2. amps-preamps
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Is There any Truly "High End" Integrated Amp?


I'm a reasonably well experienced audio nut and have tried a number of "good" integrated amps. I wonder, though, if there are integrated amps that are good enough for the "best", most revealing speakers. (Think Avalon Eidolon, Verity Parsifal, various JM Lab Utopias, and a variety of other fine speakers that do not have mammoth power requirements.)

People talk about the Levinson, the Musical Fidelity KW-500 and the lesser MF amps, the BAT integrated, The Rowland Concerto, etc. etc. etc.

I would like to hear from people who have actually tried the top tier of integrated amps and would be very interested in learning of their findings.

Don't need to be the most expensive. Could be the YBA Passion, Classe, MacIntosh 6900, Krell 400i, or any of a number of integrated amps that are supposed to sound good.

Hope to hear some good feedback.

Thanks very much.
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kops's avatar
kops
478 posts
 
Only music through the latest ViVa Solista mkII, after many auditions and search of Musical integrated this one stole my heart....it's like a real pre/power combo like Krell FBI, but on different sound spectrum, closer to music and more evolving, maybe it's the SET sound which so powerfull.

Definetely one of the very few Ultra integrated amps someone should check among others.
hifisoundguy
630 posts
 
"LUXMAN" L590a mk2 or L550a mk2... CLASS A
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dlanselm
111 posts
 
The Esoteric AT-100 is an integrated amp. However,it also happens to be the "best" amp I have heard to date, by a very wide margin. This is a break through amplifier IMO sound wise. This amp in worth building a system around, as it is so far ahead of its peers.
f1a
198 posts
 
Dlanselm:
Didn't see the AT-100 on their website... Where did you hear it and what comprised the system you heard it in? What are the driver tubes? TIA
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dlanselm
111 posts
 
Hello Fla,

On Esoteric's website is called the A-100, that is the correct name, my mistake.

This amp is at home in my current system.

David
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