Possible new integrated amp for my new Focal Kanta's

Thanks for all the great insight, I picked up a Unison Research Unico Secondo hybrid amp and will be doing some comparison and seeing what I like best. 

Steve

I was looking at the Kantas.  I found them to be a bit forward and found a KT88/6550 wasn’t enough Tube to tame them and found them fatiguing with traditional sounding SS gear.  I listened to them at a couple retailers with different gear.  I found the Sopra’s to be a hair less forward than Kantas.

Naim is a bit pricey but will work really well since they are sister companies and Naim gear tends to be warm.  Naim and Focal are sort of like peanut butter and jelly, nice individually but perfect together.  

The Rega Elicit R would be a great choice.  Rega is very musical and will help tame the forwardness of the Kanta’s.  

PrimaLuna would be what I would recommend in your price range from a tube perspective but with the EL34 tubes.  

Full disclosure, I am a manufacturer and dealer.  I sell none of the gear mentioned above and offer nothing in your price range that would be a fit.  

Get your hands on a Pathos Logos. That should make you very happy indeed.

I've heard the Kanta No. 2s with Naim gear, and they sound pretty good.  I have a pair, and use a Levinson 585 integrated with them - sounds even better, at least to me.  Quite happy with the combination.

At my local dealer I heard the Sopra 2's w/Naim gear. Very impressive.

I have heard these speakers with an Arcam A49 and it was a good match. In that situation they are not bright at all, but warm and full with excellent imaging. That being said, this is a very subjective hobby. It's what YOU like, not your dealer. Just saying....

tubes 

Tube gear they sound clinical. Gamut Amp or Gato Monos.

With focal speakers except for the utopia models, I would go with tubes because these speakers are cool sounding, no lower end. 

I would give these guys a call and see what they say, They love both brands you have.

https://www.upscaleaudio.com/

I'm shocked the dealer you bought your speakers from didn't just happen to have in stock a SS amp that would pair magically with the Kanta's ;-)

+1 stereo5.  Trolls anyway, randomly stating nonsensical dribble.  Live with them until they are broken in and then consider what to do.  Dealer may be absolutely correct or very very wrong.

Never mind what the dealer said, how does it sound to you?