Integrated Amps - another thread...

Hello,
I am going to recommend the NAD 658 preamp and the NAD268 amp. If you can swing the NAD298 amp do it. This has 90% of the acclaimed M33. Maybe even more. This store in the Chicagoland area is a NAD dealer. https://holmaudio.com/
If you call them they can get you this for close to your budget. Especially if you bought the demos. I know this isn’t an integrated. The tech in both of these are through the roof. The NAD658 has Dirac room correction. The 298 has 185 watts. If you want to go crazy. Do two as mono blocks at 600 watts. The 658 has the BlueSound built in. You can do the research on these two pieces. 

Hello,
Another option is the Arcam Sa30 integrated amp. This is like the sound of the Brio but way better. It is right at your budget. I believe this is class G. Very unique in that it is very close to class A but uses less power. This works great as a Roon endpoint. Due to this being the top integrated in the lineup it is full loaded. Also very small footprint for the amount of sound it produces. I am a separates guy but the sound from this is unbelievable. This is not a sterile sounding piece of gear. I just thought of this integrated amp. Sorry for the delay. 

I appreciate all the recommendations.  Most everyone of them, I’ve done some type research to better understand features, etc...

at this point, being that I like the Rega sound, I’m going to spend more time on their products until I figure I need to go another way.  So, based on that, why am I seeing so many people say: the Elix R is as good, if not better, than the Elicit R?

For those that have heard them, what is driving this sentiment I’m reading about?

I should elaborate a bit on the Bel Canto c5i. This unit packs a lot of modern technology into a great sounding very compact unit smaller than a shoebox and can be had for very modest cost, similar to Rega.
I had a great listening session with mine yesterday and was honestly quite floored. Truly lovely,  brings tears to your eyes stuff. Mine drives a pair of 8” Ohm Walsh speakers in a fairly large open area, a family room that opens up to kitchen and the entire first floor of the house. This is a dynamite combo that does it all and can compete in the big leagues against most any competition. C5i is 60 watts into 8 ohms but goes plenty loud and clear with room filling bass with the 8” Ohm Walsh speakers (on Auralex Subdude isolation pads). Includes both analog line and phono inputs as well as a slew of digital. It is a true digital amp with trickle down technology from the BC top of the line integrated that costs as much as a nice new car. All inputs are converted to digital and processed digitally internally. Sound is smooth as butter and very detailed with 20’ wall to wall dimensional soundstage despite speakers only about 6’ apart. That’s an Ohm Walsh thing. Out of this world amp and combo for not much money. Highly recommended. Waiting for BC to come out with a new comparable model just to see what else new might be done. I’ve used various speakers with the c5i. It never sounds bad or fatiguing unlike others I have used there in the past.

Bringing my audio experience to an entirely new level. the Raven Nighthawk Integrated tube amp is about $3000. I thought I knew what a "system" could sound like. O sure. I'd heard demo systems that blew me away here and there. But the $$$$ was beyond comprehension. As I sit here listening....the reality. sheer humanness of vocals, the shimmer of stringed instruments continually amaze me. The depth. guts, and slam of the music is so mesmerizing and often shocking I'm still pulling out old favorites to hear the half I'd missed with all my previous crappy systems. Honestly I never knew MY VERY OWN rig could ever sound this fantastic. Did I mention Raven Audio? IMO a STUNNING break through in realism.