Impressions: $1k-$2k integrated amps

@helomech I have the A-S801 (i think in part due to previous recommendations by you). I love it. Is the 1100 a substantially better sound? have you heard the 2100?

@skypunk I demoed 2 Moon units (the bottom and the top) and was VERY impressed. It was a memorably satisfying sound. However the lower end ran out of power pretty quickly driving Magnepan LSRs. Still it’s been on my mind ever since.

About Primare: Primare prides itself on a straight forward presentation meaning clarity and associated flat audio spectrum.
I found the I22 a bit better than the I21. The I30 series better than both because it produced this clarity with better bass..
You would need to like a crispier presentation. The I21 lacked harmonic weight in my mind which is associated to a degree of distortion. I liked the old time "Onix" amps which were made in England back in the late 90’s better than the both the I20 series amps because it delivered that same clarity with more heft. The Onix amps were really good at delivering that "made in England" sound that leaned more toward warmth (gosh I hate that phrase) with clarity.

Primare products deliver basically what’s at the source. The nuances that pertain to everyone else’s tastes is a balancing act for an amp maker. It takes money to start to achieve more of what the "masses" desire.
The complexity of "seasoning" an audio product to "just right" standards that includes parts that produce a "richer" sound, I do not believe can be found at your price point.
If you were leaning toward a Primare product, I feel it worth your while to wait for an I30 series to pop up.

For my tastes, which run toward a flatter audio spectrum without being sterile, their new I35 (class D) culminates everything they ever put into their amps. It is beyond your present price point but it is probably the amp where I wouldn't need anything else.

I have always leaned towards the simplicity of integrateds but I tried separates. Hey, I have the Anthem I225 and like it. I did tweak it with a HiFi Supreme fuse that helped a ton,  and it came with aftermarket Mundorf caps rather than the standard ones. It seems to do everything pretty well throughout the frequencies top to bottom.  I also had the Yamaha AS 2000. It was more refined than the Anthem but was more polite and less visceral.  It's impossible to compare because I've changed speakers and sources. I will say that I have spent more time with the Anthem because I spent so much money over the years that I have to stick with the gear I have now as I approach retirement in a few years.  (Do not make the same mistake-be smart with your purchases and get off the merry go round if you are on it - unless you have money to burn) I'm going off topic now.  What I have learned in the past 17 years is that the quality of your electricity, and the matching of your system (or mistakes made in matching and pairing your system) can change your opinion about many of the audio pieces you own. Paired with the right speakers and sources, many of the integrateds that I bought and sold would I'm sure have never left my hands. Being smart in matching your amp (integrated or  not), speakers, and source will make or break your system, and can make you fall in love or dislike your integrated or any other piece of gear.  Example: I used to own the very beautiful all aluminum in silver (stunning) Blue Circle BMPH integrated. To this day, I still have loving memories of lust about the beauty (looks) of that integrated amp. And I know it was an excellently built and engineered piece of gear with loads of potential. But I was impatient (foolish) and sold it here because I was dissatisfied with what was coming out of my speakers when I listened to music. The problem was, I had it paired with the wrong speakers. With the right speakers, it would have been a different story. Changing integrated amps is so much easier than changing speakers. (man did I learn to hate shipping speakers on pallets and having big trucks at my house!)  But here's the rub, (and what I learned over the years).  Listen to, find, and buy the speakers with the sound you love, then find the amp that makes the speakers sing. This is amp speaker matching 101, and your key to satisfying sound.

Peachtree audio products are a great entry. I had the original Decco integrated amp for $800, amazing sound quality if not very powerful. They moved onto class D amps I believe, should still be fantastic.

@helomech I have the A-S801 (i think in part due to previous recommendations by you). I love it. Is the 1100 a substantially better sound? have you heard the 2100?

I don’t have direct experience with the 801, but assuming it’s better than the A-S500 residing in my closet for a rainy day, I don’t know if the 1100 would be a worthwhile upgrade for you. The MOSFET-based Yamahas give up some of the PRaT and dynamics of the bipolar Yamahas (500/501/801) in exchange for a lush midrange and larger soundstage.

More likely to get a substantial upgrade by stepping up to the 2100. Otherwise, I highly suggest considering Schiit separates. I recently purchased their Freya+ preamp and it’s a ridiculous value, an industry disruptor IMO. I imagine a Freya+ into a Vidar would sound very nice.