Basic integrated amp for $700-$900

I agree Tlinkie.

Thanks Canerod for your personal endorsement of MF and simplifying too, plus the match with Schiit and MF products.

Firberger, though I thought about the Sphinx years ago, now I’m not sure I want an amp w/ class D amp and on board phono.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F173780100200

It's a little above your budget, however this amp smokes the Sphinx V2, and many others in the $1K category. It's not even close. I owned both for a fair amount of time. You have to step up to $2500 integrateds like the Parsound Halo to match the sound quality of these Sonys. These 39lb. beasts are built like tanks - even the bottom plate is thicker than that of some $5K integrateds, and I'd swear the binding posts rotate on ball bearings - the best binding posts I've used by far. The noise floor of these units (like many Japanese brands) is incredibly low, thanks to the floating ground design. You won't find that low a noise floor in 90% of other offerings (I went through an integrated swapping phase for almost 2 years). It meets all your criteria: silver face plate, no unecessary frills, no DAC or phono stage. Also allows for power-on via remote control - a feature you don't realize you want/need until you no longer have it. The same goes for remote volume control, any integrated that doesn't have that might as well be a paperweight IMO.

The only real downside is they run quite warm so they need plenty of venting space. 

Rega Brio, the new one that came out couple of years ago. Very analogue like sound. I use it in my attic system with Rega Dac-R and ProAc Tabellete 10 signature 

Is it a disadvantage if you get any integrated with an on board dac and phono stage?  Like, would you take a much lower quality silver face plate integrated for the same $ as a higher quality, better sounding integrated with an on board dac and black faceplate.

Are you aware that you don’t have to use the on board dac if you don’t want to?

I have turned into a big fan of the D series from NAD. I have the 3020D myself.

Pay particular attention to the versions, as some may or may not have the right inputs you seek.