*Looks down room* Vitus RI-101; realistically this is it. However, as in the equivalent 'speaker thread, if more funds, a larger and detached house, and the sort of speakers mentioned therein, I'd love to hear others from up the Vitus range and also D'Agostino, given my liking for Dan era Krell.
Frank just wondering how you listen to your Vitus, nice system btw, with no interconnects or speaker cables?
That amp is impressive as far as 'speed' or dynamic response. The AHB2 is a 'Benchmark' pun intended. The slew rate is 16 V / uSec Rise time 3.5 uSec, or 1/4 cycle 71 kHz fast A910 90 V / uSec !! 1 uSec, 250 kHz Great engineering
I am running a Luxman 30 watt class A. I do not leave it on, but turn it on about 10-15 minutes prior to critical listening. It’s plenty. It sounds great from startup but does smooth out after a bit. Yes the class A does use some juice, but I don’t think it’s any more than some tube amps I’ve had in the past
The VAC Phi-Beta 110i is one of the most beautiful integrated amps I've seen. It was built a while ago and as I understand it, never made money. Anybody ever hear one: http://www.vac-amps.com/manuals/Manual_Phi_Beta.pdf I don't think I've ever owned an integrated, always had basic amps and preamps or line stages plus separate phono. I get the upsides. I'm not sure the downsides (heat if tube) is a huge factor unless the amp is pushed hard. But if I were ever to buy one, that unit is probably the first I'd want to hear, even though it has been out of production for years. Stunning, don't you think? (And given the company's rep, well built).
The Kyocera top line was stunning indeed. Here is another best from the past: Musical Fidelity A-1000, once a endgame integrated.
Audio pixies, Jon. They run and fly around carrying the music... Real reason: read and been involved in far too many Cable Wars over the years, so I just don't discuss cables and sometimes, per my profile here, try to ignore their existence. In reality, I do have I/Cs and speaker cables of a sort I feel appropriate to the rest of the kit.
After owning about 20 tube amps with upgrades and best tubes my lowly Allied 333 (Pioneer SX-34) is my end amp. Sounds poor in stock form, needs best tubes and paper in oil coupling capacitors. It sounds beyond belief, but no one here would believe it. I have been ridiculed owning it as listed in my profile. The Allied 333 outperformed a DIY PP 45 tube amp using best parts & tubes with Dynaco audio transformers that measured top of list with over 50 audio transformers tested with a scope.
I had the Gryphon Atilla for about 18months. I would rate it good at the price point but not the best. I know they have the models further up the range but I wouldn't go there out of instinct if I could buy any integrated. Might ask for a demo though.
I am very happy with my current amp the Technics SU R1000 but the best integrated I have heard/owned was the Esoteric A-100. If I won the lottery I would seek one of these out just for fun-they are rare. There's bound to be some killer integrated in the top price range I would like to hear Dartzeel.
I have heard the Diablo 300 through the Mojo S, it’s raunchy. Gives you that concert kind of feel. Heard it through the SF Olympica III … it’s sweet and clear. I do like it a lot but it’s so big. Real chunky amp for me. The remote is so cool looking.
Synthesis NYC 200i 230wpc Two pairs of KT120 tubes per channel are driven by a combination of ECC83 and 12BH7 triodes
The red thing in the second and third photos is an AC line splitter, designed specifically for a clamp meter.
Hard for me to really answer this, because “endgame” suggests I’ll get to play the game, which I don’t see in the near future (current system sounds about as good as I’d expect to achieve in the space I have), but there is something about Luxman components that makes me think of them as the ultimate, for me. However, I think if I was in a position to be playing the game, my endgame would be separates with mono-blocks, not an integrated amp.
Well, everything that I have read about the Kinki Studio EX-M1 make wonder if this can be my endgame integrated. For the price it is a knock out design.
Top 'o the line in '89! JVC AX-z1010. 100 WPC into 8 ohms and peak power of 320 WPC into 2 ohms! Integrated with mm/mc phono and superb built-in DAC. It's a great amp! I've owned one for a few years now and like it so much I bought a spare.
I now have about 100 hours on a Luxman L595ase. Last night I was playing Ray Brown and Laurindo Almeida, Moonlight Serenade. It’s just the two of them. It was quite spectacular within my own system and room. (I sit nearfield so the room becomes less an obstacle). It felt the Luxman was gone leaving only the music. That’s about as high praise I can give an amp. Having said that, I’d love to try the Luxman cl-1000 pre and a pair of the new Atmasphere class D mono amps, just for fun…
Really liking this 340i D3PX. An exceptional pairing with either my Dynaudio Heritage Specials or my newly acquired Magnepan LRS+.
I have what I'm hoping/ expecting to be my end-game amp on its way - an LTA Ultralinear integrated. I have the LTA Z10 integrated and absolutely love it. I had considered that to be my end game, but I saw an ad for a used UL priced in Canadian dollars. Discount on top of discount. So here we go. But honestly, I figure my true "end game" amp - as in, the one that will be on my shelf after I retire, downsize prepare to be wormfood - to be a Yamaha AS-801. Great amp for the old-age home.
Was always a fan of Krell integrated amps. But, move into Benchmark LA4 and AHB2 x 2 bridged mono. All 3 are similar form factor to an integrated. Might want to give them a try. I consider them end game.
I've not had an integrated since the 1960s (when I had a receiver, I think*), but I'll chime in. Over the years, I've become more of an objectivist (though I still won't buy anything without listening first), a user of digital room correction, and someone less inclined to dream of over-the-top gear. My endgame integrated as of 2022 would be the NAD M33. * See signature.
