Best Integrated Amp? Help...

Dcstep,

I hear you but watts usually cost about $25-$50 a piece in tube land, $10-$20 a piece in transistor land and $5-$10 each in switching amp land.

For some perspective and sympathy with your point - the best I have ever heard the little B&W CM1's sound is when driven by a 500W/ch Type D Rotel amp.

All I can really say is facts is what they is and budgets were made to test us...

Agreed, watts aren't free, but they're clearly useful, particularly with dynamic speakers like the B&Ws. I think that more and more people are looking to China for their watts, because of the cost per watt is so steep for US-made amplifiers.

Dave

I have a NSCS and have had it since they first came out. My search for a front end came to an end.
In my system the synergy is extreme.

I have had great sucess with Musical Fidelity and B&W 800 series. I have an A308CR preamp and Bryston 7b ST monoblocks. The MF A308 has a "tubelike" top end that works very well with nautilus tweeters. I have heard many say that Nautilus tweeters and Bryston amps are harsh. I have never had this problem with N801's nor with S800's.

You can go the same route with a Musical Fidelity pre like an A308, A3.5 or A3.2 pre(I also have a CD Pre 24 in my office - awesome unit, Preamp, CD and DAC/ADC in one box) and a Bryston 4Bst amp if you don't mind going separate.

If you can find a MF A308CR integrated, it should be below your budget. The A308 is teh last to be made in England and supposed to be extremely reliable.

Accuphase matches very well wth the BWs.

Look for used E408, 407--should do the trick.