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Lively, fast & open sounding integrated under 3k?

My speakers are 89db 2 way monitors with a very warm sound. Minimum impedance 3.5 ohm
large Room, low level listening 

My goals
no.1
excellent immediacy, speed & timing (dont recommend naim, very unnatural forced sound)

no2
forward soundstage (begins at the listening position and extends beyond the speakers)

No3.
Body without warmth

no4.
small in size if possible, but no class D, doubles into 4 ohms, Good at low volumes
new or used.

possible candidates from reading reviews

crayon cia-1
teac ai-2000
krell s300i
sugden a21se

zuio
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
11,226 posts
 
I was going to recommend the Kinki Studio M-1 but it's not small and weighs in at around 50 lbs. It does all the things you mentioned with aplomb and one eye closed and one hand tied behind it's back.

From what I've read from a reviewer who's owned the Crayon and the Kinki, and who thinks they have that same Swiss sound, check out the Crayon.

All the best,
Nonoise
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,360 posts
 
Hegel?
auxinput
2,924 posts
 
Not from what I’ve heard, that may apply to the Halo JC1’s etc, switched into high Class-A bias mode, but the standard a/b lower bias mode is definitely a cooler more etched sound.

I have owned the JC1 monoblocks as well as the A21 stereo amps.  Yes, when JC1 is switched into high bias mode, it becomes very warm.  However, the standard low-bias sound of the JC1, A21 as well as the A23 and Halo Integrated are all still slightly on the warm side of neutral.  It is not at all like Hegel, Music fidelity, Yamaha (and probably Kinki).

auxinput
2,924 posts
 
@nonoise - when are you going to get some Burson V6 Vivid op amps to put in your Kinki? lol
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
11,226 posts
 
@auxinput,
I was on the fence about that and even a professional reviewer here ( I believe it was Doug Schrodeer) recommended I do it but after I got my Audioquest Niagara 1200, everything improved to the point where I now find it unnecessary to change anything.

The sound is fuller, has more body, the highs lost some of that tizzy edge and the base goes way down and is tighter and more defined.

Oh well and all the best,
Nonoise
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