The Cayin A-88T. And I auditioned everything possible - I heard all the current integrated offerings from Simaudio, Ayre, McIntosh, Marantz, Lavardin, Musical Fidelity, Primare, Cary, VTL, Naim and BAT. Unfortunately, none of them sounded quite right until I heard the Cayin, and was astounded - at the time I was willing to pay three times as much for the right selection. It is all subjective, but after switching out the preamp tubes, I just liked the Cayin's grandeur and warmth better than the others, coupled with a real sense of detail. It can also be used with a good preamp - the Ayre K-1xe would be a superb match. Overall, the Cayin sounded the closest to actual music, avoiding that surgical note analysis that seems to plague the high end. I also heard a rumor via a dealer that Klipsch selected the A-88T for a recent presentation of their Heritage line (La Scala II, etc.). The runner ups - the VTL IT-85 and Marantz PM11S1. The VTL has a terrific balanced sound, and it was a real toss-up between the two. The Marantz unit has been somewhat ignored by the media and seemed to be a real diamond in the rough. Not sure why it hasn't received more attention, but that would have been my second choice. Subtle, great detail and could hit the deeper notes like a tube amp when called upon. Haven't heard the PM11S2 yet, but if it is an actual improvement, heck, I may hop on that merry-go-round one more time.
