Best Integrated, period.


Has anyone compared, Gryphon Diablo, Gamut Di150, Vitus SS101, Krell FBI, APL UA-S1 Jeff Rowland Continuum 500? Please add what you found to be best integrated.
perrew
I agree there is no best, but there is good and better, and not so good. So yes, there is no best, but there is a group that should be auditioned and the VAC is one of them, as is the Jadis integrated. Of course the speakers you are using will have a lot to do with how well any of these integrated will perform. Perrew, what speaker are you looking to drive?
Thanks for all the answers, maybe the phrase "best" is not a good absolute measure. Im looking for experiences with the mentioned integrated amps. There will always be synergy effects between different setups and you can alter things with cables and other things to cater the sound to your preferences. I still think you can list pros and cons for the amps. So far what Ive read in magazines, almost everything is positive though, is that the Gryphon benefits alot from an SRA platform (HIFI+). The Gryphon is excellent but cant touch the Ayre MX-Rs and is slightly behind the FBI. But the FBI is twice the price. (Ljud och Bild, Swedish mag.) The Gamut seems to be liked alot by Absolute sound and JValin who said the Gamut with Arc CD7 and Magico Mini2 is a great setup. For Vitus Jeff Fritz of UltraAudio let his Boulder 1060 go for the Vitus. Rowland has no test afaik yet, but DCstep here on Agon seems to be very impressed with his unit and GuidoCorona seems to like the Capri pre thats suppose to be similar to the Pre in the Rowland. For the Apl 6moons test was so and so but hes into SETs all night long. Some people have let go of their DartZeels for the UA-S1.
I have used Wilson WP7s but looking to change these to smaller floorstanders plus sub.
So what do you thinks is the "best" integrated amp?
With the same proviso, no such thing as best, I suspect the Vac Phi beta would be best in most circumstaces. Meaning it's output of 110 watts I believe, would drive most speakers. Having had a few very good integrated amps, Lavardin IT, Karan K180, clearly the best in my system was the Viva Solista. At 22watts, clearly, it won't be best in many systems.
Others I might mention, the newish Pass labs 150 integrated and Conrad johnson C200. Not much experience of them, but the companies products are always good, in my view
Symphonic line Kraftwerk mk2, they make great amps.
Blue Note Demidoff Diamond, never heard it but it should be interesting.
I prefer when a integrated is a onebox solution otherwise it looses its appeal a bit, a least to me. Therefore the ASR with 3 extra boxes is out of the question.
Heres another: Consensus Audio Amp 211.
The Vac Phi Beta is definately interesting, still wonder about the others and how they compare.