Which integrated for Wilson Sabrina's


HI audio friends,

Considering decluttering my main system and moving from pre and power to a high end integrated.  I currently have the Coda Continuum power amp, LTA reference 2 preamp, hifi rose streamer and Wilson Sabrina's.  

Cabling, set up and all the tedium of pre and power feels unnecessary when i consider some of the excellent integrated options available.  I have always been impressed by BAT engineering and their vk 80i has had some great reviews, but  I don't think the 55w is enough for the wilsons.  The vk 3500 would definitely have enough grunt, but i'm curious what everyone thinks and am open to other options.  

Thoughts?

cshadow

@audphile 1

1) People buy integrated amps specifically for the simplicity and integration, and to avoid having piles of boxes and cables. The 5805 has a full feature set of rather uncompromised design including analog, digital, linestage, headphone, and power amp. What would you add, change, or delete?

2) No, by listening to a very similar setup, a 5805 driving a pair of Non-X Sabrinas. The analog front end was a VPI HRX and Koetsu Rosewood. We didn’t use any CDs or streaming. The amplifier demands of all Wilson speakers all center around stability into low impedance loads and high current capability - which the 5805 has in abundance.

3) The OP specified a budget of $9,000. The Pass XA60.8 alone is $14,250, The entry level XP-12 line stage is $6,100, the XP-15 Phono preamp $3,800, and the HPA-1 Headphone amp another $3,675. Plus 3 cable sets and a DAC, at least another $5,000 there. That’s a total of $32,825. Not only have you ignored the budget, but you have ignored the fundamental user requirement of an integrated amp.

You may not be a fan of Integrated amps, however many people are, for the reasons stated - simplicity and value. Many integrated amps are compromised for various reasons. The 5805 is not.

I provided a solution to the OP requirements. You apparently are seeking some kind of validation for your equipment. It’s fine. I get it. I’ve been a fan of Nelson Pass since the Adcom GFA-series high-bias MOSFET amps in the mid-80s, and still use GFA-5800s as subwoofer amps in my dedicated home theatre, and a GFA-535 in my office system. But the current Pass Labs offerings, irrespective of quality, offer no solution in this case.

 

You apparently are seeking some kind of validation for your equipment. It’s fine. I get it.

@panzrwagn where did that come from? I don’t need anyone to validate my system.

Also, a pair of used XA60.8 are within the OP’s budget and there’s already a fine preamp there in the system.
 

But the current Pass Labs offerings, irrespective of quality, offer no solution in this case.

The above statement couldn’t possibly be further from the truth.
Class A amplification, and Pass Labs in particular, checks all of the boxes for the sound qualities OP is seeking. May be I missed the requirement for the phono stage and a DAC? But the solution I provided kicks the ML integrated down a flight of stairs.

@cshadow 

And if you are set on an integrated, once again, Pass Int250 will be close to what you are looking for sound wise and will provide plenty of power and control. Used can be had in your price range. Another excellent choice would be a used Luxman 595 Class A integrated that you can find now for under $10k but again if you have a very large room and looking for concert levels it might not be the right choice. 
Gryphon and D’Agostino are unlikely to be found in your price range used but you can stumble upon a Gryphon without the DAC module in or around your price range if you wait. 

+1 on Krell.  Read the stereophile review by Jason Serinus.  I heard that set up on his system, and it was very impressive.

I realize this Vitus integrated is more than your desired price, but it’s about half its list price and may be a bit negotiable and should deliver just what you’re looking for. 
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisai451-vitus-audio-sia-025-receivers
I also heard BAT with an older pair of Watt Puppy 8s (I think) at a show it it also sounded really good, but that was obviously a long time ago but always left me with a feeling there was some good chemistry there.  Best of luck.