best sounding integrated for under 2500.00

Smooth sounding and warm...check out the Marantz integrateds.

Right in your budget, new or used, all well reviewed.

I just read through Stereophiles review of your speakers and they appear to like power and do have a nasty looking impedence curve as Pubil57 makes reference to. If yo must have an integrated then I would suggest buying the largest powered and best quality integrated you can afford. A 100wpc ss will do not better (unless it is a high quality integrated) in fact probably worse than the 80 wpc Cary as you will be overdriving the ss amp (Nasty). If you don't have to stay with an Integrated I would suggest seperates such as a conrad johnson ss amp (2500a/250wpc) combined with one of their tubed pre-amps (PV-12) as an example. That combination will provide the muscle to control your speakers along with the midrange and top end smoothness you desire.

I once drove a pair of Thiel 3.6's with a cj premier 11a (70wpc) tubed amp and it did a very nice job very smooth and detailed. Obviously not the last word on Bass but the mid to high end frequencies were beautiful. I then switched to a cj ss amp (2500a) along with one of their tubed pre's as I suggested above and the sound was excellent. Retained the tubed mid/ high frequencies but gained bass control from the high powered ss amp.

With a budget of 2500 you should be able to afford this combination (used of course). And I am sure you will be pleased with the results. The cj equipment will be of a much higher quality than the Yamaha or Marantz products.

Just my thoughts Good Luck.

Chuck

Chuck's last recommendation sounds like a very good one indeed. If you can pull of a tube pre/ SS amp combo at the price point it should help bring some tube qualities, while having enough current drive for your speakers. Assuming a good impedance match between the pre/amp - not always the case when using this type of tube/ss combo.

Sim Audio I-5, if you want solid state. Cary SLI-80, if you want tubes.

Pubul57 agree which is a good reason for staying within the same family of components i.e. cj amp cj pre-amp.

Just for reference I am driving a pair of Focal monitors 1007Be with my SLI-80F1 direct coupled in triode mode (40wpc) and have way more volume available than I need. I listen primarily to Classical large symphonic works (Holst, Mozart, Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff) as well as some small chamber orchestras, Classic Rock (Zeppelin & Floyd) and Female Jazz vocals.

Chuck