Which Integrated got you off the merry go round?

Pass Labs INT-150

Brief/incomplete history of gear owned:Proton Receiver, Carver Receiver, Teac Receiver, Parasound Halo Stack, Plinius 9200, Aesthetix Janus/Bat VK-250SE

Gear auditioned: Sim i-5, Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista, Musical Fidelity A308, Musical Fidelity KW500, Jeff Rowland Design Group Concerto, BAT VK-300SE, Krell 400i, Pathos Logos, Audionet SAM, Blue Circle CS integrated, Burmeister Rondo, McIntosh 6900. (partial list)

Sure, you can get better sound if you spend a lot more. I'm sure you could spend less and get close, hell, maybe even a tad better. But in terms of the total package--sound, build quality, and looks--I personally think this is a home run. I listened to Aesthetix Janus with Pass 250.5 and it was only slightly better, which is something considering together they're $13,000. Yes, that includes a good phono pre, but even if you pay full retail for Pass (most dealers give a good break off list) you could add a great phono stage and still come in under $10,000. All things are obviously system dependent, but I can't think of many circumstances where I wouldn't recommend the Pass (in a HT environment, maybe, or if you absolutely need a crap-load of power and 150 doesn't do it). YMMV

Conrad Johnson CA200. Love the sound and the look. Maybe for the first time since I got that disease (15/20 years ago), I am not thinking about my next purchase ... I wish they made a nice DAC to end my never lasting look for a DAC ...

The Cayin A-88T. And I auditioned everything possible - I heard all the current integrated offerings from Simaudio, Ayre, McIntosh, Marantz, Lavardin, Musical Fidelity, Primare, Cary, VTL, Naim and BAT. Unfortunately, none of them sounded quite right until I heard the Cayin, and was astounded - at the time I was willing to pay three times as much for the right selection. It is all subjective, but after switching out the preamp tubes, I just liked the Cayin's grandeur and warmth better than the others, coupled with a real sense of detail. It can also be used with a good preamp - the Ayre K-1xe would be a superb match. Overall, the Cayin sounded the closest to actual music, avoiding that surgical note analysis that seems to plague the high end. I also heard a rumor via a dealer that Klipsch selected the A-88T for a recent presentation of their Heritage line (La Scala II, etc.). The runner ups - the VTL IT-85 and Marantz PM11S1. The VTL has a terrific balanced sound, and it was a real toss-up between the two. The Marantz unit has been somewhat ignored by the media and seemed to be a real diamond in the rough. Not sure why it hasn't received more attention, but that would have been my second choice. Subtle, great detail and could hit the deeper notes like a tube amp when called upon. Haven't heard the PM11S2 yet, but if it is an actual improvement, heck, I may hop on that merry-go-round one more time.

I have settled on the LSA Signature as it works very nice with Logans with plenty of power and the sound is very nice to me.

Best,
Bob

For me it was the Jadis DA60.

Has more than enough power to really get the woofers flapping, yet sounds delicate, sweet, and emotional. Just plain makes music, as good as anything I've ever listened to. Once I settled on the right tubes for me in it, it's never had me wanting for anything else. Higher entry point that a lot of audio equipment, but I see a lot of value there, as no other audio product I've come across felt more like a lifetime purchase.