Top 5 Integrated Amps

[hifinutt]

review of moonriver ref in this months hif fi news . worth a listen . be nice to compare with the leben . similar sound signature i think [ although long time since i heard a leben] . enjoyed a few days with the moonriver recently . would have been longer but had to go back to demo guys

leben c300 and moonriver by https://www.flickr.com/photos/158267783@N02/, on Flickr

 

[hifinutt]

Hi.
Those that I have always liked and that I have had in my house, some are still with me:
Lavardin isx reference
Copland ct401
Mastersound 211
Audia Flight FL3S
Exposure 2010S2
I would really like to hear the int25 Pass. I had an Aleph 3 that I fell in love with a few years ago.

the flash on the wam has put audia flight on the map !! and a number of folks enjoy it at his place

 

[Arkless Electronics]

@PerF Ahh Myst tma3 would love a tma3, always lusted for one after reading a review as a teenager.

It's a G-Ohm.

 

[sprogbasket]

Have to add LFD NCSE MK3 to my list - very good sound if a little austere for the money

 

[shrink]

Tough one for me to pick the top 5 of my hifi career, but here goes

Cyrus III - my uncles amp that is responsible for getting me into hifi. Musical, keen and warmer than more modern cyrus to my ears, it just sounds great.

Cambridge Audio A1 - a budget classic and the first proper amp I ever owned, hall of fame level stuff here

Accuphase E-550 - just stunning, class A, huge grip, sounds more like 300 watts than 30. Perfect amplifier

Mcintosh ma2275 - amazing communicator of musical information, fast, clean and with huge heft for a valve amp. Just needs a warm speaker behind it.

gato amp 150 - musical, authoritative, clean, detailed, controlled and liquid mids. An almost perfect “wire with gain”.

 

[Bairnstorm]

Not many call outs for Musical Fidelity, How do these rate? They look good on paper.

M6si
M6si500
M8Xi

I seem to recall @Arkless Electronics preferring the older stuff, but not sure if the modern stuff was good?

The stuff I've heard is very good and well put together.

 

[Fulci]

It’s interesting that, given that some, many, people think that the best preamp is a passive volume control, that no one, I mean no one, produces an integrated amp with a passive pre section. Why?

Are there any audio advantages to an integrated amp, as opposed to two boxes? Is it just about saving space and maybe money, and the effort of choosing?

Exposure use passive pres in their integrated amps

 

[waxkinglyrical]

Have to add LFD NCSE MK3 to my list - very good sound if a little austere for the money

Add the LFD LPCD to the list, feature wise as minimalist/hair shirt as mentioned above depending on your view, that however is exceeded by the compellingly engaging sound.

Has anyone hear spent time with the Dartzeel CTH-8550?

 

[lordibiza]

the flash on the wam has put audia flight on the map !! and a number of folks enjoy it at his place

A good Italian amp. It may not be the most dynamic or the one that offers the best bass, but it has a very nice, pleasant sound, with a very real timbre. It reminded me a lot of valves. In addition, it is very well finished, a lot of manufacturing quality.
I don't really know why I sold it...now I'm also very happy with the Exposure 2010S2 (for me a real "killer"), with the Lavardin and the Copland.

 

[Mat C]

Line Magnetic LM508ia is very good, I was LM518ia owner.

 

[hifinutt]

Marantz PM4
Sugden A21A
Berning ZH270
Lavardin IS-Ref
Lavardin IT-15

Isn't the berning a power amp ?

 

[SteveS1]

Isn't the berning a power amp ?

No it's an intergrated with two inputs and it's own volume pot, it could be used as a power amp of course.

 

[ernst]

Linn Majik (LK)
Nait 5i
Nait XS
Nytech Obelisk 3
some little Creek Amps (had 4040S2, 4140S2, 4240, A50i all different but very good with easy to drive speakers)

 

[Prism]

My top 5 integrated amps (assuming we are talking about current models) would probably be the American superamps:
1. Dan D'Agostino Progression
2. Mark Levinson 585 / 585.5
3. Boulder 866
4. Pass Labs INT-250
5. McIntosh MA9000

Honourable mentions:
Vitus Audio R1 101 Mk2, Audia Flight FLS10, Accuphase E-5000, Sim Audio Moon 700i, Lyngdorf TDAi-3400, AVM Ovation A 6.3, Jeff Rowland Continuum S2,
T+A PA3100, Anthem STR, Rotel Michi X5, Hegel H590, Musical Fidelity M8xi

 

[Salamander]

You've listed more than your fair share yet you have missed out two, whom I would place in the top 5, Audionet Humboldt and CH Precision i1

 

[AnilS]

In no particular order and certainly as my ears have downgraded themselves.

Ion Obelisk 1.5 - lifted a curtain on my speakers. Just so musical and enjoyable. Now owned by a PFM member.

Exposure 2010 - same as above but more power reserves to get my speakers jumping. Sold to a wammer.

Pioneer A-300R - (still have it) heard good things so I borrowed from my grandad. Painted amazing pictures in front of me. He only got it back because I replaced it with ......

Pioneer A-300R Precision. As above but picture painted had more colours and sensation separation. Also the nicest phono stage I'd heard. Still have it.

Cambridge Audio CXA60. Trialling this beside my Yamaha A-S500. The CA has an immense amount of detail. Like the precision, but with endless power and tone controls (now desperately needed). The build quality is stunning. Yamaha is on dodgy ground.

 

[JoeJoe]

My top five pennysworth, first to fifth and from years of over indulging my passion:

Luxman 590ax
sonneteer Orton
Sugden A21
Supernait 1 with HiCap DR
Cambridge Audio 851a

 

[Yomanze]

Favourite budget integrated is the Exposure 2010 series.

For more expensive stuff, it’s hard to beat an LFD integrated, unless you need gobs of power. Zero, NCSE or LPCD.

 

[Heme]

Naim Nait 1 which I still own.
Accuphase e202 which I sold and regretted.
Now I have my eyes on a vintage Luxman L100 for pretty reasonable price locally.

 

[KevinCorr]

I have a Belles Aria integrated amp that is very good. It has a good headphone amp too.