's heading off into Porsche 911 money then it's a no contest and the Porsche wins every time ;-)

In the under $50k bracket for separates or integrated, the Diablo 300 is right there.

At this level the diminishing returns are REALLY small.

What a helpful community we are (!) Audiogoners have excelled themselves once again with the usual buckshot blast of suggestions 😂. Here is the list so far...do you think the OP is confused yet?

Vitus ri-100
Vitus ri-101
Audia Flight FLS-10
Audio Analogue Maestro Anniversary
Boulder
Esoteric
Luxman
Soulution
CH Precision
Tidal
Ayre
Simaudio Evolution series
D’Agostino Momentum
Luxman L-509x
Boulder 865
Octave audio offerings
Octave Audio v70se
Octive Audio V110se
Lyngdorf 3400
Vac 160i
JRDG Continuum S2
Yamaha AS300
Yamaha 2100
Yamaha 3100
McIntosh MA7900
Accuphase E-650
Bryston 4B3
Bryston 4Bsst2
Bryston B135
Pass Labs
Hybrid Trilogy 925
Naim Supernait 2
Gryphon Diablo 300

Haha, Yep, its quite a list! Thanks to all audiogon'ers for the input.  Time to get the dart board out and start throwing.

@plb02, the Dart would be another good option if you can find a pre-loved example 😉 - https://www.dartzeel.com/cth-8550/

Naim supernait 2.
Very special synergy with Dynaudios, great high current amp that punches way above its weight.