Best Integrated Amp, Price no obstacle?

I preferred the YBA Passion top to bottom over the JRDG Concentra II. 100 wholesome tuby SS watts. The Passion is, certainly, not one of your popular integrateds. Maybe it's the $5k +. I love mine....warren :-)

The Musical Fidelity VK500 is damn good with 500 watts and phono to boot. It has a few small tubes in the pre amp section and is otherwise SS. I have heard the Rowland Concentra II and it is a little grainy and romantic in comparison. The Levinson 383 is grainy and flat and does not compare to either.

I'm going to receive my Jungson 88D LE integrated ($1700) today. Class A 80 watt into 8 ohms (160 watts into 4 ohms) and looks great. Don't let the price fool you, build quality is on par or better with the best American and European integrated. Search A-gon for more info.

And in this corner: All the way from Japan, weighing in at trim 103 lbs..... and still the undisputed integrated champion of the woooooorld! The Audio Note Ongaku. Floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee!

If you'd like to experience a traditional tube sound, and if cost is truly no object, the VAC Phi Beta would be an insteresting option, at almost $20k (!). I have owned VAC gear in the past and actually considered this when putting together my current, cost no object system. Of course if $20k is too much, the VAC Avatar Super features some of the same technology, but at about 1/4 the price.

Vac Phi Beta