"warm" solid state integrated amplifier


I am interested in purchasing a new solid state integrated amplifier in the $6000 to $8000 price range. As I am getting older I am finding many amplifiers to be uncomfortable to my ears, "bright" is the term I see frequently used.  I am looking for an amplifier that is "warm".  Thank you and  I appreciate any advice I receive from Audiogon members.

 

tubeless

The usual gear or tweaks/room dilemma seems to have arisen again on this thread. I don't see why they're opposed. The OP is looking for a warmer sound.

We don't know the extent to which the OP has dealt with isolation and other tweaks, nor do we know the kind of room being dealt with or that room's treatments.

If I was the one posting, I would be ready to invest in a new amp only after those other factors had proved ineffectual. Because then I would know the true sound of any amp being tried. I see no reason that this is a dilemma. It's a sequence and we don't know where the OP is in that sequence, yet.

The Krell K-300i mentioned above a few times is great. Get it with the DAC card and you have a fantastic all-in-one, including HDMI eARC. I've had that and the Ayre AX-5 Twenty at the same time in my system and could live with either. The Ayre was warmer but not as detailed as the Krell. I would take the Ayre personally but you only get analogue, no digital available.

@millercarbon is on point and I have dealt with similar issues in a simalar fashion. Als look at the Simaudio line. SS on the warmer side. 380 or 600. 
 

Another choice could be a hybrid like Pthos or Vincent.

Check out Herb Reichert's review of the AVM Ovation A 6.2 ME in stereophile from a few months ago.  It would be a stellar option and is well suited to driving most speakers.  

i purposefully did not include the luxman on my short list of top notch warm sounding integrateds, as in my recent experience (a borrowed 590x class a/b unit, for about 6 weeks) the sound was very nice, quite sophisticated, extended but not to my ears 'warm'... so my word of caution on luxman is that their different integrated models can have notably different sound signatures, as some are lower powered models running class a only (e.g., 550, 590ax) - which likely have a warmer tone - vs the one i experienced which did not...