I think a Jolida would suit you very well, at less money than you allocated. Good build quality, simple design, nice sound. Outside of a transformer issue, you won’t find yourself stuck over the long term.
If you do want to move up to $2000 or so, a Jadis Orchestra / Orchestra Reference takes you up a few significant steps, sonically. The bias procedure can prove difficult for someone not willing to get inside the amplifier. It’s actually a stupid design decision by the company.
Rogue should also make your list, though closer to the Jolida than the Jadis. Cary integrateds offer a different, though not quite as good presentation than the Jadis. But you might give it a listen if available to you. The problem is the selling prices usually come in higher than you budgeted.
I mostly like the sonics and build of Cayin and PrimaLuna. But I would avoid them, myself. Something seems a bit iffy to me with the Cayin, and without Steve Leung representing the brand these days, I would feel uncomfortable. The added complexity of the PrimaLuna’s autobias topology makes it a potential issue in the long term, where a simpler tube amplifier will last a lifetime
If you do want to move up to $2000 or so, a Jadis Orchestra / Orchestra Reference takes you up a few significant steps, sonically. The bias procedure can prove difficult for someone not willing to get inside the amplifier. It’s actually a stupid design decision by the company.
Rogue should also make your list, though closer to the Jolida than the Jadis. Cary integrateds offer a different, though not quite as good presentation than the Jadis. But you might give it a listen if available to you. The problem is the selling prices usually come in higher than you budgeted.
I mostly like the sonics and build of Cayin and PrimaLuna. But I would avoid them, myself. Something seems a bit iffy to me with the Cayin, and without Steve Leung representing the brand these days, I would feel uncomfortable. The added complexity of the PrimaLuna’s autobias topology makes it a potential issue in the long term, where a simpler tube amplifier will last a lifetime