Pls advise on budget integrated or pre/power comb.

I can say without question the Audio Refinement Complete is a standout amp for the $$$, having experienced it first hand. The one question you do have to ask yourself is what is my listening preference. You will have to run the Complete twice as hard as you ran your Rotel at volume, which will doubtlessly add an element of fatigue to your listening experience. So, no longer having that option should greatly effect your decision. I'd recommend the Primare 30.1 or the Classe CAP 2100 both great neutral integrateds that should help with your brightness problem, and you don't take that huge power hit. Might be a bit pricey new, but you can usually find deals here on audiogon. Happy Hunting...

I used the Rotel amp and pre/pro with my JM Labs Electra 926's. I too thought, on some poorly recorded rock CD's, that the sound was a little bright. I then moved to an Audio Aero Prima integrated amp. The brightness went away and a body came to the sound that was not there before.
The JM Labs are fairly easy to run and really love tubes.
The Audio Aero integrated is a hybrid amp. It has only one tube in the preamp section. It also has more power (40 watts) than I need and I listen to rock. The newer ones have fifty watts. At the used prices, that they are going for, they are a steal. They are also easy to sell if you don't like it. I love mine.

I agree with Warnerwh. Before upgrading components, I'd try to add some room treatment to tame the brightness. Just use comforters/blankets on the walls to see if it makes a difference before you invest in acoustic treatment.

Rob

I would change IC's and speaker wires first. Also power cords. If that doesn't do the trick, you might consider new spks. which are more warmer and better suited to your tastes. Or, work around your spks. and get new electronics.
Hope things work out! Good Luck.

I owned both the Audio Refinement Complete integrated and the Audio Refinement Complete Alpha CD player a while ago. When I sold the amp reget was immediate. It had a very smooth sound and was a joy to use; a real quality product. The cd player however never excited me. Not sure how it would stack up against the bigger Rotel. Good luck.

I'm curious about the Jolida I have dealer in the area. I will be checking realtraps.com & rivesaudio.com too. I've read some good things about the older Plinius models. But I'm still leaning towards the Audio Refinement I'll keep it on my short list. Thanks !!!

Jolida JD 801A tube integrated, 70 watts. One heck of an amp. The brightness is more likely the Rotel and/or the Marantz than the room, and at nearly 92 dB efficiency, your speakers don't need big power.

If your system is too bright you may want to work with your room acoustics and speaker/listener position. It's not something that is going to be fixed with wire most likely. This will work two fold in your benefit as your room acoustics have a major affect on the sound. You have a good amp and speakers. Read at realtraps.com or rivesaudio.com and you'll be glad you did. I suspect alot of people change gear only to end up with another problem when all along it was the acoustics in their room. Cheers

I'm a big fan of the Plinius 8200 Integrated...

I think you'll be happy with the audio refinement/ YBA sound. They seem to mate well with JM labs speakers. I don't know how much you want to spend, but the other option would be to look at Parasound Halo amp and pre amp. You should be able to find the pair for 1200 or less (P3 and A23) Really good sound for the money, plus, they look awesome!