What do you like about your integrated amp?


So, the other day I was moving my ARC REF 75 amp to clean the insides, along with the shelf it was sitting on, when suddenly I felt a stabbing pain in one of my obliques, as I was twisting my body.

Shouting out a quick, "Oh f***," my wife said, "What are you going to do when you get older, and can't move the amp?" I have periodically wondered that myself, since I am just shy of 71.

As the discussion title says-what do you like about your integrated amp? It's a wide-open query because I'm thinking if I'm going to consolidate my equipment, let's see what's out there? I'm partial to tube equipment and have enjoyed Audio Research for almost 30 years. Does that mean I should get an ARC integrated? Maybe, maybe not.

FTR--I listen to lots of jazz, folk, classical, not that much rock beyond what I grew up listening to-Beatles, the Dead, the Stones--stuff like that. I have a pair of ProAc 30Rs, an Aurender server, and an ARC CD6SE.

All your comments are appreciated-

David 

 

wharfy

I'm 73. I leave my Audio Research Ref 160s in one place and don't move it. When I bought it. my dealer came over and took away the Pass 350 and put it in place. For fun be brought over a set of Ref 160 monoblocks and left them for a year and a half. Then put back my 160s. I've not moved and amp in ten years. 

Good integrated amps are not light weight. 

Don't compromise, life is too short, find someone to move them for you. 

I’m 77, I’ve got a 3rd torn Meniscus from moving an 80 lb beast.

I always encourage efficient speakers, to keep the power needs lower, so you can more easily try tubes, and keep the size/weight/cost down.

My favorite integrated is my Little Luxman SQ-N150, fits on top of a bookcase, lets me use tubes in a small office, on the far left, nice sounding Phono built-in.

If you need more power, mono-blocks can divide the weight

 

 

Beaucoup power, beaucoup current, beaucoup sound, and 23 years and ~40,000 hours on it without a hiccup!

 

Oh, it’s a Yamaha RX-Z9, so technically, a receiver.

My Pioneer SX-1050 seems to get heavier every time I pick it up. I think that huge toroidal transformer attracts mass just sitting.