Impressions: $1k-$2k integrated amps

In the up to $2000.00 range,tube amps from Cayin,Yaqin or Jolida will outperform ANYTHING suggested in a Solid State amp!

I own one of the $3.5K retail Cayins. With the exception of the Yamahas I'd mostly agree with this assertion, though none of these tube amps will be quite as capable in bass extension.

helomech:Ohhh I would have to disagree.There is a dealer on that free site selling the 52 lb.,hand built in Italy including IN HOUSE built transformers,EL34(x 6 tubes) Parallel Single Ended,auto biasing "Box" for a cool $2000.00($3500.00 rtl)..Probably the deal of the decade & I’m betting the bass from that monster will rock my entire apt.bldg...Look at the BIG guns from Ayon & such,they weigh 20-30 lbs more than the most expensive ML or Mac...Haven’t heard one yet but I can’t imagine the bass being anything other than amazing & rivaling most SS amps save for Hegel & similar HIGH damping amps..

helomech:Ohhh I would have to disagree.There is a dealer on that free site selling the 52 lb.,hand built in Italy including IN HOUSE built transformers,EL34(x 6 tubes) Parallel Single Ended,auto biasing "Box" for a cool $2000.00($3500.00 rtl)..Probably the deal of the decade & I’m betting the bass from that monster will rock my entire apt.bldg...Look at the BIG guns from Ayon & such,they weigh 20-30 lbs more than the most expensive ML or Mac...Haven’t heard one yet but I can’t imagine the bass being anything other than amazing & rivaling most SS amps save for Hegel & similar HIGH damping amps..

Well, it seems you're making a supposition based on product mass. My assertion was based on real experience and ownership with such amps. The only tube amp I've heard that comes remotely close in bass extension (not output) to the MOSFET Yamahas is the Rogue Stereo 100. Unfortunately, it lacks the lush midrange of the Yamahas and most tube integrateds. As with most things in this hobby, there is always a trade-off, sometimes you don't realize a weakness exists until you've heard something better.

@helomech I have the A-S801 (i think in part due to previous recommendations by you). I love it. Is the 1100 a substantially better sound? have you heard the 2100?

@skypunk I demoed 2 Moon units (the bottom and the top) and was VERY impressed. It was a memorably satisfying sound. However the lower end ran out of power pretty quickly driving Magnepan LSRs. Still it’s been on my mind ever since.

About Primare: Primare prides itself on a straight forward presentation meaning clarity and associated flat audio spectrum.
I found the I22 a bit better than the I21. The I30 series better than both because it produced this clarity with better bass..
You would need to like a crispier presentation. The I21 lacked harmonic weight in my mind which is associated to a degree of distortion. I liked the old time "Onix" amps which were made in England back in the late 90’s better than the both the I20 series amps because it delivered that same clarity with more heft. The Onix amps were really good at delivering that "made in England" sound that leaned more toward warmth (gosh I hate that phrase) with clarity.

Primare products deliver basically what’s at the source. The nuances that pertain to everyone else’s tastes is a balancing act for an amp maker. It takes money to start to achieve more of what the "masses" desire.
The complexity of "seasoning" an audio product to "just right" standards that includes parts that produce a "richer" sound, I do not believe can be found at your price point.
If you were leaning toward a Primare product, I feel it worth your while to wait for an I30 series to pop up.

For my tastes, which run toward a flatter audio spectrum without being sterile, their new I35 (class D) culminates everything they ever put into their amps. It is beyond your present price point but it is probably the amp where I wouldn't need anything else.