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Integrated amp recommendation

I recently bought a used pair of Swiss-made Piega p4L MKII floor-standing speakers. I am looking for a two-channel integrated amp to pair with them. Budget: $1,000.

Among the stated speaker specs: applied power rating 20-200 watts, sensitivity 89 db, 4 ohms impedance and frequency response 38 Hz-50 kHz. To me, the speakers’ sound can be described as natural, detailed and transparent, not aggressive and maybe slightly lacking in bass. The room is 12 x 20, carpeted but relatively bare. I listen primarily to classic rock, classic jazz and classical. I use a Bluesound Node 2i music streamer and CDs. Bluetooth would be nice but not essential.

Thank you for any assistance.

phil59
brad18loseke
4 posts
 

Arcam SA-20

phil59 OP
26 posts
 

Is it a fair statement that vintage integrateds are not considered a worthy option here?

jjss49's avatar
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jjss49
6,612 posts
 

i have owned the belles aria (twice), along with numerous hegels, ayres, some upper older musical fidelities

david belles’ aria is a nice integrated, powerful, very stoutly built, nice phono stage in it too (the remote control is downright cheap though)

sonically, i found the belles to have a little more of a brash personality - more treble energy, some sizzle, a little grain, compared to the more refined hegel and ayre sound... so it depends if you want that or your speakers benefit from a little more sizzle up top...

the ayre, hegel and top flight retro musical fidelity amps (a308, muvista etc) provide a degree of treble sophistication of even higher tier solid state amplification (ample detail and soundstaging free of attendant electronic harshness)

phil59 OP
26 posts
 

Thank you, jjss49, for that. They all look really good. To my ears, my Piega speakers are clean and clear, but not brash. Also given a bigger, relatively bare room, it seems to me that a little more warmth plus plenty of power for those 4 ohm speakers is the ticket.Does that seem right?

rick2000
464 posts
 

Save up until you can get One of the World's Best and be done for life 

Soulnote Audio A-1 at $4K USA 

https://www.atelier13-usa.com/soulnote-line-overview

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