Integrated for Magico A1


Looking for an integrated for my new acquired Magico A1 and Cardas Persec speakers cables.

Been offered these ones:

Mark Levinson 5805

Krell K-300i

Copland CSA-150

McIntosh MSA 5500

Ideally one of those with DAC and Phono Stage due to save boxes, cabling and wife approval! 

Thanks in advance.

superelmar

The Magico A1 needs many high quality watts and the highest current possible to maximize its potential. Hopefully Magico will update the A1 and increase efficiency and be less placement sensitive. FWIW have never seen a Magico loudspeaker mated to Hegel amplification at a show or Youtube video(will check again).

Check out some of the Simaudio gear.  Can be done in 1 or 2 boxes (integrated with Pre/DAC/Streamer/Phono - new 371 for one box or 390/330A or North 791/761).  All are high current designs.  I'm running 390/330A with Magico A3s and it works quite well.

Generally, it’s difficult to find a quality DAC in an integrated, most are added to a cost point afterthought.

Hegel 3xx offers a good DAC and Sonics, their newer H600/H400 has an noticeably better DAC.

One of the lowest cost but excellent performance integrated is the Aesthetix Mimas plus their optional DAC and Phono cards which perform to a high level. 

All of the McIntosh integrateds with the exception of the MA252 and the MA352 have phono stages and DACs. In the case of the MSA5500 like the new streamer have a fixed DAC which I believe is the equivalent of the DA2, the disadvantage is the inability to take advantage of new DAC technologies should they become available like you can with their other integrateds as well as the MAC7200 receiver that have the DA1 and DA2 DAC modules. The MA5300 and the MA5500 phono stages are MM only but all the others up the line have MM and MC phono stages which are quite exceptional and rival anything you might find to use outboard.