Okay, so I'm selling one, and take this for what it's worth...
But, the MD-208 receiver from Magnum Dynalab is one of the best buys for a medium priced system. You save money (and issues) on interconnects. You get a world-class tuner. And the amp is no slouch -- it's easily somewhere between the current Sim 5i and 3i. The sound is (yes) tube-like and feels very even and natural. I've seen it paired with $4k+ speakers (my situation, in fact) and it was a perfect match.
If I had to have just one medium-priced system, it would revolve around this piece. The fact is, I have two other very expensive systems...so, there you have it.
But, the MD-208 receiver from Magnum Dynalab is one of the best buys for a medium priced system. You save money (and issues) on interconnects. You get a world-class tuner. And the amp is no slouch -- it's easily somewhere between the current Sim 5i and 3i. The sound is (yes) tube-like and feels very even and natural. I've seen it paired with $4k+ speakers (my situation, in fact) and it was a perfect match.
If I had to have just one medium-priced system, it would revolve around this piece. The fact is, I have two other very expensive systems...so, there you have it.