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My last Integrated Amp: $5-10,000?

I would like to hear recommendations regarding integrated amplifiers costing between $5-10,000. This will be my last amplifier for quite a while. I prefer to buy used when I can but also prefer no older that 2-3 years.  My speakers are likely to change every couple of years and I may keep more than one pair.

I like a detailed and transparent sound with air and the ability to easily to pick out the location of the instruments/singers.   I have liked the class A that I’ve heard and I’ve liked the tubes that I’ve heard but I don’t want to mess with tubes.  Also, I do not want a streaming device and I’d rather not have a built in DAC but I can live with it. 

My music preferences are vocals and 70-90s rock. 
So far I have identified the following possibilities that are available.
Mark Levinson: No 585 at $8400 and ML-5805 at $6550.  The latter is a new model and I have read that there have been teething problems. I don’t know if ML have corrected this situation. 
Luxman L-590AXII $7250  has a good reputation and longevity but is relatively low powered.

McIntosh MA5300, Coda CISB, and Gryphon Diablo 120 are also possibilities if available.

chinook9
rick2000
464 posts
 

Audio Research I-50 😃

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0cCHTVpfyk

chinook9 OP
66 posts
 

rick2000, Thanks for the heads-up on the I50.  I'll check it out in the future.  Good price for a tube amp that I might like.

gonzalo's avatar
gonzalo
38 posts
 

After going through about 10-12 high end integrated amps  have been looking also for my last integrated as I’m getting older and space, $, is getting to be a premium.also tired of trying, testing and changing; so ended up with a couple of choices, 2 of them with exorbitant pricing, then my recommendation is for a pricey amp and not ridiculous, that sounds as good or maybe better in some regards to the big $$ amps, here are some examples of what I’ve tried so far.

DartZeel, Ypsilon, Gryphon, CH Accuphase, Luxman, and others I’ve tried, including a couple of hybrid and all tube amps.

my choice of value for $ and there is no hint of any hardness or harshness of any kind. Was the Accuphase integrated, I had an E-650, while very good in all regards a little lo wish in power for healthy headroom in dynamic and bass peaks. So went to E-800, then also purchased an E-480 to get a good grip on more powerful amps and the E-5000. 
they are all fantastic cakes for the $ and will greatly depend on your speakers, if you have speakers with sensitivity of 89 dB or less I defenestro y recommend the E-480 for medium to later room, if you have an even bigger room definitely go for the E-5000 if you can fit the budget.

I feel the Gryphon Diablo 300 came fairly close but with my large ribbon tweeters I could hear some hardness in the upper mids that bothered me a little bit.

then the Ypsilon Phaeton but at $35k did not sound the best in my system and of course price was way out there and performance seemed not better than the others I was considering sometimes not even on par. I was expecting sincerely quite a bit more of the more expensive guys….

my recommendation, take a listen to either the Accuphase e-480 or the e-5000  depending on room and $.

hope this helps a little bit 

jerryg123's avatar
jerryg123
3,429 posts
 

One suggested Simaudio 340i Or 600iv2 the new AR is very nice also check out Norma Audio very nice integrated.

 

captainsteve's avatar
captainsteve
36 posts
 

I am enjoying my Auris Fortissimo integrated tube amp from Serbia it doesn't have a large exposure in North America 100 watts classA/AB there are 2 reviews online at Part Time Audiophile and Stereo Life Magazine they make my Audiovector r6 Arrete sing  also using Goldnote DS10 and Goldnote PSU Evo 10 just waiting for my Nordost loom and Wireworld platinum 8 Eclipse XLR the amp is at your max budget

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